A guide to navigating Snapchat’s updates

Unsplash / Pixabay

Haven’t you always wanted to send videos of yourself vomiting lovely rainbows to your friends? Well, there’s an app for that: Snapchat. In case you didn’t know, Snapchat has recently released a series of updates to make life fun and less complicated for the everyday Snapchat user. The updates include rotating filters, more replay options and football. The Hurricane has put together the perfect guide to help you figure out all of these new updates.

On to the Next 

The filters are probably the most popular update. Users pose for a selfie and then choose a lens, like becoming a wrinkly old person, or having big bubbly eyes. The lenses also come with sound effects to add to the fun. Snapchat uses facial recognition technology similar to that of Photo Booth for Macs to bring life to the played out selfies. However, there’s a chance that Snapchat will put these filters on rotation so that a new one is introduced in place of old ones. In other words, use ‘em or lose ‘em.

Instructions:

Step 1. Pose for a selfie.

Step 2. Press and hold your finger to the screen (on your face) to let the app focus.

Step 3. Choose a filter and follow the instructions.

Step 4. Share with the world – or better yet share with us (tmhurricane).

Pon da Replay 

Now you get to replay your favorite drunken videos or one-second ambiguous snaps as many times as you want. If your wallet can handle it, Snapchat has introduced an option to purchase extra replays, starting at three for $0.99. “They’re a little pricey — but time is money! ;),” it stated on Snapchat’s blog. Be careful whose snaps you keep replaying because it may get a little creepy. To prevent too much creepiness, Snapchat has limited one replay per snap.

It’s Game Time

This football season, Snapchat has partnered with the NFL to bring insider videos every week to you. The videos will be a live mix of fan snaps and footage directly from NFL personnel. With this addition, Snapchat is revamping the old way to watch football and adding a whole new level of interaction. It’s going to be as if you have a VIP pass at the games. Get ready, get set: it’s game time.

“I won me a trophy!” 

Click the white Snapchat ghost symbol and you’ll be surprised to find even more updates. If you look closely, you should see a trophy icon right at the top of your screen. That trophy is a world full of rewards for being a loyal and versatile Snapchat user. You can earn rewards for flipping the screen during a video or using the front-facing flash. The only downside is, if you don’t go out of your way to click the trophy, you may never see your awesome awards. The only indication is the trophy turning yellow when there’s new rewards begging for your attention.

It Ain’t Nothin’ but a Number (Time)

You know those friends who post seven minute long Snaps? Before, you had the luxury of seeing how long they were and had the option of choosing to watch or just skip through everything. Now, Snapchat has added more mystery to the game. The countdown clock is gone. Time to use the new sad filter with the big eyes and juicy tears because this is something to cry about. You could click on a story and wind up watching it for a whole day without ever knowing when it’s over until it’s over. It’s kind of like being told to run without a destination or time limit.

Back to Life

The final Snapchat update was a personalized emoji embedded in Snapchat’s ghost. Instead of one boring, still picture, Snapchat allows users like you to take a series of pictures posing however you want. All you have to do is first click the small white ghost at the top of the screen. Next, click the big yellow ghost. Now snap away and make that ghost come alive with selfies of you.

Feature image courtesy Pixabay user Unsplash.