Snapchat Introduced Set Of Product Updates Prior To Disappointing Q1 Results

Before posting its disappointing Q1 earnings yesterday, Snapchat announced a series of product updates and new features for the app.

As part of its latest update, Snapchat altered its 10 second maximum rule, and will now let users choose to leave the viewing time up to the recipient.

Using its “limitless” option, which can be activated using the “infinity” icon within the original time-setting function, people can choose to remove the time limit on their snap and let the recipient view it for as long as they like.

Only when the recipient clicks out of the snap will it disappear.

The photo-sharing platform is also offering a loop option for videos, which will repeat the video until the recipient exits the message – this feature can be found under the scissors option.

With the update, Snapchat also introduced a new pen feature, which lets users write on their snaps in a string of their chosen emojis.

The new magic eraser tool will enable people to remove parts of their image and replace them with the background.

In an interview at Slush Festival last year, Tinder’s co-head of product and head of revenue, Brian Norgard, spoke about the inspiration Snapchat served in terms of product development.

This latest update arrived days before Snap Inc. released its Q1 earnings, where it posted a loss of $2.2bn, which caused shares to plummet.

The app has 166m DAUs, a 5% increase from the previous quarter and a 36% increase from last year.

This puts Snapchat’s daily user count below that of Instagram Stories, which Instagram announced had 200m DAUs last month.

Last week, Snapchat started its roll out of a new self-serve ad manager for buying video ads – read more about it here.