(Pocket-lint) – Snapchat is bringing three key features – chat and video calling – to desktop via a web app. This is the first time Snapchat’s core service has been available on non-mobile devices.
What is Snapchat for Web?
With Snapchat for the web, you can log in with your Snapchat account and message or call your friends right from your desktop. The new web experience seems to look and work a lot like mobile – only with the extra space to let you chat and call in the same window on desktop. Snap said AR lens support will even be coming to the web version soon.
The company seemed to suggest that with people using computers more frequently during the pandemic, such as students now learning and working remotely, it ultimately made sense to bring more Snapchat functionality to the web. The service has always had a website, but it was extremely limited in that it directed you to Snapchat’s mobile apps and only allowed you to manage settings and data.
Snapchat for the web lets you:
- Start a call or pick up where chats left off on mobile.
- Use messaging features like chat reactions and chat reply
- Coming soon: Use AR lenses from the desktop
How does Snapchat work for the web?
Terms
Snapchat for the web is only compatible with Google’s Chrome browser (not Apple’s Safari).
Go to Snapchat for web
To access the web version of Snapchat, simply open your laptop or turn on your desktop computer and navigate to web.snapchat.com in Chrome. When the page loads, you will be prompted to log in to your Snapchat account.
Chat and call
Once logged in, the Snapchat for web interface will appear, with your contacts on the left, the chat view in the middle, and the video and audio call pane on the right. The user interface is quite intuitive; click on a contact to start a conversation with them. You will see buttons to video call them or call them. You will also see the chat screen and the ability to react to chats and respond to chats from your laptop or desktop. Easy.
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Pick up where you left off
Snap said your calls, video calls and chats are synced across its mobile apps and web app, so you should be able to pick up where you left off if you switch from mobile to desktop or vice versa.
Can anyone try Snapchat for web?
At launch, the web version will be available exclusively to Snapchat Plus subscribers. This is the first major launch of a paid feature since Snapchat announced its paid offering in June. For a monthly cost of $3.99, subscribers can access a few exclusive features, such as Snapchat for the web, as well as experimental additions long before they hit the general user base.
Where is Snapchat for web available?
Snapchat Plus subscribers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will get the feature first.
Want to know more?
Check out Pocket-lint’s in-depth guide to Snapchat to learn more about the mobile app, including how it works and the best tips and tricks.
Written by Maggie Tillman.
