Service introduces chat and video calls rivaling Apple’s own solutions

May 2, 2014 10:00 GMT  ·  By

Snapchat 7.0.0 is out on mobile devices featuring a new chat feature and video calls. On iOS, the app rivals Apple’s existing FaceTime video chatting service.

Snapchat lets you enjoy fast conversations by snapping a photo or a video, adding a caption, and whisking it over to a friend. The recipient can view it, and then the Snap disappears from the screen. Recipients can take screenshots to save the Snap, and in the case of the newly added chat feature they can tap on the screen to save the text.

“Swipe right on a friend’s name in your Snapchat inbox to start chatting. When you leave the chat screen, messages viewed by both you and your friend will be cleared – but either of you can always tap or screenshot to save anything you’d like to keep (addresses, to-do lists, etc.),” reads the description for version 7.0.0.

Additionally, you can now do video chats. The developer says, “We let you know when a friend is Here in your Chat so that you can give each other your full attention. And if you’re both Here, simply press and hold to share live video – and Chat face-to-face!” To download Snapchat, all you need is an iOS 5 device.