13 years later, Snapchat lastly rolls out native assist for iPads | TechCrunch

Snapchat is formally rolling out native assist for iPad, the corporate introduced within the app’s latest release notes. Since Snapchat’s launch in 2011, the social networking app has solely been accessible on iPads as an iPhone app with massive black borders round it, not as a local app for the iPad’s larger display.

With this new replace, assist for iPad is rolling out 13 years after Snapchat launched on iOS.

“Snapchat now gives native assist for iPad,” the App Retailer launch notes merely state. “Which means Snapchat will fill an iPad’s full display, offering you with a bigger canvas when capturing Snaps and permitting you to see extra associates on the 2nd and 4th tabs.”

The brand new app will increase accessibility on iPads, whereas additionally serving as a little bit of testing floor for brand spanking new options, as you may mess around with instruments, AR experiences and AI on a much bigger display. It’s unclear why Snap has waited till now to convey its app to iPad, nor has the corporate disclosed if it is going to provide any new experiences for iPad customers.

Sadly, the brand new app nonetheless isn’t absolutely optimized for tablets as it might probably solely run in portrait mode, not panorama mode.

The launch of the native app comes as TikTok launched an replace final 12 months that was designed to reap the benefits of bigger screens like iPads and tablets. The replace began permitting individuals to make use of the app in panorama mode and navigate the app extra simply. By releasing native assist for iPads, Snapchat is healthier poised to compete with TikTok, and probably get extra eyes on its TikTok competitor, Highlight.

It’s additionally price noting that one other Instagram has but to launch a local iPad app, which provides each Snapchat and TikTok a little bit of a aggressive edge over the Meta-owned platform.