Snapchat is introducing new ways for users to personalize their accounts, the company announced on Tuesday. The new update, available primarily to Snapchat+ subscribers, lets users design their own homes on the Snap Map, share super-quick snaps, edit their Bitmoji, and more.
As social media companies continue to rip off each other's features, Snapchat is introducing new ways for users to personalize their experience on the app in a bid to differentiate itself from other platforms and entice more people to sign up for its subscription service, which currently has 9 million users.
Image credit: Snap
Snapchat+ subscribers can design their own homes on Snap Map, which will be visible to friends who share their location. Snapchat allows users to get creative by letting them choose the style, color, and more they want when building their home. For example, the company suggests users could choose a realistic look or a whimsical castle.
The new feature is a fun way for Snapchat to differentiate Snap Map from other location-based services like Apple's Find My and Life360.
Subscribers can now also have their pets appear next to their Bitmoji in chats. Pets already appear on Snap Map, but now they'll be able to appear next to you at any time in the app.
Image credit: Snap
Additionally, Snapchat has introduced the ability for users to send lightning-fast snaps, allowing subscribers to send or post content in 0.10, 0.20, and 0.50 seconds. Snapchat popularized the idea of quick and easy content to post and is now taking that idea to a new level.
For standard users, Snapchat is introducing a new “Live Mirror” in the Bitmoji Builder interface that will make it easier to choose the traits that most resemble you. The idea behind this new feature is to make personalization easier than ever before by automatically creating a Bitmoji based on what you see in your camera viewfinder.
The company also touted an AI-powered lens that lets you see yourself as a five-year-old.