Snapchat released a new update Tuesday and SMU students wasted no time noticing.
One new feature called “lenses” is taking the campus by storm. Basically, lenses allow users to take a selfie and apply a face filter to it, a lot like the concept of Photo Booth on Mac computers. There are a number of face filters and animations to choose from including wrinkles, bug eyes, hearts or an animated monster face, among others. It’s also been said that Snapchat will publish one new “feature” lens every single day that will only be available for 24-hours until the next new lens is released.
While a lot of people seem to be having a good time experimenting with the new filters, others were a little surprised by the unexpected update, and not in the best way.
“My friend sent me a photo with the baby face and it scared me,” said SMU sophomore Candice Bolden.
Another SMU student, Amanda Silvera, expressed the same sentiments about the update. “I am a loyal Snapchat user, however the new updates caught me really off guard,” she said.
Snapchat’s update also includes its first attempt at an in-app purchase feature called “replays.” For $.99, Snapchat users will be allowed to replay more than one snap within 24-hours. In fact, $.99 will purchase users three replays to use whenever they want. However, users will not be able to use their replays on the same snap over and over again.
This new replay option might have people thinking twice about what they send and post, but that caution remains to be seen. For now, students are selfie-ing more than ever.
“I think the new features are fun and I have definitely been using the update but honestly, they do freak me out a little,” said Nati Bru, an SMU journalism major.
So maybe the update won’t be incredibly lucrative or even that popular among the faint of heart, but it has certainly gotten people talking.