A new version of Snapchat has come and it is taking online conversations to a whole new level. The developing team has stated many times that the original objective is to reproduce face-to-face conversations in the app. When you talk to somebody in person, you can say whatever you want and there is no record of your words.

But the guys from Venice Beach wanted more of the app. In the new version, you can text one of your friends and then, when he or she arrives, you can start a video chat or a voice call without changing screens. It’s very simple and direct. They also included voice notes and a sticker system that makes the app more expressive and entertaining.

A new version of Snapchat has come and it is taking online conversations to a whole new level. Photo credit: Reuters / Engadget
A new version of Snapchat has come and it is taking online conversations to a whole new level. Photo credit: Reuters / Engadget

Snaps or pictures are very simple to take and send: you just have to tap on the screen and send it. Users can draw on the snap by clicking at the icon on the top right corner and they can also tap in the middle of the picture and write something. There is an icon on the bottom left corner that activates the timer for photographs and, if videos are your thing, you can press and hold to make a video snap.

There is also a very fast way to catching up. Do you remember those Facebook picture videos? Well, users can set the feature to show them what’s up in a short video. It’s not mandatory, you can close it or forward it. They call it “advanced-stories” and it also allows the user to create videos made out of snaps.

But let’s suppose that there is a gigantic event in your university and you want everybody to know how was it by making a video, well, it’s possible now. If there is an event or something that you want to share with snapchatters around the globe, you can create your advanced story and submit it for revision. There is a team tasked with deciding whether your video is uploaded.

A lot of people use Snapchat because of the privacy it provides

The premise of the application is storing nothing. Text messages, pictures and videos are erased by the server once the recipients open them, similar to real life. There is no record of what you say or send by Snapchat and that is not changing. Chats are erased when the recipients open them as it happens with pictures and if the pictures are never opened, they will be erased after 30 days.

The company servers are set so nobody can retrieve pictures directly from the app. Advance stories will be erased 24 hours after their creation. In spite all of this, users have to be careful on what they send. There is a post that tells everybody how to trick Snapchat called “All Snapchat Tricks and Secrets 2016”.

The company and the government

The Snapchat team has declared to be in favor of encryption in the past. They specifically announced their support for Apple in its conflict with federal agencies. They publish the volume of legal requisitions asked by law forces twice a year. Since 2015, their policy has been to tell users when the government wants information from their account. However, there are situations, such as child exploitation or risk of putting someone in danger, in which the company does not notify the user.

Even though the app is little compared to other reigning apps, the 2.0 version comes to the arena offering what others don’t, some level of privacy and a smooth quick interface.

Source: Snapchat