Snapchat announced on Thursday it will launch a WatchOS app that will allow Apple Watch users to access social networks on their wrists. This new app allows users to use Snapchat across mobile, web, tablets and Apple Watch.
Users can now preview incoming messages and reply using keyboard, doodles, dictations, or emojis. The company says the new app allows users to do things like “here” when they meet at a restaurant, or quickly letting their friends know that they're “here” when they send quick replies while they run.
I was already able to preview Snapchat messages on my iPhone on my Apple Watch, but there was no way to respond to them so far.
Image credit: Snap
“The number of devices we use in our daily lives is increasing,” Snap wrote in a blog post. “As already, the community enjoys using Snapchat on surfaces such as tablets and web, in addition to mobile. This is based on making Snapchat available on all devices, including wearables.”
Thursday's announcement shows a shift in Snapchat's thinking, as Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said years ago he wasn't too enthusiastic about the small screens of his Apple Watch, saying that people probably prefer to look at photos on their phones over watches.
Snapchat is currently focusing on using the WatchOS app to enable users to respond quickly to messages rather than displaying images or videos.
With this launch, Snapchat has outperformed rival messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp by releasing a dedicated WatchOS app.