Snapchat Just Launched Universal Search And It's About Time
- 3 minute read
Snapchat may have just launched the most important update ever. Snapchat just made it simple to find other Snapchat users with what they call, "Universal Search", which will be an easy accessibly search bar that will sit at the top of your screen throughout the app.
Snap's Universal Search update was released today for some Android users and will be slowly rolled out to all Android and iPhone users.
Before today, one of the most criticized qualities of Snapchat is that it is difficult to find other Snapchat users without having their username or Snapcode available. Because of the hassle of finding other users, most Snapchat users don't follow nearly as many people compared to competing platforms like Twitter or Instagram.
As Snap Inc. (Snapchat's parent company) gears up to go public this year, the company is finding more and more ways to monetize their massive platform. For example, with this new update, Snapchat can now offer advertisers the top spot of search results or could even offer 'suggested accounts' spots within the universal search bar.
Snapchat is also giving all Snapchat users the permanent ability to submit content for a chance to be featured in "Our Story". The Snap team will then sift through the user submitted 'Our Story' content and pick Snaps they find interesting to be featured every day.
In Conclusion
Snapchat just made it exponentially easier to find and add other Snapchat users. It will be interesting to see if this update causes a surge of new brands embracing the platform.
Snapchatters has been asking for a way to find other users for years, and Snap finally gave them what they wanted. However, Snap needs to continue to appease it's loyal users with updates that move their platform forward. With Facebook's competing products, and an expected IPO, 2017 is going to be crucial for the future of Snapchat.