Snapchat Review

by Misty Hawley

Description

Snapchat is a mobile app that allows you to share moments with your friends. It's simple. Take a picture or video and then modify the image with captions or use your finger to write or draw on your snaps. You then send your "Snaps" as messages to other Snapchat users. You decide how long you want the picture or video to be available to your friends (from 1 second up to 10 seconds). The time starts when the recipient opens the message. After the allowed time expires, so does the image. This is a worry-free way to send your silly or sexy snaps to friends. A record of the communication persists but the actual content of the communication does not. The app's mascot is called Ghostface Chillah, a name derived from the rapper Ghostface Killah.

Access

Snapchat uses the data plan that you purchase with your smartphone. As long as your data doesn't exceed what is allotted in your plan, Snapchat is a free tool that is available for Android and iOS devices (iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) users. If you do exceed what's allotted in your plan, you could be subject to additional fees by your carrier. To get started, download the app then create an account. The app automatically syncs with your contact list. It then shows you who among your contacts is a Snapchat user.

Sample Usage

What the Tool Does Well

• The app just added a video component for Android users in February.
• Full screen camera preview.
• One button control creates an easy transition from picture to video.
• Very easy to add captions and drawings to snaps
• Does allow you to block or delete a user
• Sender controls viewing time for receiver
• Receiver must maintain contact with the device's touchscreen to view snap
• Finds sender's friends through their contact list
• Able to see when friends receive and open snaps.

What it Does Poorly

• You can still take a screenshot of the image if you're super fast. The app is supposed to detect when this happens and send notification to the sender but this is not foolproof. Someone else could also take a picture of the image on the phone before the time expires.
• There are ways to work around the time limit. Receivers can use iFunBox, a program that searches for a file and saves it before opening the snap.
• Anyone who knows your username or phone number can send you a message. You can configure it to only accept messages from users on your "Myfriends" list.
• I had no trouble receiving video from iPhone users that included drawings and captions. I, however, was only able to add captions to my video, not drawings. I also couldn't set the length of time for the video.
• Only on iOS or Android devices
• Can't confirm or deny friendships

Additional Resources

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=r4237MZIb8g

Snapchat: Solution or Problem?  http://news.yahoo.com/snapchat-solution-problem-211300605.html

Snapchat on Twitter: @snapchat

Competition:

Facebook Poke: Although the interface is a wee bit more complicated than Snapchat’s, all four icons you need are located on a general bottom menu bar, and your Pokes appear directly above. You can't draw over videos or messages. You can only send pokes to people who are your Facebook friends.

iDelete: disables replication of the text or image message and a self-destruct timer ensures that your texts and messages are automatically deleted after a specific amount of time. If your recipient hasn’t yet opened your message, you can delete the text or image from your outbox. You can adjust the Self-Destruct Timer to set for 10, 20 30 or 60 seconds or 2 minutes. The image or text sent is blurred until the recipient taps and holds it, so users can’t capture a screen shot. Can't send a message to multiple people.