Snapchat is adding a range of new features to kick off 2022, which include poll stickers, individual chat replies within threads, and its take on reply reactions. All of these new and upcoming features were designed to better personalize your in-app experience, which is one element that Snapchat has always managed to excel in.
Get Snappy With It
Starting the list off, let’s take a look at Snapchat’s newly added Poll Stickers. Poll Stickers allow users to create emoji-focused polls which you can then share in Snaps and Stories. This new option provides an entertaining way to gauge the responses of your close connections, thereby adding to the overall engagement factor of your shares.
As Snapchat explains:
“Our visual Polls work across iOS and Android, so all your friends can weigh in and show their thoughts. Plus, our Polls were designed with transparency in mind – you can see how your friends voted to help ensure responses stay thoughtful and kind.”
Being able to see responses means that the new option is more light-hearted in nature, but the same characteristic also points to possibilities of misuse.
Next up, we have another new option of being able to reply to individual messages within a group chat, much like what we’re currently able to do on Messenger. This lets you address specific comments with a separate chat thread, allowing for clearer, more contextual, and more relevant discussion and/or conversation. To use the individual reply option, press and hold on a message you want to reply to within a group chat, then simply tap ‘Reply’.
Following this are Bitmoji reactions, which are similar to the reaction options of other platforms, only that instead of going with the normal emoji or stock icons, you can spice things up a bit by using Bitmoji characters, adding a little bit of personal flair to your convos. The main drawback, at least right now, is that you only have access to seven Bitmoji reactions.
Last, Snapchat has updated its video and calling interface, hoping to “make live conversations more fun”. The new process greatly embellished live calls, enabling users to more easily add Lenses, further improving the engagement factor of video calls. Additionally, you’ll now be able to also preview who’s on a group call before joining, reducing the risk of ‘coming in at the wrong time’ or double-checking if the group you’re about to join in on is actually the right group.
The Wrap
Despite being relatively small and minor additions, they all work to Snapchat’s favor of ensuring that interaction on its platform remains entertaining, fun, and attractional. With that in mind, it’s safe to assume that these new additions will further help Snapchat boost its engagement rates. Even if these are technically just re-invented versions of options that are already available on other platforms, it’s the incorporation of Snap-specific elements that makes these innovative, further feeding Snap usage.
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