Snapchat's new update, Chat 2.0, is here, and it is massive. Snapchat's announcement on Tuesday outlined a series of notable additions to the popular mobile service. With a mountain of features, Snapchat executives describe the update as a means to allow consumers to say what they want, exactly how they want it.
From a bird's-eye view, Chat 2.0 is an extensive update, providing users with a number of innovative ways to make real-time communication possible. With the update, users are able to send photos, videos, GIFs and stickers to their connections in real time. A number of updates to some of the service's popular features were also launched.
One of the most notable upgrades involves the addition of more than 200 stickers that users can send to their connections. What makes Snapchat's stickers unique is that the program automatically suggests quirky, cute images as soon as users type in a message. Though the current lineup of stickers is still in its initial phase, analysts believe that Bitmojis from Bitstrips, a company recently acquired by Snapchat, will soon make an appearance.
Another notable update involves the ability of users to send Video and Audio Notes to other users. These notes are basically 10-second videos that could be sent from one user to another, with or without audio. Think of it like sending personalized GIFs to each other during conversations. Sending reactions to connections might never be the same.
Oh, and Snapchat also features video and audio calling now. Of course, during the call, users would be able to take advantage of the entire plethora of stickers, video notes and the like to send to their recipients.
If there's one thing that might slightly annoy users, though, it would be that Snapchat Stories are now autoplayed. Previously, users had to click on each video separately.
Indeed, Snapchat's Chat 2.0 updates are a lot to process. The entire suite of new features might very well give users, especially those who grew up with Yahoo! Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger, a pretty significant headache. Then again, millennials and teens, who constitute a huge demographic among Snapchat users, are expert multitaskers.
Extremely flexible and with almost limitless options to make conversations engaging, Snapchat seems to be pulling out all stops in establishing its reputation as the most innovative, addictive and vibrant way consumers could communicate with each other.
