![]() ![]() And if we're doing an apples-to-apples comparison, Instagram's dog filter pales in comparison to Snapchat's. Instagram is still new to the face filter game - and it so blatantly copies Snapchat in this regard that it's almost embarrassing. Snapchat understands that it's here to entertain and delight, which its face filters consistently accomplish. The fact that the dog filter not only makes me look like a puppy, but also gives me a dog tongue that can make dog licking sounds is just as mind-blowing to me as it is to my 2-year-old niece. ![]() What puts Snapchat a cut above is the animations. I stand firm in my belief that face-swap is one of the most hilarious creations in Snapchat's history. They were the first to build them in a fun, easy-to-use way, and they remain the best at coming up with new and creative filters. ![]() Snapchat will forever be, as the kids say, the O.G. Sometimes you just can't beat simplicity. Instagram seems like they're trying to make a full-service communication center, and I don't feel like I need it. Plus, the addition of disappearing messages feels like an unnecessary copycat move. While Snapchat's is always just one or two swipes away, Instagram's is more hidden. That said, the direct messaging section of Instagram takes several swipes and clicks to navigate to. The interface is beautiful and well-integrated with other aspects of the app. ![]() I'll share posts I see around Instagram, send links to products I'm interested in, and reply to peoples' stories. Instagram's direct messaging interface is one I use often to communicate with friends and family. Plus, for the life of me, I can't remember what the various symbols - yellow heart, sunglasses emoji - next to different conversations with friends even mean. The colors are too garish, the typeface isn't stylish, and the varied bubbles and colors for different types of messages looks messy. That said, Snapchat's interface lacks sophistication. That's a huge plus, and what's made Snapchat so popular over the years. Same goes for direct messaging: The conversation hangs around for a few messages, but if you close the conversation or quit the app, those messages will disappear as well. Snapchat has the advantage of simplicity: You send a message, someone looks at it, and it's gone. That said, older doesn't necessarily mean better. Plus, I'm not as motivated to open Snapchat just watch my friends' Stories, since there's nothing else to look at while I'm in there - unless you count Discover which, quite frankly, I don't.ĭisappearing photo and video messages are Snapchat's bread and butter, and have been around much longer than Instagram's version. The major downside of Snapchat Stories is the fact that you have to swipe to the left to see them within the app. Having the option to pick and choose whose Story you want to watch is a perk, although it tends to make me much more selective than I would be on Instagram. Snapchat, mercifully, seems to have done away with autoplay for the time being (although Stories have autoplayed in the past, or you were given the option to add them to a queue). What if you autoplay a frenemy's story? What if you accidentally watch your ex-boyfriend's story? This is a hazardous feature and makes watching Stories on Instagram more difficult. Because people can see when you've viewed their story, this is a dangerous game Instagram is playing. The downside of Instagram Stories is the fact that they autoplay. The availability of them makes them more appealing. I see the new Stories as soon as I open the app, which entices me to open them before scrolling through my feed. I like how Instagram Stories appear right at the top of the home screen. I cared more about the overall experience: Was the Stories feature easy to find within the app? Did it move from story to story smoothly? And did I finish watching stories feeling satisfied with the experience? Instagram In looking at Stories on both platforms, I compared both products from a holistic standpoint, rather than trying to compare individual features (like stickers, filters, and drawings). The concept of ephemeral "stories" was the first Snapchat product Instagram cloned, so it makes the most sense to start there. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. ![]()
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