How does Snapchat work exactly?

The main function of Snapchat is snapping, i.e. sharing your snaps with friends, acquaintances or other users. To do this, the app accesses your camera directly and offers you a few basic functions with which you can take pictures and videos. You can then edit your shots using a number of filters. For example, you have the option of adding certain colors or effects to your recordings to amuse the viewers of your snaps.

You can then send the finished snaps to individual users. As with normal messengers, you also have the option of sending short text messages or calling your counterpart directly for a video chat. On the other hand, Snapchat shows you how many chats of other users you have not yet viewed.

Before you send a snap, you can set how long the message can remain on the other person's phone before it is automatically deleted. The longest period is ten seconds. This means that the message will remove itself ten seconds after you view it. However, if you want to send particularly spicy messages, you can keep the time period shorter. The minimum is a single second. The snap will then delete itself immediately after the recipient has viewed it.

In addition to direct messages, you can also view Stories from other Snapchat users. The app recommends currently popular channels and snaps on your homepage. You can also search for specific user names if you know what they are called.

However, Snapchat is not only geared towards chats between individuals, but also offers an option for group chat. Here, you can chat with up to 16 other users at the same time. You also have the option to see where your other contacts are at the moment. This should make it easier to arrange meetings and get organized.

Who is Snapchat suitable for?

Although Snapchat is now a very well-known app, only a few target groups use the software to keep in touch with each other in Snaps. The main users are teenagers and young adults. The average age is between 14 and 27. Younger users are not really supposed to use the app, and for older users Snapchat hardly has any added value because there is no traceability in the chats. It's easy to forget what you were talking about with someone a few days ago. It is not possible to read or look up the conversation. Young people, on the other hand, like to use the chat to send lewd pictures and videos of themselves. The problem here is that there is no filter to block inappropriate content. There is also no age check made for the app. In addition, sent content can still be photographed within the set viewing time, so Snapchat is not always quite as safe as it would like to be.

Snapchat is already suitable for a little fun in between. However, the app is not a replacement for other messengers.