Snapchat launches in app purchases to replay snaps

Snapchat hasn’t changed a lot since its launch in late 2011. The core feature of send self destructing photos and videos is still the app’s core feature. Snapchat’s added features over the past year to make the app more relevant and help generate revenue. The app’s valued at $5 billion, however last year they’d lost $128 million. They didn’t start monetizing the app till late October last year with ads throughout stories, along with ads showing in different discover channels.

The update rolling out today introduced micro payments which let users reply more than one snap back a day. Snapchatters in the U.S. can buy extra replays, starting at 3 for $0.99. You’re still only allowed to replay a snap once, but now you could replay an endless amount of snaps back. The replays bill through the iTunes store or the Google Play Store, not through Snapcash. You’re able to buy up to 20 replays, but at that point you’re just not paying to screenshot everyone’s photos.

In addition to the extra replays, Snapchat add ‘Lenses’ which are animated filters for your face. The ‘lenses’ make you look like an old man or women, a monster, have heart-shaped eyes, or vomit rainbows just to name a few. There’s six lenses with all different animations that’ll keep you busy for a while. Along with the lenses Snapchat added trophies. They’re achievements for sending snaps with filters or reaching a Snapchat score above 10,000, both of which I’ve unlocked.

The micro payments to replay snaps will increase Snapchat’s revenue, and hopefully prevent the company from losing as much money as last year. Snapchat should also experiment with location-based lenses like they’ve done with their filters.  The trophies are neat, but it would be amazing to share them with friends or have a profile on Snapchat.  There’s a lot the app can do with these new features as they tweak them and receive user feedback.

Tell us what trophies you’ve unlocked along with what they mean in the comments down below!

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