Snapchat India launches new features to support social distancing

To fight misinformation and help people stay in contact despite social distancing, Snapchat India has introduced new features on the app.

In the wake of the global pandemic, Snapchat has launched a range of creative tools, features and content for its community in India to learn, create and share. This includes the innovative Snap camera, sticker packs, lenses, filters and content in Discover. From making the mundane video conference sessions fun to keeping up to date with the news, connecting with close friends and family to creating Snapsterpieces, the tools ensure a refreshing, positive break from the daily monotony of social distancing.

Snap Camera

Self-isolating workers around the world have been turning to Snap Camera to add some fun to their video meetings.

Fresh from Zoom background changes, office workers around the world are going a step further to add levity during this tough time and arrive in a new digital wardrobe every day, by using Snap Camera with Google Hangouts, Zoom and Teams. Furthermore, Snap has created a new 'Win From Home' section to the desktop application.

New Lenses

Snap has introduced two new experiences that give Snapchatters more easily-digestible information on how to stay safe using augmented reality. The information shared is aligned with recommendations from the World Health Organisation:

• A new Snappable AR game lets you and your friends myth-bust some of the most common inaccuracies around Coronavirus and learn more about the facts.
• A special lens that allows users to show that they are staying at home.

WHO Partnered Lenses

Two new Snapchat lenses have been launched with the World Health organization to allow Snapchatters to share facts on how to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe that Snapchatters play a critical role in stopping the spread of the virus, and reliable information shared amongst friends is more important now than ever. They will be live in Search on Snapchat and Lens Explorer.

With one, Snapchatters can encourage friends with four tips on safety.

With the second, Snapchatters can encourage social distancing practices:

New Filters and Stickers

Snapchatters in India have access to stickers and filters that can be used to encourage themselves and each other to stay home, stay safe, practice social distancing, wash their hands and work from home.

New Bijmoji

Bitmoji has always always been a fun and fast way to communicate visually with friends and loved ones, and new stickers help raise awareness about COVID-19 in a lighthearted, personal way in your messages. Bitmoji has released 6 stickers with friendly health reminders like “Keep Your Distance,” “Wash Your Hands!,” and “Stay Healthy, Helpful, and Calm -- with more on the way.

New content

To ensure every Snapchatter all over the world has access to credible information, Snap’s editorial team selected the partners and these partners adhere to guidelines that forbid the spread of misinformation. Furthermore, each tile is checked by a moderation team.

Snap’s own news team is also regularly producing coverage and continuously updating it with tips and information about COVID-19, including Q&As with expert doctors, along with Stories reflecting how Snapchatters are faring as they work from home, learn from home, and are coping with closures of schools, restaurants, gyms and more.

Also Read: Snapchat Updates: App Stories, COVID-19 News Tab and more

Snap is working closely with the World Health Organization to ensure Snapchatters have all the latest information from the experts themselves. WHO publishes regular updates from their Official Account and Snap has collaborated with their team to develop custom content to answer questions from the Snapchat community.

Some examples of Indian partners who have been covering COVID related news over the past week include:

Brut India took a humorous look at the difference in how introverts versus extroverts are handling isolation, published a character-driven, short-form documentary on a patient in Italy who described what it was like to have COVID-19 and spoke with an Indian doctor about his experience working at a hospital in China battling COVID-19

NEWJ has reported on the World Health Organization praising India for the country’s efforts to help stop the spread of the virus

Pluc TV covered the story of a waste picker community in Delhi that was not getting water due to the lockdown and how they eventually got what they needed, travelled to Delhi to capture how people, especially daily wage earners and rickshaw pullers are affected by the coronavirus, reported on the phenomenon of fake news at this time, took a look at why it’s important for us to stay home and what it’s like to work from home and covered a personal experience from a member of their team who lives in Italy, insight into how things unfolded and what India can learn.