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Snap Technology

Snapchat launches universal search feature

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

January 13, 2017 | 3 min read

Snapchat users old and new can now search the app to find friends, groups, Discover publishers and Stories in a faster and easier way via its universal search bar pinned to the top of the app.

Snapchat unveils update to its ad technology

Snapchat launches universal search feature

Techcrunch reports that the feature is designed with speed in mind, allowing users to search for both new and existing friends by name and username, identify Discover publishers and look for those brands using Our Stories by searching for their title. Tapping and holding on someone’s card will bring up a brief summary of their profile, while tapping the card will start a chat with them. Tapping the story preview icon will bring up their public story.

Being able to quickly access content on the app has long been an issue for some users, with brands and influencers among those who could immediately benefit from an improved search feature’s ability to find new followers or help them find the profile in question. While it isn’t the full answer to the long-standing criticism of Snapchat in that it’s difficult for users to find new people to follow, it is a start, and Techcrunch pointed out the potential for brands to be able to sponsor placements at the top of search results, or as suggestions within the search interface itself akin to Google.

The feature is part of a wider update that also bolsters the Our Stories feature to allow users to submit snaps from any time at any place. The app will then sort the content based on trends emerging across all the submissions.

It comes just days after rival Instagram’s attempt to monetise its own Snapchat-style Stories feature with ads.

Snapchat's update is available to some Android users now. It will arrive on iOS devices and the rest of the Android market shortly after.

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