Update: Snapchat for Android

Fariha Khan
March 16, 2017
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Snapchat has rolled out a new widget to its iOS and Android apps. It enables users to start chatting with a Snapchat friend instantly by just tapping on their Bitmoji. Snapchat has made the move as it has put extra focus on private messaging.

Users who don’t really know it need to know that Snapchat acquired Bitmoji and its parent firm, Bitstrips, back in 2016 for about $65 million. Bitmoji is an iOS app that enables users to create personalized emoji characters that are incorporated into Snapchat.

Snapchat’ new widget enables users to instantly start messaging a friend. All you need to do is to tap on your Bitmoji character. On iOS, the widget is accessible from the “Today” view on the lock screen, Homescreen, and in Notification Center. On the other hand, on Android, it’s a homescreen widget.

In order to add Snapchat’s new widget on iOS, you just have to navigate to the bottom of the Today interface, tap “Edit” and search the Snapchat icon. As you tap the “+” next to Snapchat, you’ll be able to see the Bitmoji characters of your “Snapchat Best Friends.” Tapping on them will open a messaging thread at once in the Snapchat app. The same process applies to Android, but you just long-press on a bare area of your home screen in order to add a widget, select up to 4 friends. That way you get a little more customization on Android compared to iOS.

Snapchat’s greater focus on messages comes as Facebook tries to get to Snapchat’s Stories feature, tallying geostickers to Instagram Stories and growing its Messenger app with its new “Messenger Day” feature. But Snapchat has continued to update and develop its own app with new messaging features, enriched discovery, new AR-like features, and more.

Snapchat’s new version with support for the new Bitmoji widget is now there on Android and iOS.