We Are Social’s Tuesday Tune Up
Snapchat brings back Bitstrips
Snapchat has brought back the original format of Bitmoji with its Bitstrips feature. Snapchat has seen success with Bitmoji Stories so has decided to expand to Bitstrips. Bitstrips will present episodes to users featuring their 3D Bitmoji avatars interacting with their friends.
Image credit: Snapchat
Two new features have also been added for Snapchat+ subscribers. The first gives users the option to set custom ringtones for friends and the second allows users to replay their own Snap for up to five minutes after sending.
Meta shuts down Spark AR Studio
Meta has announced that it’s shutting down its augmented reality (AR) effects platform, Spark AR Studio. Spark AR enabled creators to develop AR effects. The platform will shut down on 14th January 2025 with all AR effects created on the platform no longer being available after this date. Meta will continue to support Meta Spark until it closes so campaigns that start and end before then should not be impacted.
Image credit: Meta
Instagram adds comments to Stories
Instagram has introduced comments on Stories which are visible to any users who view the Story. Select users are now being notified of the comment option on the app with further rollout expected soon. Stories comments are displayed along the bottom of the frame and creators can switch off Stories commenting if they wish.
Image credit: Taylor Loren
In other news
Butterflies AI adds AI characters. Snapchat adds new teen safety features for educators. Snapchat is now native on iPad. Threads is testing disappearing posts. Bluesky adds feature to help users avoid online harassment. Threads adds option to rearrange feeds on desktop. YouTube expands AI summaries to more languages. Instagram is testing a new collage feature. TikTok adds ‘manage topics’ feature.