Snapchat starts to place ads next to messages from friends

Snapchat just announced it's now placing ads in the app's main Chat tab, which are being referred to as Sponsored Snaps. It's been experimenting with this idea for a couple of months, but the program's expanding to more users.

These will appear as actual chats, though the company says that Sponsored Snaps are "visually distinct" from regular messages. Snapchat says that unopened ads will eventually disappear from the tab. Once the message is opened, users will be able to reply via text or click a link for more information.

The actual content comes in the form of full-screen vertical videos and the company has announced Disney as its first partner in this endeavor. It's still technically in the testing phase, so if you spot some ads for Agatha All Along (or whatever) in the Chat tab don't hesitate to reach out to the company and let them know what you think.

Look. We all hate ads and it's getting harder and harder to find a space, any space, where our eyeballs can be free from sponsored content. However, Snapchat has never really figured out a way to monetize its massive userbase of over 850 million people. It needs to make money somehow, as only 11 million of those users have opted into the company's Snapchat+ subscription platform. We'll just have to wait and see how intrusive and annoying these Sponsored Snaps end up being.

That's not the only corporate lovefest going on at Snap headquarters. The company also announced a new "feature" called Promoted Places, which highlights "sponsored places on the Snap Map." This program will start with McDonald's and Taco Bell, because everyone knows the most notable locations in any city are two random fast food restaurants.

Jim Lanzone, the CEO of Engadget's parent company Yahoo, joined the board of directors at Snap on September 12, 2024. No one outside of Engadget's editorial team has any say in our coverage of the company.