Snapchat introduces "Infinite Retention" and "Group Streaks," allowing users to save chats permanently and build collective streaks.
The updates mark a shift from Snapchat's original disappearing message model, aligning it more with competitors like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Users must enable permanent chat for each conversation, with notifications sent to all participants when settings change.
The changes aim to enhance user engagement and group interaction, crucial for Snapchat's long-term growth.
Snapchat's user base grows to over 900 million monthly users, despite facing challenges in ad revenue and monetization.
Snapchat is rolling out "Infinite Retention" and "Group Streaks," two major updates that let users save chats forever and build collective streaks in groups. The move marks a fundamental pivot from its disappearing message model to better compete for user engagement.
The fine print: The permanent chat option isn't a blanket setting; it must be enabled for each individual conversation, and all participants are notified when the setting is changed. Group Streaks are more forgiving than individual ones, continuing as long as most members participate and allowing a one-week window for restoration.
A philosophical U-turn: The updates bring Snapchat more in line with rivals like WhatsApp and Telegram, where permanent chat is standard. In its announcement, Team Snapchat said the features came directly from user feedback, noting, "We’ve often heard from our community that Snapchatters want to save their chats forever and wish they could build streaks with their favorite groups," a major reversal for a platform that built its identity on disappearing content.
The pivot shows that in the battle for user attention, even a brand's defining feature is negotiable. Snapchat is betting that increased utility and group stickiness are more valuable for long-term survival than its original ephemeral-only philosophy.
The feature drop comes as Snap navigates a mixed business environment, growing to over 900 million monthly users while facing ad revenue headwinds and simultaneously expanding its monetization efforts with new ad placements and updated terms for its creator payment program.
