Popular photo and video messaging platform Snapchat has introduced a new feature that allows users to share content with people who do not use the app.
The company has announced the introduction of the sharing feature, which will see users able to send content from Official Stories, Search Stories and Our Stories to others who are not part of the Snapchat community.
These people can then watch the content through a dedicated video player on the Snapchat website. A link will appear in the top left corner of the screen directing these users to the download page for the Snapchat app.
At present, the feature is available to Snapchat users who have received the latest, controversial update, which has seen the app undergo a major redesign. It has started to be rolled out to users at the beginning of this year, but has not yet reached all users of the platform. However, a large section of users who have received the update are not too happy with it, saying it makes the app more confusing to use.
Snapchat currently has 178 million daily users but is facing competition from Facebook-owned platforms Instagram and WhatsApp, both of which have developed their own versions of Snapchat’s Stories feature. Both Instagram Stories and WhatsApp Status have 300 million users, which is considerably more than the number using Snapchat.
With Snapchat falling behind in terms of user figures, it is seeking new ways to attract new users to the platform and it hopes that content being visible to non-Snapchat users will encourage more people to start using the app.
Snapchat users can share the various types of stories by swiping left on the open camera screen, which will take them to the Discover section. From here, users tap and hold the title of the story they wish to share and select the method they would like to use from the menu that appears. Users can select email, SMS and various other messaging platforms, as well as copying a link.
Stories only appear for 24 hours as a default setting, and this will continue to be the case when an Official Story is shared with someone not on the platform, whereas Our Stories and Search Stories will be watchable for up to 30 days according to the company.
At present, users are unable to share their own personal stories with people outside the app, and it is not yet known whether the company intends to change this and enable them to be sent to others as with the other media-generated stories.
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