Many know about Snapchat’s general services; the anonymous picture messaging app has been on the mobile market since 2011. What you may not know, however, is the recent changes the application has made to compete in the ever-changing technological world.
Many know about Snapchat’s general services; the anonymous picture messaging app has been on the mobile market since 2011. What you may not know, however, is the recent changes the application has made to compete in the ever-changing technological world.
The newest of these services is “Snapcash,” which allows users to send money to their friends via the app. The finance firm Square, a mobile payment company based in San Francisco, has partnered with Snapchat to establish the new service.
While Snapchat is pushing “Snapcash” as an innovative addition to their app, some students are not wholly convinced.
“I use Snapchat a lot,” said Tiffanie Fogel, a freshman studying music business. Fogel said she first downloaded the app two years ago to stay in touch with friends and show them what she is doing. However, the idea of sending money on the app does not rest well with her.
“I think it’s kind of weird and I also don’t like the fact that I can send people money because I feel like I’m gonna do it a lot on accident now,” Fogel said.
Olivia Cobb, a freshman studying English, echoed Fogel’s concerns.
“I just got a Snapchat last year and I use it mostly to send really embarrassing pictures to my sister and to show my ex-boyfriend that I’m having a great time at OU, so it’s not a healthy relationship with Snapchat,” Cobb said. “... I don’t think I would trust sending money through social media though. Definitely not; it seems super sketchy.”
The logistical problems of how the payments would work is also a problem for Cobb.
“Also, I’m confused as to what you do once you get (the money). Do you just spend it on anything?”
Users can sync their bank accounts to the app in order to send money online.
“Why would I even need to (transfer money to a friend)? It’s so weird,” Cobb said. “I guess it would be kind of convenient — well I owe you a dollar or something — but I feel like you would get so many surcharges with that it’d be stupid.”
In May of 2014, Snapchat issued an update to the app in which users could send private messages to their friends. Snapchat’s messages disappear after the user reads them, similar to their picture service.
Older updates of the app include the October 2013 update which introduced “Snapchat Stories.” These stories allow people to view the picture or video for up to 24 hours an unlimited number of times.
OU-specific Snapchats
Another recent addition to the app is “Our Campus Story,” which functions similarly to a regular story on the app. Our Campus stories can be uploaded by any users in and around college campuses across the nation.
The location service on the user’s phone must be enabled to determine eligibility for this particular aspect of the product. Users can upload their pictures and videos to Our Campus
Story and Snapchat filters through them and anyone with access to the Our Campus story can view it.
“I think it’s cool because there’s a lot of apps that are about sharing stories anonymously near you,” said Jack Cummings, a sophomore studying community health. “It’s interesting to see what’s happening in other people’s lives close to you that you may never meet.”
Snapchat could not be reached for comment by press time.
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