Snapchat - page 2

Snapchat finally fixes its messy Stories feed for some users

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Snapchat Stories change
Your latest Stories are easy to find again.
Screenshot: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Snapchat has finally begun reviving its chronological Stories feed, fixing the mess that was introduced with its most recent visual revamp.

Some users now have a new “Stories” section in their Friends tab, which filters out those who haven’t posted anything in over 24 hours.

Snapchat’s AR Lenses finally arrive on iPhone X

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Snapchat
Snap's iPhone X Lenses adhere more closely to the face.
Photo: Snap

The iPhone X’s exclusive AR Snapchat Lenses were first shown off at the iPhone X keynote last year. Jump forward seven months and Snap has finally gotten around to releasing them.

Available only to owners of Apple’s flagship handset, the Lenses work using Apple’s TrueDepth front-facing camera, technology which is reportedly two years ahead of the competition.

Snapchat adds group video chat and friend tagging

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Snapchat
Snapchat lets you video chat with up to 16 people.
Photo: Snapchat

Snapchat just rolled out a big update that gives users the ability to tag friends in Stories and enjoy chaotic group video chats with up to 16 people. It has also added support for even more ridiculous voice calls that support up to 32 people.

Twitter is working to steal one of Snapchat’s best features

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Periscope-for-Twitter-iOS
Twitter is pivoting to video.
Photo: Twitter

A major redesign of Twitter’s mobile app is rumored to be underway and it could spell bad news for Snapchat.

Rumors of Twitter’s camera-focused redesign have been swirling for months, but according to a new report, the redesign will also steal one of Snapchat’s best location-based features.

Snapchat will let you share custom AR Lenses this month

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Snapchat
Snapchat has a new plan to make money. And it means you doing the work.
Photo: Snapchat

In an effort to reengage with its fanbase after its recent badly received redesign, Snapchat is planning to allow users to create augmented reality “Lenses” and share them with the rest of the community.

The debut of creator-made Lenses in the app’s carousel will debut at the end of this month. The Lenses can be made using Snapchat’s Lens Studio application, and Snap will then select the best ones and make them available to the wider 187 million daily user community.

Instagram leak exposes video calling plans

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Instagram
Instagram makes sharing Stories simpler.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram is preparing to add voice and video calling to its primary photo sharing app, a new leak has revealed.

Files and icons labeled “call” and “video call” have been discovered buried inside Instagram’s APK package for Android. A video calling button first popped up inside the app back in January, but it was believed to be for internal use only.

Snapchat promises changes after fierce backlash

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Snapchat
Snapchat lets you video chat with up to 16 people.
Photo: Snapchat

Snapchat has promised to make changes to its app after a Change.org petition attracted more than 1.2 million signatures from disgruntled users.

Snap has endured growing backlash from fans following a controversial redesign, with many calling for the company to revert to its old user interface. Now the company says it is planning adjustments to the Friends and Discover sections.

Instagram Direct gives you greater control over replays

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Instagram
Instagram makes sharing Stories simpler.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram Direct is one-upping Snapchat with an improved replay option that gives senders complete control.

When you post a photo or video with Instagram Direct, you can choose whether the recipient can replay it temporarily, see a permanent thumbnail in the chat log, or view it only once.

Snapchat won’t back down on controversial redesign

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Snapchat icon
Snapchat isn't willing too many new fans right now.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Snapchat’s not rolling back its new design, despite more than 1 million people (and counting) signing a petition for it to do so.

The company recently debuted its new layout — designed to separate interactions with friends from branded content — but many users have complained that it is difficult to use, prompting a popular change.org petition to revert to its previous design.

Twitter wants to make it way easier to share videos

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Twitter
Twitter's redesign is reportedly inspired by Snapchat.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Twitter wants to make it easier for people to post videos to its app, and it’s reportedly planning to take some inspiration from Snapchat in order to do so.

According to a new report, citing sources familiar with the matter, Twitter is currently working on a tool that will let users more easily utilize their camera to take and share video clips, showing what is happening around them.

Name your price for a social marketing master class [Deals]

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Learn the fundamentals of social media marketing, for whatever you want to pay.
Learn the fundamentals of social media marketing, for whatever you want to pay.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Today, digital marketing is one of the largest and most lucrative industries. In 2018, platforms like Google and Facebook have become fundamental to marketing. So if you’re going to be successful at marketing, you’ve got to understand how to master social media.

Instagram Stories is getting a new ‘Type’ feature

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Instagram
Instagram makes sharing Stories simpler.
Photo: Instagram

Instagram is taking another swipe at Snapchat with a new feature called “Type.” It allows users to post text to their Stories — without adding a photo or video — and it’s in testing now ahead of a wider rollout. Another Snapchat feature is also on its way.

YouTube is adding Snapchat-like stories for creators

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Youtube’s Incognito mode
Some big changes are coming to YouTube.
Photo: freestocks.org/Pexels CC

Stories, the short-video format popularized by Snapchat, is making its way to YouTube.

Everyone from Instagram to Facebook Messenger has already copied Snapchat’s popular, so it should be little surprise that YouTube has decided to get in on the action too. The video platform revealed to creators today that it’s working on a new feature called “Reels” that is a lot like Stores. Only it comes with some major differences.

Instagram just ‘borrowed’ more features from Snapchat

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Instagram 2
Look familiar?
Photo: Instagram

Instagram is continuing its competition with Snapchat with its latest update, which lets user remix friends’ photos and then send them back.

To use the feature, when you view a photo message from friends, hit the camera icon at the bottom of the screen and capture a reply. Your reply then contains a sticker of the original message, which you can then move and resize, or add additional stickers, text, and drawings to.

Snapchat hopes massive app changes will attract new users

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Snapchat icon
Snapchat is making the changes after reporting disappointing earnings.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel has revealed that Snapchat’s app will be undergoing a major redesign, after the company fell short of expected growth projections for the quarter.

In a letter to investors, Spiegel blamed the difficulties on the service being too difficult for many users to understand. “One thing we have heard over the years is that Snapchat is difficult to understand or hard to use,” he wrote — adding that, “Our team has been working on responding to this feedback.”

You can now cross-post your Instagram Stories to Facebook

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Facebook Stories
Facebook Stories could quickly see a lot more users.
Photo: Facebook

Instagram has started giving users the ability to cross-post their Stories to Facebook Stories.

After testing the feature in Portugal last month, the company is now migrating it to U.S. users. Facebook says it should be available to everyone soon, if not already.

Yay? Snapchat is ready to bring us augmented reality ads

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This guy
Who knows? Your corporate mascot could become as popular as this guy!
Photo: Snapchat

Advertising is the life blood of many tech companies, so it’s no surprise that people are already tripping over themselves to find a good way of monetizing augmented reality, the technology Apple has brought to the masses with ARKit.

The company that’s first out of the gate with AR spam is Snapchat, which has just announced that it’s opening up its 3D World Lenses to advertisers. Ever wanted to have fun™ by interacting with a beloved corporate mascot? Well, now you can.

Pikachu Snapchat filter lets you turn yourself into a Pokémon

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Snapchat dysmorphia
Pika the new Snapchat filter to turn yourself into a Pokémon
Photo: Snapchat

Snapchat has paired up with The Pokémon Company to debut a Pikachu filter that turns users’ faces into that of the famous yellow electric Pokémon.

Best of all, whenever you open your mouth you’ll hear Pikachu’s instantly recognizable voice as the animated character leaps onto the screen to strike a pose!

Facebook shuts down the Snapchat clone you never heard of

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Lifestage iPhone
Remember Lifestage? Me neither!
Photo: Facebook

Facebook has shut down Lifestage, a Snapchat clone designed to entice teens into using it for casual photo sharing.

The Lifestage app for iOS disappeared from the App Store earlier this week, less than a year after making its debut, and the social network has confirmed it is no more.

Instagram Stories blasts past Snapchat in popularity

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Stories is already seeing more users than Snapchat.
Stories is already seeing more users than Snapchat.
Photo: Instagram

You have to feel for Snapchat. Not only are its best features constantly ripped off by the competition, but they’re sometimes even more popular on rival platforms.

Take Stories, for example. Less than a year after being copied, the feature is already more popular on Instagram than the entire Snapchat service.

Microsoft revamps Skype in a bid to do battle with iMessage

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Skype's overhaul is coming to iPhone soon.
Skype's overhaul is coming to iPhone soon.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft is rolling out a complete top-to-bottom overhaul of Skype in an effort to do battle with the likes of iMessage and Snapchat.

Its revamped service combines familiar Skype features like instant messaging and international calling with third-party service integration, improved group chat, and photo sharing with the ability to add annotations and emoji stickers.