Ephemeral photo sharing service Snapchat has released a significant update to its iOS app today, which brings integration of a new "Chat" text messaging feature and "Here" live video chat feature.


The app's new Chat feature allows a user to swipe right on a friend's name in the inbox to start text messaging, as messages in the chat screen disappear upon leaving the window. While in a conversation, users can also press and hold the blue photo button to pop in and out of live video chat, which uses a swipe up gesture to share video on the iPhone's front facing camera and a swipe gesture down to share video on the rear facing camera.

Snapchat saw its last major update in October 2013, which brought a new "Snapchat Stories" news feed feature. The app has also been the subject of some controversy in the past few months, as a security breach last December compromised the user names and phone numbers of more than 4.6 million customers, while a vulnerability in February opened up the iPhone to denial-of-service attacks.

Snapchat is a free app for iOS devices and can be downloaded through the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

mikeyrko Avatar
143 months ago
i got the video snap from their team but no update for me at the appstore so far. was a bit confused

Same here
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roadbloc Avatar
143 months ago
yey. so now its just like everything else. progress ftw!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
143 months ago
You're supposed to double click the video message to upgrade. Not through the app store

i know but that brings me to the app store with no update in sight
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
143 months ago
Promo video was a disappointment. I expected nudity.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DiscoMcDisco Avatar
143 months ago
Nothing so far in the UK update wise.

And they really need to work on the Branding now... the interface etc is quite intuitive and easy to use, but it looks like crap lol
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
143 months ago
i got the video snap from their team but no update for me at the appstore so far. was a bit confused
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...