Snapchat on Thursday expanded its availability by launching a dedicated app for the Apple Watch. This new app allows users to preview an incoming message and reply to it using multiple options such as Dictation and Scribble. Alongside, the social media platform has also introduced its Lens Studio app on iOS and as a web tool which allows developers to create unique lenses using artificial intelligence (AI) and publish them for others to use.
Snapchat Updates
Snapchat shared details about its new Apple Watch app in a newsroom post. The social media platform says it has over 900 million users today and “the number of devices we use in our daily lives has grown”. To help more people stay connected to each other, the Snapchat app has been introduced on the Apple Watch platform as part of its commitment to making it available across all devices. It requires watchOS 9.0 or later firmware.
It joins existing platforms like smartphones, tablets, and the web. However, the app’s functionality on the Apple Watch is slightly different and it does not provide a full experience. While you cannot send messages or Snaps from the new Apple Watch app directly, it allows you to respond to incoming ones using Scribble, Dictation, or emoji. Users can scribble on the screen or use the smartwatch’s on-screen keyboard.
Notably, this capability already existed if you’ve ever paired an iPhone to the Apple Watch and selected to mirror notifications.
Meanwhile, Snapchat has also expanded the availability of its Lens Studio app to iPhone and the web. Previously limited to desktops, iOS users can take advantage of experimental new tools to create and publish new Lenses powered by augmented reality (AR). They can leverage AI to generate effects and add Bitmojis to create Lenses that better express themselves.
While the desktop application still remains the primary tool for professional developers, the new iOS app and web tool are aimed at empowering more people to create Lenses. Lens Studio is available as a free-to-download app on the App Store for iPhone and hosted on the website lensstudio.snapchat.com.
