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How do you send a Snap instead of a chat?

How do you send a Snap instead of a chat?

Sending a Snap on Snapchat is easy and straightforward once you know how. A Snap is a photo or video that you send to your friends that disappears after it’s been viewed. This distinguishes Snaps from chats, which are text-based messages that remain visible indefinitely.

There are a few ways to send a Snap instead of a chat on Snapchat for both iOS and Android devices. Here is a step-by-step guide to sending Snaps:

Sending a Snap from the Camera Screen

The easiest way to send a Snap instead of a chat is directly from the camera screen in the Snapchat app:

  1. Open the Snapchat app on your device.
  2. Tap the circular shutter button at the bottom of the screen to open the camera.
  3. Take a photo or hold down the shutter button to take a video.
  4. Tap the arrow button in the bottom right to go to the Send To screen and select the friends you want to send it to.
  5. Tap the arrow again to send the Snap.

This method sends a photo or video Snap directly without going through the chat screen first. It’s the fastest way to send visual Snaps.

Sending a Snap from Chat

You can also send a Snap to someone from an existing chat:

  1. Open Snapchat and tap on a chat with a friend.
  2. Tap the camera icon in the top right of the chat screen.
  3. Take or select a photo/video for your Snap.
  4. Tap the arrow to go to the Send To screen and send to that friend.

This method lets you send a Snap to a specific friend directly from your chat with them. It’s handy when you want to send a visual Snap within an existing conversation.

Turning Chats into Snaps

If you’ve already typed out a chat message, you can turn it into a Snap instead:

  1. In an existing chat, type out your message as normal.
  2. Tap and hold the blue Send button.
  3. Select the “Send as Snap” option.
  4. Take or select a photo/video to attach to the chat text.
  5. Tap the arrow to send as a Snap.

This converts your typed out chat into a Snap with visual media attached. It’s useful for turning long text messages into Snaps for a more visual conversation.

Setting Chats to Expire

If you want your chats to act more like Snaps, you can set all your incoming chats to expire after being viewed:

  1. Go to your Snapchat Profile by tapping the bitmoji icon in the top left.
  2. Tap the gear icon to access Settings.
  3. Go to Account Actions > Manage Preferences.
  4. Turn on “Delete Incoming Chats.”

This will make all one-on-one chats disappear after they are opened, just like Snaps. Group chats will not expire.

Using Snapchat’s Chat vs. Snap Features

Understanding the difference between Snaps and Chats can help you choose the right communication method on Snapchat:

Feature Snaps Chats
Content Photo or video media Text-based messages
Visibility Disappears after being viewed once Remains visible indefinitely
Ideal Use Quick visual sharing Ongoing conversations

As you can see, Snaps are best for sharing visual moments that you want to disappear quickly. Chats are better for holding long conversations over time.

Conclusion

Sending Snaps instead of chats on Snapchat is easy once you know the different options. You can send direct camera Snaps, attach Snaps to existing chats, turn chats into Snaps, or set chats to expire after being opened.

Snaps and chats serve different purposes, so think about whether you want quick visual sharing or ongoing conversational messaging before deciding which to send. With these tips, you can master both Snapchat communication methods.

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Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photo and video messages called Snaps. It was created by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown when they were students at Stanford University. The app launched in 2011 and has grown exponentially ever since, especially among teenagers and young adults.

One of the defining features of Snapchat is that the Snaps disappear after being viewed, unlike traditional messaging apps where the messages remain visible. When a user sends a Snap, the recipient can view it for 1-10 seconds before it closes. This creates an ephemeral, in-the-moment feel to messaging on Snapchat.

In addition to one-on-one messaging, Snapchat also features Stories, which are compilations of Snaps displayed publicly or to a user’s friends for 24 hours. Stories were introduced in 2013 and have become a popular way to share day-to-day moments. Snapchat also allows users to live video chat, play games together, and explore media content from brands and publishers.

Some key Snapchat stats and facts:

  • Over 265 million daily active users as of Q2 2019
  • Over 75% of daily active users create content every day
  • The average user spends over 30 minutes per day on Snapchat
  • Over 40% of users are aged 18-24
  • Over 90% of Snapchat’s daily users are 13-24 years old
  • Snapchat reaches over 75% of 13-34 year olds and over 90% of 13-24 year olds in the United States
  • Over 60% of users create new content at least once per day
  • Over 85% of Snapchat users say they use the app to communicate with friends in a fun, visually creative way

Snapchat has also introduced a range of creative tools over the years. These include:

  • Lenses: Fun filters and effects that can be added to Snaps.
  • Geofilters: Location-based filters that can be added to Snaps.
  • Bitmoji: Personalized avatars and stickers representing the user.
  • Snap Map: Allows sharing location with friends.
  • Snap Originals: Exclusive video content created for Snapchat.
  • Snap Games: Multiplayer games that users can play together.
  • Snap Camera: Allows users to apply lenses to live streams and video chats.

Snapchat has revolutionized casual messaging and photo sharing, particularly for younger users. It has become a “daily habit” for many of its users, according to the company’s filing for its IPO. Sending fun, casual Snaps back and forth has become a popular way to communicate visually on mobile devices.

While Snapchat started life as a multimedia messaging app focused solely on ephemeral messaging, it has evolved into much more over the past decade. Some of Snapchat’s newer features and capabilities include:

  • Snap Map – Lets users share their locations with friends via an interactive map. Friends can view each other’s locations in real-time.
  • Context Cards – Provides information about places, events, restaurants, and more directly within Snapchat.
  • Stories – Lets users post Snaps visible to all friends that expire in 24 hours. Multiple Snaps can be compiled into stories expressing a narrative or theme.
  • Discover – A feature that allows users to explore Stories from editorial teams, publishers, and brands about topics and events. Provides news and entertainment content within Snapchat.
  • Memories – Lets users save Snaps and Stories to their devices so they won’t disappear. These can also be synced across devices.
  • Lens Studio – A tool that lets anyone create their own unique AR lenses and filters for Snapchat.
  • Snap Kit – Allows other apps to integrate Snapchat’s functions, like sending/viewing Snaps, without leaving the app.
  • Snap Minis – Miniature third-party apps that run inside Snapchat and allow users to share content with friends.

By expanding beyond ephemeral messaging into these new experiences and engagement opportunities, Snapchat has evolved into a multifaceted mobile camera app and social platform, though messaging between friends remains at its core.

Snapchat was initially very popular among teenagers and young adults, but its demographics have continued to expand as the app evolves. Some key statistics about Snapchat’s current users include:

  • Over 50% of daily active users are between the ages of 18-34
  • About 90% of daily active users are between the ages of 13-34
  • Snapchat now reaches over 75% of 13-34 year olds and over 90% of 13-24 year olds in the United States
  • Over 75% of Snapchat users are over the age of 25
  • The fastest growing demographic is users over 35, which grew more than 70% year-over-year
  • Over 40% of users are aged 25-34
  • Women represent over 60% of daily active users

As these statistics show, Snapchat has greatly expanded its reach beyond just teenagers over the years. While most users are still under 35, adoption by older users is growing rapidly. The gender breakdown is also fairly balanced between men and women.

Marketers are taking notice of Snapchat’s growing user base and how visual, ephemeral messaging engages audiences. Many brands are leveraging Snapchat with innovative ad formats like Snap Ads,Commercials, Lenses, Filters and Stories. They see it as a way to reach younger demographics who spend less time on traditional media and are harder to target on platforms like Facebook.

Some popular ways brands are using Snapchat for marketing include:

  • Creating fun Sponsored Lenses/Filters/Geofilters that users want to try.
  • Running video Snap Ads between Stories or Discover content.
  • Having influencers showcase products or experiences through Stories.
  • Giving behind-the-scenes Snaps at events or company offices.
  • Releasing new products first on Snapchat.
  • Partnering with Snapchat on Live Stories for events.
  • Leveraging Snapchat’s Shoppable AR to sell products through Lenses.

Snapchat provides fairly robust analytics for brands to track performance of ads and sponsored content. This includes impressions, reach, engagement, website clicks, app installs, and more. Snapchat advertising can be managed directly through Snapchat Ads Manager or using an ad platform connected via API.

As Snapchat continues growing both in users and capabilities, it presents a valuable opportunity for brands to engage in fun, visual ways. The popularity of ephemeral messaging continues rising across all demographics, cementing Snapchat as an essential part of any social media strategy.

Here are some final tips for mastering Snapchat:

  • Get creative and have fun with your Snaps – use lenses, geofilters, stickers to make them unique.
  • Tell a story throughout the day with Snaps and Stories.
  • Use Snap Map to share your location and see where friends are.
  • View content and daily Stories in Discover to stay entertained.
  • Leverage memories to access and reuse old Snaps.
  • Video chat with friends using Group Video Chat.
  • Play games with friends through Snap Games.
  • Browse Snap Kit-enabled apps for new ways to use Snapchat.
  • Check out Context Cards for local info about places nearby.
  • View Live Stories during major events to experience them with other Snapchatters.

With all Snapchat has to offer and new features continually being added, there are endless possibilities for fun, creative messaging. Follow these tips to make the most of it!