You can pay to put a virtual house on Snapchat’s map
Snapchat Plus subscribers are getting a new feature that allows you to design your own virtual house to show off on the Snap Map. You can view your house at any time by visiting the map, as can anyone you share your location with.
Your customization options range from drabby shacks to extravagant multistory abodes and castles. It essentially lets you show off your location with a more inviting curb appeal than the lifeless gray cuboid structures that typically populate the map. There’s not much other utility there right now except to give Snapchat Plus members a little something extra to justify yet another social media subscription in their monthly budget.
But maybe it’s a segue to something more? I’m imagining an AR experience a la Pokémon Go, except it’s more Animal Crossing and you can play interior decorator and invite your friends in for a quick furniture flex or a Snap viewing party. (Perhaps it’s best I’m not in charge of these decisions.) At the very least, it’s a more fun tell of your social opulence than a blue checkmark.
Premium Snapchatters will also soon see their pets accompany their Bitmoji while typing in chats, as well as the ability to post bite-sized Snaps that expire in fractions of a second (as quick as .10 seconds). All users will get a “mirror” that lets you view yourself using your phone’s selfie camera while customizing a Bitmoji. There are also new AI lenses incoming, including one that reimagines you as a five-year-old — which actually might be useful for someone who doesn’t have toddler pictures of themselves for whatever unfortunate reason.
