Snapchat Introduces New Snapcodes Update

Snapchat recently released a new update to their Snapcodes. Websites now can have custom Snapcodes that will prompt users to go to the site when they take a picture of the image in the Snapchat app. These are now in addition to the original Snapcodes, which add another user as your friend on Snapchat when you view the Snapcode within the app.

The update was released in late January, and is predicted to make it even easier for brands to share their content and products within the Snapchat app itself. Users will no longer have to leave the app interface to view the content, and instead will just need to interact with the Snapcode itself. To make a Snapcode, all a user needs to do is manually enter the URL into the entry field and it will create the link. Users will be able to create a link to any website, no matter the content or if it features an inappropriate topic.

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In order to create the Snapcode, users can go to “Settings” and select “Snapcodes.” Then, they will select the “Create Snapcode” option and then type in the link to the URL field. Once that is done, they can simply click the “Create” button at the bottom of the screen and personalize the Snapcode with an image. Then, the Snapcode can be shared via Snapchat, text, or by taking a photo, just like with the original Snapcodes.

The original Snapcodes were introduced to the app in January 2015 after Snapchat acquired Scan.me. They originally allowed users to more easily find one another on the app, since the app is lacking a search option for users by their actual names. Instead, the app only allows users to search by username.

This new functionality could help Snapchat compete with Instagram, after launching their Instastory feature last year. Instagram allows companies and individuals to put URLs directly in their stories. And though Snapchat doesn’t yet have that same option, these new QR codes could be their alternative. This new update closely follows a redesign within the app, making the navigation simpler for Android and iOS users after its release on January 22.

All of these new updates to Snapchat are close on the heels of the company’s announcement of Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc., filing for a $3 billion IPO with the SEC, with a valuation that could reach $25 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.