It’s safe to say that 2016 was the year of the Snapchat geofilter. On-demand geofilters launched and has made Snapchat an even greater titan than before.

While 2016 brought us a plethora of updates to the application... to list a few:

Developments of audio and video calling [You can now hold down the phone or camera button in the chat feature to make the equivalent of a FaceTime audio or visual call. This is pretty handy in a pinch if your Snap friends don’t have your phone number]
A 2.0 version of the chat feature [In the new chat you can send Bitmojis, stickers, chat people directly via their story and simply chat with them without sending a picture snap]
Snap Spectacles
The ability to add certain Snap stories to a playlist [We all know some folks don’t have the most exciting stories sometimes, so the playlist feature is perfect to watch your favorites in order]
The ability to change the color of individual letters and words when text is added to a snap [Text in your snaps has never looked better]
Augmented Reality World Lenses, Rewind And Share Snap Stories.
The Memories function [Save every memory no matter your phone’s memory]
An improved Discover page [More content from the sources you want to see. Just swipe to the left to catch this newly designed tab]

Many anticipate 2017 to be "the year of Snapchat" - but what big changes can we expect Snapchat to expand and move towards for the new year?

Bitmojis

It’s a little too early to be sure, but the more recent updates have made using Snapchat a touch more personal than ever before. When it comes to using integrated Bitmojis and stickers of all kinds, it’s hard to imagine Snap would even consider getting rid of these any time soon.

Geostickers

In 2017, we can expect widespread expansion of Geostickers.

Geostickers are still relatively new, but it’s probably safe to expect an expansion on them soon. Perhaps even the ability to submit on-demand geostickers? If you aren’t familiar, geostickers are special stickers that appear under the stickers tab in special locations. Snap has limited the availability of geostickers to only a few major cities, but this will likely change very soon, most likely in the upcoming months.

Snapchat Geofilters

Update: Snapchat spent $7.7 Million On A Geofilter Patent In 2017

Expect to see Snapchat geofilters to grow even more in popularity. Snap's On-demand geofilters are certain to become even more of a staple in everyday life.

This year was merely the beginning of Snapchat's rise of location based filters.

2016 saw widespread use of geofilters in parties, weddings, bachelor parties, baby showers, et cetera.

However, Snapchat is looking much further than personal occasions for it's on-demand geofilter platform. Snapchat's goal is to have a geofilter over every single business across the country at an affordable price... this means every single auto shop, grocery store, fast food building, you name it.

Learn more about how to use geofilters on Snapchat here.

Expect for Snapchat to expand their geofilter platform. Their goal is to eventually have a geofilter over every business in America. With such high aspirations, Snapchat has big plans to make it easier to get geofilters for businesses & everyday people.

Snapchat Lenses ("Snapchat Filters")

2016 was also a great year for Snapchat lenses… (you know, the ‘Snapchat filter’ that makes you barf rainbows or makes you look like a cute puppy).

It is worth noting the tremendous impact Snapchat geofilters and Snap lenses had on the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties strategically placed different Snapchat geofilters throughout the election at different locations in order to try and sway the millennial vote.

While there aren’t any major U.S. elections in 2017 (thank goodness), you should still expect more companies and brands to jump on the bandwagon and use these promotions via Snapchat's lens and filter features.

Snapchat "Memories"

Update: Snapchat released a huge update for Memories in 2017

Snapchat also brought us the Memories function in 2016. The Memories update gave Snapchat users the ability to save snaps directly into the app without wasting cloud storage space in your camera roll.

Some people claimed the Memories update was Snapchats "first warning shot to Instagram". Interestingly enough, Snapchat's Memories update came out just months before Instagram's controversial "Stories" update.

Snapchat's "Discover"

With the improved Snapchat Discover page, more and more brands are flocking to the advertiser's tab to connect to a wider range of viewers.

Even television programs like The Tonight Show have began creating content for Discover.

Snapchat's Discover tab has manifested into a 'mini newsroom' with plenty of outlets posting their big breaking news and comedy pieces to their tab slot.

Expect to see even more brands join Snapchat's Discover in 2017. Discover has become a hot commodity to disseminate content to the hoards of millennial viewers.

Snap Inc. Is Going Public

Update: Read how Snap had a 29 Billion IPO here

Rumors are that Snapchat, or "Snap Inc." as they are now named - has a possible IPO in the works for the incorporation come 2017. What does this mean for you and the platform? It likely means bigger and better things for Snap Inc.

When an IPO is in the works, it’s an indicator that both the industry and the financial community has recognized the colossal value of the platform. After the development of Snap Spectacles, an IPO is the next logical step for the company.

In Conclusion...

With the countless Snapchat updates, the new hardware, and impending IPO - 2017 is poised to be a very exciting year for the only 5 year old company.

So keep filtering, stickering, lensing, chatting, bitmoji’ing, geofiltering, and Snapping in 2017 because Snap Inc. looks like they're here for the long haul.

We'll just have to wait in anticipation to see what one of the most innovative companies in the world has in store for us next.

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What To Expect From Snapchat In 2017