Although most people think of Snapchat as a frivolous snap-post-erase app for teens, it’s evolved into a much more well-rounded app in recent months. Snapchat has a money-sending feature, the ability to create collaborative stories at events, and now a news curator that puts together stories you’ll actually want to read.
Snapchat Discover helps users find interesting Stories that are curated by editorial teams based on content and interest. Instead of using metrics of what’s popular and what’s not, Snapchat asks artists and editors to curate its stories with a human touch. Specially made stories from CNN, Comedy Central, Cosmopolitan, Daily Mail, ESPN, Food Network, National Geographic, People, Yahoo, Vice, and Warner Music Group appear in the Discover section.
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When you tap on a source, a story pops up immediately. Typically, you get a video first, which you can either watch or skip by swiping up. At that point, you’ll see photos, text, and other information on the same topic. Tapping on CNN shows coverage of the snowstorm that recently hit New York City, while National Geographic shows you an adorable baby sloth at an orphanage. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a sports fanatic or a beauty queen.
Of course, all the stories are sponsored by ads from companies like BMW, but all you see is the company logo, so the branding doesn’t get in the way of entertainment or news you seek. Every story disappears after 24 hours and is replaced by a new one. So far, there’s no way to share what you see, though, so you’d better enjoy the story before it vanishes forever.
You can check out the new feature in the latest version of the iOS app in the App Store.
