Snap has launched a new subscription service called Snapchat+ that will offer “exclusive, experimental, and pre-release features” to subscribers.
Snap has announced the launch of a new optional subscription service called Snapchat+. The news comes less than a couple of weeks after reports surfaced that the company is testing a premium subscription tier that could come with an exclusive set of features. The news came from the developer and noted tipster Alexassandro Paluzzi, known to reveal yet-to-be-released features of several social media apps. Paluzzi shared the screenshots of Snapchat’s subscription plan on Twitter, revealing its pricing and more.
Having started as an ephemeral messaging app almost a decade ago, Snapchat is now one of the preeminent social media platforms in the world. It has also been a leader in rolling out innovative new features, such as Stories, AR selfie filters, Nametag, the Discover feed and more, many of which have been copied by the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. However, the company is also not opposed to copying features from other social media apps, as was recently exhibited by the addition of a Boomerang-like feature called Bounce.
In an official press release on Wednesday, Snap said that its all-new Snpachat+ premium service would offer “exclusive, experimental, and pre-release features” to subscribers. The company also claimed that the new tier is aimed at “passionate” Snapchat users and will offer prioritized support. Snapchat+ will cost $3.99 per month and be available at launch in the U.S., Canada, the U.K, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The company says it plans to expand the service to more markets in the future but didn’t offer any timeline for the expansion.
Snapchat+ Will Not Remove Ads
Snap’s press release didn’t detail any of the exclusive Snapchat+ features, but the company’s SVP Jacob Andreou told The Verge that some of the perks of the new subscription tier would be the ability to change the app icon, see who re-watched a story, and pin a friend to the top of their chat history as a ‘BFF.’ Andreou also revealed that while many of the new features might eventually be available for all users, the BFF feature might remain exclusive to paying members.
When asked about the possibility of turning off ads for Snapchat+ subscribers, Andreou negated the idea, saying that ads will remain the primary revenue source for Snapchat “for the long term.” Alongside ads, Snap also earns revenues from its hardware business, selling devices like the Spectacles smart glasses and the new Pixy drone. However, ads remain the mainstay for Snap, which the company is trying to change with its new Snapchat+ subscription service.
