Snapchat appears to be having an identity crisis. The disappearing camera app is introducing a new feature that makes pictures and videos not disappear. Sounds a little confusing, right?
The new feature, called Memories, will save your pictures and videos indefinitely, so that you can reshare them later. But what's with the complete 180? And how does it work?
In IT Blogwatch, we want the answer to stick around for a while.
So what exactly is Memories, and why is everyone making a big deal about it? Alex Heath gives us the background:
Snapchat wants to replace your...camera roll with a new feature called Memories. Swipe down from the camera in Snapchat...and you'll have a gallery of old snaps to reminisce about and re-share.
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Snapchat has always been about default deletion and ephemerality...so it may seem odd that you can now save photos and videos to look back on.
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Memories at its core is an acknowledgment that everything doesn't deserve to disappear...Memories should mean that people use Snapchat more because they can have the best of both worlds -- ephemerality and nostalgia.
Great, but how exactly does Memories work? Lexy Savvides gives us a tutorial:
Memories...is a searchable and shareable archive of snaps...Memories...automatically pulls together saved snaps into categories based on location. But you can also search on a keyword, such as food.
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To make a new memory, create a snap as usual with all the filters and stickers you desire. Then, tap the Save icon...to download the snap to your camera roll or gallery. Rather than saving to the roll, however, the snap will save to the Memories section.
Sounds easy enough. But who are these people using Snapchat more that Alex mentioned? We don't want old people (you know, 35 and over) coming to Snapchat. Oh, no, they might already be here! Sharon Gaudin breaks it down for us:
Sorry, kids, but you won’t have Snapchat all to yourselves anymore...adults are crashing the party.
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If their parents, teachers, aunts and uncles show up on Snapchat...younger users will look for an alternative.
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Will teens and 20-somethings, potentially unhappy about older users invading their social space...go after the next big social app?...Other social networks or developing networks should take note.
This is all well and good, but what is the real takeaway here? Harry McCracken gets to the heart of the matter:
The tech industry has too many features called "Memories" or "Moments." Need new names.