Snapchat, the ephemeral instant messaging service, has announced that it will be offering an old-school chat interface and video chat as well.
Consequently, users can swipe right on a friend’s name in their Snapchat inbox to enter a new chat screen on a regular chatting interface. You can write and send text messages, send snaps, and send photos or videos from your camera roll. Alas, you won’t find any sticker.
Additionally, there is a new button at the bottom of the screen. Whenever it turns blue, it means that your friend is currently in the chat screen, reading your messages. If you hit the button, you will start a call. If the other person hits the button too, you will see both ends of the calls at the same time.
Just like when you see a snap, you need to maintain your finger on the screen to keep the video call active on your end. Below your finger, you will see a thumbnail of your camera. The rest of the screen is filled with your friend’s face. You can remove your thumb, and you will only see your friend without sharing your camera.
If you want to switch from your front-facing camera to the back camera, all you need to do is drag your thumb to the upper half of the screen. The camera will automatically switch. These interface refinements are why Snapchat has been a very effective messaging app.
When you are done with your call and chat, you can go back to your inbox. Whenever you do this, your chat history will be erased, staying true to the ephemeral nature of the app. You can, however, tap on individual messages to save them for later.
“Until today, we felt that Snapchat was missing an important part of conversation: presence. There’s nothing like knowing you have the full attention of your friend while you’re chatting,” said the company.
The update hasn’t hit the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store yet, but it should be available later today. To start chatting, you will probably need to communicate with someone who has also updated the app, so make sure to notify your contacts to do the same.
Check out the promo video introducing the new functions below: