Snapchat announces platform makeover, new AR Lens Studio and more at the Snap Partner Summit 2024
The annual gathering brings the Snap community together in California, with a global audience tuning in online to witness the latest innovations from the world’s happiest platform
Riyadh, KSA – 18 September, 2024: This week, the highly anticipated sixth edition of the Snap Partner Summit (SPS) took place, revealing a series of updates to the platform, as well as new creative opportunities for Snapchatters, creators and businesses alike. The cutting edge features include a new profile design created to elevate the user experience; more tools to make content and build communities; and an enhanced AR Lens Studio to amplify creativity. With users in the GCC opening the platform on average 45 times per day, these enhancements are set to elevate the region’s digital communication platform of choice
Evan Spiegel, Snap’s CEO, took to the SPS stage to announce the game-changing updates, while other executives and external speakers shared demos and keynotes, explaining the transformative impact to both personal and business users. One of the most significant updates unveiled was the Snapchat platform makeover offering a simplified Snapchat. Currently being tested with groups around the world, the enhanced design organizes the app to be centered around what we use our phones for most: communication, taking pictures, and finding entertainment
As pioneers in Augmented Reality (AR) technology, Snap’s rebuild of the Lens Studio will allow AR developers to build more robust, advanced AR experiences together. Snap is also making AR creation more approachable with Easy Lens, powered by AI the feature allows users to build Lenses in a matter of minutes, just by typing in what they want to create. With 80% of consumers desiring to use AR everyday in the MENA region, these updates will be pivotal for local brands looking to generate real relationships with their audiences. What’s more, a roll out of new GenAI Suite features in the Lens Studio will include tools such as Animation Blending, Body Morph, and Icon Generation, making it faster and easier to bring creativity to life
Aligned with Snap’s regional direction to continue supporting the growth of creators, SPS also saw imperative updates to the platforms offering in this space. The new Profile Design allows both established and aspiring creators 16 and older to easily toggle between their personal and public accounts. Snapchatters can also pin their favourite Snaps to the top of their public profiles, and use replies to turn messages into a photo and video response, creating deeper engagement with fans
Hussein Freijeh, Vice President of Snap Inc. in MENA commented, “In a time of transformation, not only in the region but across the world, relationships with those who matter most to us remain more important than ever. For a decade, Snapchat has been a digital extension of the GCC’s social fabric, making it the platform of choice for staying connected with family and friends. The pioneering updates announced at SPS ensure these relationships remain a fundamental part of the platform, from expressing creativity with friends through new AR lenses, to developing game-changing tools for businesses to build real connections with their audiences. We are confident that the new features announced will further strengthen our community and drive more engagement”
He added “One of our core focuses for the region is supporting our thriving creator community, and the amplified Snap Star Collab studio announced at SPS will strengthen this goal. Excitingly, creators will now be able to share engagement and demographic data directly with brands, helping to unlock new opportunities for real and impactful partnerships on the platform”
SPS also saw the introduction of the fifth generation of Spectacles, the see-through, standalone AR glasses that allow users to experience immersive Lenses together, use MyAI, and extend Snapchat experience into three dimensions
To learn more, please visit newsroom.snap.com
– End –
