In a bid to boost its subscription service and attract more paying users, Snapchat is rolling out additional features for Snapchat+ subscribers, including allowing Snapchat+ subscribers to create AI-generated stickers in chats. The social media company is also adding the option to send self-destructing Snaps.
Snapchat+ subscribers in the U.S. can now create and send custom stickers that are generated to match their message. To do so, start typing in the chat bar and then select the sticker search button, where you’ll find an AI-generated sticker that includes the text.
It’s worth noting that Snapchat isn’t the only company that offers users the ability to create custom stickers with AI, as both Meta and Apple have launched similar features.
The new feature builds on another Snapchat+ offering launched in 2023 that allows subscribers to create and send AI-generated images based on a text prompt. By adding custom AI-generated stickers, Snapchat is giving its paying users another way to play around with generative AI to spice up their chats.
The launch of the feature comes two days after Snap unveiled an AI text-to-image research model for mobile devices that will help power the app’s AI Snaps, AI Bitmoji Backgrounds, and more in the coming months. A spokesperson for Snap told TechCrunch that the new custom AI stickers feature is not powered by the new model at this time. It’s possible that the company may use the model to power the feature at some point in the future.
As for the new self-destructing Snaps, subscribers are getting access to a new feature called “Snap Modes” that gives them more ways to interact with friends. To start, Snap Modes will allow users to send self-destructing Snaps that vanish if they aren’t viewed within a set time frame.
Snapchat plans to add more Snap Mode options in the future, but it didn’t detail what they could look like.
Snapchat has been building out its subscription service to attract more users, as Snapchat+ has proven to be an effective way for the social network to increase its revenue. As part of its Q4 2024 earning release, Snap revealed that it now has 14 million Snapchat+ subscribers.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel noted that the company’s “other revenue” unit, the majority of which is Snapchat+ subscription revenue, grew 131% year-over-year. The unit exited the year with an “annualized revenue run rate of well over $500 million,” Spiegel said on a call with investors.
