Snapchat is testing a feature that will allow paying users to restore broken Streaks or pause them for an extended period of time. As a result, it appears as though Snapstreaks, a much-loved Snapchat feature that tracks how long a user has been trading daily snaps with a friend, are about to get more forgiving.
In a blog post, the company said that it is testing options that will allow users to restore broken Streaks. The company has said that “starting today, we’re making it easier to take a break with a new feature we’re testing to let you reignite the spark and restore one Streak for free with just one tap.”
However, many people have noticed that the above quote from Snapchat contains one key point, which is “one Streak for free”. After a number of users noticed this, TechCrunch did some digging. Their research revealed that although users will be able to restore a single Streak for free, they will then have to pay $0.99 for each subsequent Streak restoration.
TechCrunch also found that if a user wishes to pause a Streak because they’re going to be busy or they’re heading somewhere without an internet connection, then they’ll soon also be able to use a new ‘freeze’ feature, which is coming to Snapchat Plus. This is the company’s $3.99 premium subscription service, which launched last year.
The launch of Snap’s new restoration and freeze features comes less than a year after the company laid off 20 percent of its workforce in an attempt to contend with a falling share price and broader economic uncertainty.
However, at the end of January 2023, Snap announced that more than two million users were now paying for its premium Snapchat Plus offering, which includes features like pinning conversations with a chosen contact to the top of your inbox and unique app icons.
Why does this matter?
Combined, it seems as though these new features are an attempt from Snap to monetize one of the company’s most engaging features. The move seems more than worthwhile, too. After all, in 2019, reports suggested that some Snapchat users were so keen to keep Streaks going that they’d even email the company to try and get them restored. At the time at least, some Snap employees were happy to oblige.
Additionally, this latest monetisation effort from Snap also matters because it is part of a wider trend in the social media space. For example, over the past few months Twitter has continued to push its Twitter Blue option, while Meta is currently exploring paid verification options. While users have historically flocked to social media platforms and enjoyed free use of each platform’s features, it may now not be long until subscription methods are the norm, or free-access options only contain limited usability.
Author spike.digital