6 Reasons Why Snapchat Is the Best Social Media App

Snapchat has been popular among teenagers for years, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a convenient app that’s very easy to use. Snapchat has hundreds of millions of users, but some changes haven’t been well received by the passionate and dedicated userbase.

Snapchat has mostly been seen as a fun and silly app. And with all the negative things being said about Snapchat, it can be hard to see what’s so great about Snapchat. However, there are solid reasons why we think Snapchat is the best social media app out there…

1. You Don’t Need a Phone Number to Use Snapchat

This is a big advantage for Snapchat, especially because it’s an app-only platform. There aren’t many mainstream app-only social media platforms. Even Instagram has a web version, although its functionality is limited.

Despite being an app-only platform, Snapchat doesn’t require a phone number to sign up. While some users don’t mind using their phone numbers to sign up, many aren’t comfortable with the idea. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for an app to require a phone number, but it gives Snapchat a certain “ease of access” appeal.

Snapchat does ask for your phone number as the primary sign up option, but that can be bypassed by choosing to use an e-mail address instead.

2. You Can Sign up With a Disposable Email Address

Not only does Snapchat let you bypass having to enter your phone number, but it also lets you sign up with disposable temporary email services. Most social networks will require an email address from a reputable and recognizable service like Gmail or Yahoo. Some of them even block disposable email services entirely.

Snapchat, however, will accept almost any email service out there. You could even provide it a non-existent email, and Snapchat will still let you in. Most importantly, you’re not required to verify your email to be able to use Snapchat, and you can change the email address later, in case you want to verify it.

3. Snapchat Adds Very Little to Your Digital Footprint

Social media platforms have been taking a lot of heat lately because of how much data they collect, and the potential misuse of that data. Snapchat, on the other hand, has a casual approach to social networking.

The pictures you send as snaps vanish after a maximum of two views, the first view and the replay, and chat messages do as well, unless you save them. Even your Snapchat Stories last for just 24 hours and aren’t saved automatically after that, unlike Instagram. You can, however, choose to save your Stories to Snapchat Memories.

The amount of data Snapchat will accumulate as you use it is small when compared to other social media apps. Thus, Snapchat contributes very little to your digital footprint. You also have the option to download your data.

4. Snapchat Works With Minimal Permissions

These days, most apps require a lot of permissions to work, which can raise suspicions. When it comes to social media apps, the list of permissions needed is usually even longer. However, you can actually use Snapchat with minimal permissions.

Like most social media apps, Snapchat does ASK for a lot of permissions, including camera, contacts, location, microphone, phone, SMS, and storage. However, only two of these are absolutely required to use the app—camera and storage. The microphone permission isn’t required unless you want to make a call or record a video.

5. Snapchat Is Not Owned by Facebook (Yet)

As the old adage goes, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”. Most people now agree that Facebook has way too much control over the social media space. Not only is it the world’s largest social network with over 2.2 billion active users in its own right, Zuckerberg and co. also own Instagram, which has over 1.5 billion users, and Whatsapp, which has over 1 billion users.

Facebook is running low on trust lately, especially after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Many people are realizing just how much of their social media activity is accessible to Facebook. And the fact that the social network’s extensive data mining is now a matter of public record hasn’t helped either.

Snapchat, on the other hand, is one of the few top mainstream social media platforms not owned by Facebook. Snapchat successfully defended itself against Facebook’s attempts to buy it out in the early days. Facebook later responded by replicating most of Snapchat’s features on Instagram.

6. Snapchat Has the Least Intrusive Advertising

Intrusive advertising is a huge annoyance for social media users. In recent years, ads have become more and more intrusive, especially with Facebook and Instagram. Ads on these platforms are poorly placed, and often too dry and straightforward.

Snapchat joined the advertising game quite late, and it doesn’t take as aggressive an approach as the others. Ads are seamlessly integrated with the Discover area of the app, and users can avoid them if they want.

Snapchat has done a brilliant job with the branded content as well. There are various big new media outlets making content specifically for Snapchat, and now with Snap Originals, Snapchat is even hosting original content in the form of web miniseries.

This makes Snapchat a competitor to not only Facebook and Instagram, but also to YouTube. It has taken what seems like the best approach to content and advertising, which is likely to challenge a lot of other platforms in the future.

Is Snapchat the Social Media App for You?

Snapchat is a versatile social media app. This means that whatever way you choose to use social media apps, Snapchat delivers.

Snapchat has a ton of great features, like the wildly popular face filters, Bitmoji, Snap Map, and more. It might be an app-only social network, but it is by no means an incomplete one. Snapchat has evolved to become one of the best social media apps out there. And, crucially, it can adapt to your needs, which isn’t an approach we have seen from its competitors.

If you want to know more about why we think Snapchat is the best social media app, take a look at our article explaining why Snapchat is the new Facebook.

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from MakeUseOf http://bit.ly/2TbYBq4