I've hit an age where I'm so late on hearing about social media trends that it's considered "cringe-worthy," and I've accepted the fact that I'll never be as cool as I was during the boom of Facebook during my teens.
It comes as no surprise, then, that plenty of the most popular social media apps have past me by over the years, and that includes Snapchat. I mean, I dabbled with it back in its prime after its release in 2011 (the good 'ol iPhone 5 days), and then to touch base with pals in university. After that (and multiple smartphone changes), it faded from my home screen.
But I'm mistaken, as Snapchat is very much still in its prime, and the platform has gone well beyond just being an app these days. It released its own pair of smart glasses, now evolved into the latest Snap Spectacles AR glasses that push augmented reality even further — and I had a whale of a time trying them out (and you will, too, with the company's recently announced Snap AR Glasses next year).
Anyway, Snap's popularity really came to my attention when I was given the opportunity to try out Snapchat+. Me, using a premium subscription service for a social platform that offers complete control over how one interacts with, views and posts Stories? I was in for a trip.
I signed up, made an account and and was flooded with a host of camera options, customizable filters and a never-ending reel of snappy videos. But most importantly, I was introduced to Snap's generative AI Lenses — and let me tell you, I've been entertained for weeks.
We've seen viral AI image generation trends like turning yourself into an action figure with ChatGPT and the wild level of creativity Midjourney offers, and while Snap's own generative AI Lenses, along with its My AI chatbot and more, isn't the best around, it is some of the most fun I've had with an easy-access social media app.
You can learn all you need to know about generative AI with our handy guide, but what exactly is Snapchat+?
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What is Snapchat+?
Snapchat+ is a subscription service that offers users access to exclusive, experimental and pre-release features that enhance and personalize their Snap experience. It's priced at $3.99 / £4.49 per month or $29.99 / £33.99 for an annual plan.
Put simply, it offers a boatload of tools to make the most of the platform, such as Story Boost to get more views on a story over 24 hours, Replay Again to see a Snap twice, Peek a Peek to see if a friend is looking at a one-to-one or group chat, add a pet or car to your Bitmoji for all to see on Snap Map and plenty more.
It also offers several AI features, like customizing the My AI chatbot to your liking, adding AI captions to your Snaps and exploring exclusive generative AI lenses as they come out.
Then there's Snapchat Premium, which is the same as the Plus subscription but without any ads — so no sponsored Snap, Stories or Lens ads.
Is it for everyone? No, and probably not for those like me that barely take pictures to post on a daily basis.
But I can imagine what Snapchat+ can do for social media aficionados, whether they're small brands or big-time influencers. And judging by the 15 million Snapchat+ subscribers there are to date, it says a lot about the subscription service.
Endless (AI) generated joy
I had no idea where to start with Snapchat, so I sat down with my partner and started scrolling through Lenses.
If you're not in the know, these are AR overlays that apply digital effects, whether it's turning you into an anime character or making you look like Squidward. You'll know a Lens in Snapchat is powered by generative AI when it includes a sparkle"✨" icon, among other ways.
There are millions of Lenses to try, and on the first attempt, we spent the better part of an hour just going through them all, and crying with laughter along the way.
We came upon the New Hairstyle AI Lens, and in case you haven't noticed, I'm a proud member of the no-hair club. As a bald man, this Lens excited me, and it gave my partner a look at what could have been (also, there was one Lens that gave a bald look and, er, it didn't change a thing for me — so I guess it did a good job).
The AI-generated images look more like my face is superimposed on a random body, but that didn't stop my partner from shedding a few tears (presumably because of its beauty, I hope?).
Other fun ones include being made into a slender Atlantean king, as apparently that's my kingdom, being a bedazzled DJ at a royal party and dropping some "ye olde beats" as a Duke with not one, but two peace signs. The one of me at the royal party has the essence of my appearance, but more like a a version of me in another universe where I would actually attend a royal party.
I could also use the My AI chatbot to describe the pictures I take, and from what it came up with, it could be fairly accurate. It could name a cup of coffee, and chopping board and more, and when taking a picture of myself and asking AI to fill in the caption, it said "bald and bearded - the ultimate combo!" So, thanks for that, I guess.
There's also the option to send snaps to My AI, where it can ask you what something is. I took a snap of my partner's dog, asking the AI to describe what breed it was. It did say he's a puggle, a mix between a pug and a beagle, which wasn't far off (there's a bit of Jack Russel Terrier in there).
It's clear Snapchat has done a lot with its own take on AI, but angled it as an amusing way to create fun, hilarious and silly images and videos that people can have a laugh with. But I've seen other ways it's been implemented, especially with its Spectacles for developers, and it's all to do with being able to communicate in new, creative ways.
Worth the fun?
From sharing silly snaps or videos with friends and family to simply having a laugh, Snapchat+ offers oodles of entertainment.
There can be some impressive generative AI here, and while it won't be the most realistic or detailed images or videos of yourself being part of a royal party or some other random situation like we've seen with Google's Veo 3, I have to remind myself that AI can just be fun.
If you are looking to get creative and see how far you can push AI, you'll find the best AI image generators and best AI video generators will do the trick. Now, I'm off to see what other hairstyles I can whip up.
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