Why it matters: Rolling out a web-based portal after more than a decade of mobile-only service is a curious move that suggests Snap is following its core user base as they age and graduate from mobile devices to computers with larger screens in the office.
Mobile-first communications platform Snapchat is finally available on the web, but you'll need to be a paid subscriber or live in a specific region to try it out.
Snapchat for Web features some of the app's top messaging features including Chat Reply and Chat Reactions. Others, like Lenses, are coming soon, we're told. With the web portal, users will be able to start a call or pick up where they left off on mobile.
According to Snap, more than 330 million people use Snapchat on their phones each day and more than 100 million Snapchatters use the app's voice and video calling features monthly.
Snapchat+ subscribers in the US, the UK, and Canada can try Snapchat for Web using Chrome from today, as can regular Snapchat users in Australia and New Zealand. Support for additional browsers will be added at a later date.
Snapchat launched its paid subscription service last month, offering members exclusive access to experimental and pre-release features for $3.99 per month. Notably, the paid tier doesn't eliminate ads.
Shares in Snap are up nearly three percent on the news but are down close to 70 percent year to date.