Snapchat

The app launched as Picaboo in July 2011 and became Snapchat that September. Its early development involved Stanford University students Evan SpiegelEvan SpiegelEvan Spiegel is an American entrepreneur who, while a student at Stanford University in 2011, developed the disappearing-photo app Snapchat with Bobby Murphy and others, and has served since 2012 as Chief Executive Officer of its parent company, Snap Inc. Snap went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017 with non-voting shares; he has made a long-running bet on the augmented reality glasses Spectacles and Specs.Open the full entry, Robert Murphy and Reggie Brown. In its 2014 settlement statement, the company acknowledged Brown’s original idea for disappearing picture messages and his early work with the other two.⁠[3]

On October 29, 2012, Snapchat launched on Google Play, initially supporting Android 2.2 and later. The team described rebuilding its camera and interface for different devices and testing more than 250 models. These were the conditions reported at launch.⁠[4]

In 2013, Spiegel rejected Facebook’s $3 billion acquisition offer.⁠[5]

Snapchat introduced Stories in October 2013, arranging posts into chronological narratives. Its later prospectus described My Story posts lasting 24 hours with adjustable audiences, while Our Story collected contributions from multiple people around shared events or places.⁠[6][7]

On May 1, 2014, Snapchat introduced text and live video chat. Its announcement explained that messages viewed by both participants would clear upon leaving the chat screen, while users could tap to save or take screenshots. Default deletion did not make content impossible to retain.⁠[8]

On May 8, 2014, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with Snapchat. It alleged misleading disappearance claims because third-party apps, video storage and some screenshot methods could preserve content. Other charges concerned inadequate disclosures about location and address-book collection and deficient Find Friends security associated with disclosure of roughly 4.6 million usernames and phone numbers. These were regulatory charges resolved through settlement.⁠[9]

Brown sued in 2013, alleging exclusion from the project. In September 2014, the company announced a settlement and acknowledged his early contribution. Its subsequent prospectus disclosed $157.5 million in total payments: $50 million in 2014 and $107.5 million in 2016.⁠[3][7]

The FTC approved its final settlement order on December 31, 2014. It barred misrepresentations about privacy, security and confidentiality and required a privacy program subject to independent monitoring for 20 years. These remedial requirements were not proof that every technical risk had permanently disappeared.⁠[10]

Snapchat launched Discover on January 27, 2015, working with editorial teams on editions combining images, video and longer articles. The initial design replaced editions after 24 hours. The announcement emphasized editorial selection and incorporated advertising into the publishing format.⁠[11]

On September 15, 2015, Snapchat introduced Lenses, allowing users to press on their face in the selfie camera and choose live visual effects before capturing a Snap. Lenses later became part of its broader augmented-reality creation ecosystem.⁠[12][13]

In 2016, the company became Snap Inc. and introduced Spectacles, while its app retained the Snapchat name.⁠[7]

Snapchat announced Memories on July 6, 2016, enabling users to save, search and recombine Snaps and Stories, with My Eyes Only for private storage. It said Memories would be backed up by Snapchat, without automatically backing up the phone’s entire camera roll.⁠[14]

Instagram launched its own Stories on August 2, 2016, organizing photos and videos into slideshows that disappeared after 24 hours. Systrom credited Snapchat while defending adaptation.⁠[15][16]

Snapchat launched Snap Map on June 21, 2017, showing friends and publicly shared activity on a map. The launch announcement described choosing which friends could see a location, hiding it through Ghost Mode, and updating location when the app was opened.⁠[17]

The redesign announced on November 29, 2017 put friends’ chats and Stories to the left of the camera, with publishers, creators and community content in Discover on the right. Friend ordering reflected interaction, while Discover combined subscriptions, personalization and human curation.⁠[18]

Snap launched Lens Studio in late 2017 so creators could build Lenses for Snapchat. Its second-quarter 2018 release reported more than 100,000 submitted Lenses and the introduction of Lens Explorer to help users find them. The tools served creation and discovery respectively.⁠[13]

On June 14, 2018, Snapchat introduced Snap Kit for other app developers, offering camera content integration, login, Bitmoji stickers and embedding of public Stories. Its initial components were Creative Kit, Login Kit, Bitmoji Kit and Story Kit.⁠[19]

Second-quarter results released on August 7, 2018 showed Snapchat daily active users falling from 191 million to 188 million. In prepared earnings remarks, Spiegel primarily attributed the decline to lower usage frequency following redesign disruption, while describing revisions based on feedback and improvements in some viewing and new-user retention measures.⁠[13][20]

Snapchat launched Spotlight on November 23, 2020, initially in 11 countries, and announced more than $1 million per day for creators during the launch period. The initial version was moderated and lacked public comments. That reward arrangement should not be treated as an unchanged permanent payment commitment.⁠[21]

Snapchat’s explanation of Spotlight describes watch time, favorites and sharing as positive signals, and rapid skipping as a negative one. The system also explores varied content. Launch-period rewards depended on video performance rather than simply a creator’s follower count.⁠[22]

Snapchat introduced Snapchat+ on June 29, 2022, initially priced at $3.99 per month for exclusive, experimental and early-access features in nine markets including the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. This describes the original launch, not a uniform current price everywhere.⁠[23]

Snapchat announced its web version on July 18, 2022, supporting chat and voice and video calls in Chrome. Initial access covered Snapchat+ subscribers in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada and users in Australia and New Zealand. The current website also provides a web-chat entry point.⁠[24][1]

Snapchat introduced Family Center on August 9, 2022. It lets parents see teens’ friends and recent communication partners and report concerning accounts without reading the conversations themselves. The tool was designed to provide visibility into contacts while preserving the privacy of message content.⁠[25]

Snapchat announced My AI on February 27, 2023, initially as an experimental Snapchat+ feature using OpenAI GPT technology adapted for Snapchat. The announcement warned of errors and hallucinations, storage and review of conversations, and advised users not to share secrets or rely on its advice.⁠[26]

On August 29, 2023, Snapchat introduced Dreams, generating images of users in imagined scenarios from selfies. The first eight images were free, with more available for purchase. Rollout began in Australia and New Zealand ahead of wider availability; friend-inclusive images were described as a forthcoming feature.⁠[27]

The UK Information Commissioner’s Office concluded its My AI investigation on May 21, 2024. After raising preliminary concerns about risk assessment in 2023, it found that Snap had completed an assessment meeting the requirements following further work. It said implementation would remain under scrutiny. The preliminary concerns were not a final finding of illegality.⁠[28]

New Mexico’s attorney general sued Snap Inc. in September 2024, alleging that Snapchat’s design and safeguards exposed minors to sextortion and exploitation. Snap responded that it used barriers against strangers finding minors and measures to detect and block suspicious activity. The allegations and response are distinct from established judicial findings.⁠[29][30]

On April 23, 2025, New Mexico’s justice department reported that the court had denied Snap’s motion to dismiss, allowing the case and discovery to proceed. This procedural ruling was not a final judgment on the merits of all allegations.⁠[31]

On September 26, 2025, Snapchat announced Memories storage plans with a 5GB free allowance and options for 100GB, 250GB with Snapchat+, and 5TB with Platinum. It offered 12 months of temporary storage for existing content above the free limit and allowed users to download their content.⁠[32]

Snapchat announced Topic Chats on November 17, 2025, introducing public conversations around shared interests, initially rolling out in Canada, New Zealand and the United States. It described moderated discussions and profile privacy for unconnected participants, expanding the app’s communication beyond private chats.⁠[33]

On March 26, 2026, the European Commission opened formal Digital Services Act proceedings into Snapchat, covering age assurance, grooming and criminal recruitment of minors, default settings, prohibited or age-restricted goods, and reporting illegal content. It also took over the Dutch regulator’s 2025 vaping-related investigation. Opening proceedings did not itself establish a final violation.⁠[34]

On June 16, 2026, Snap announced $2,195 consumer Specs AR glasses, opening preorders with availability planned for autumn. These are parent-company hardware, separate from the Snapchat app. Forbes framed the hardware strategy as seeking differentiation harder to imitate.⁠[35][5]

Snapchat introduced Now Playing on July 27, 2026, initially connecting Spotify to share listening activity on Snap Map and save tracks from the map, Spotlight and Sound Pages. Users can share with all friends, map friends, selected friends or nobody. The launch announcement listed Canada as forthcoming.⁠[36]

Snap’s second-quarter report released on August 3, 2026 listed 493 million Snapchat daily active users and 971 million monthly active users. DAU averages daily active accounts across the quarter; MAU averages month-end counts of accounts active in the preceding 30 days. These are company-reported account-usage metrics.⁠[37]

Snapchat launched Plans on September 10, 2026 for private, invitation-only gatherings. Users can set dates and times, invite up to 200 friends, collect RSVPs and receive reminders an hour before an event. Creating events directly within a chat remained a forthcoming feature in the announcement.⁠[38]

Official website: https://www.snapchat.com/ (opens in a new window). The brand’s X account is https://x.com/Snapchat (opens in a new window) and its official YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry channel is https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialSnapchat (opens in a new window). Parent company Snap Inc.’s LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry page is https://www.linkedin.com/company/snap-inc-co/ (opens in a new window); it is a corporate account rather than a separate company called Snapchat.⁠[1][39][40][2]