So you were scrolling through a friend’s Snapchat Story and then found out that their Snapchat has a ‘cool’ new feature that you don’t have!
Perhaps it’s a special badge next to their handle or a personalized app icon that makes your one look boring.
That sense of FOMO over missing out on the platform’s latest, greatest tools is precisely what drove the development of the Snapchat Plus subscription. It’s a premium unlock to access an underlying layer of the app, turning the casual user experience into something much more intimate and powerful.
This all-encompassing guide will dissect every single aspect, from the precise cost to the behind-the-scenes of each exclusive feature.
What is Snapchat Plus Subscription?
At its core, Snapchat Plus subscription is a paid premium subscription that is not available to users in the standard-free version of the app. It grants a suit of exclusive, experimental and pre-release features only available to plus subscriber.
This feature was launched in mid 2022. This represented a more strategic move to monetize the platform aside from advertising and offered the platform’s most loyal users a more in-depth way to personalize and improve their Snapchat journey.
It is very important to note that Snapchat Plus does not restrict the core functions of the app from being used for free. Sending Snap, chatting with friends, posting on your story, and searching for the Discover page are all still completely free.
Instead, think of Snapchat+ as VIP upgrade. It’s for the user who loves digging into data, values aesthetic customization, and wants to be the first to try new tools that the rest of the user base might not see for months, if ever.
Snapchat Plus Subscription: Pricing Tiers and Value
Snapchat has designed the pricing to be flexible and a reward for a long-term relationship. Although the actual price may fluctuate a bit depending on your location and the currency exchange rate, the overall pricing model is more or less standard.
Here’s a common breakdown of the plans:
|
Plan Duration |
Typical Price (USD) |
Best For |
|
Monthly |
$3.99 / month |
Users who want to try it out without commitment. |
|
6-Month |
$21.99 (Billed once) |
Users confident they’ll use it for a while. |
|
Annual |
$39.99 / year |
Power users seeking the best value (saves ~16%). |
How to Subscribe
It is easy and done directly within the app:
- Launch Snapchat and swipe your Profile icon (Bitmoji) in the top-left corner.
- You will find a banner for “Snapchat+” below your name. Tap on it.
- You will find the subscription plans available.
- Select the best plan for you and make the purchase from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
The Complete Breakdown of Snapchat Plus Features
This is where the true value comes in. The features list grows every day as Snapchat experiments with new concepts. Here’s an in-depth explanation of the most useful benefits you gain access to.
Category 1: Exclusivity and Insights
These features provide you with a special status and more detailed analytics regarding your friendships.
- Best Friends Forever
- What It Is: This lets you pin one individual as your #1 Best Friend. This pinned person will always stay on the top of your chat list, regardless of who you’ve recently snapped.
- Why It’s Cool: A nice gesture to give that special person a permanent top position. No need to worry about your best friend falling down the ranks if you’ve been busy taking others for a group project.
- Friend Solar System
- What It Is: This is probably the most discussed of all the features. It displays your friendship levels by placing planets on your closest friends. You’re the Sun, and your friends are all circling you.
- Why It’s Cool: It’s a fun, graphical way to view whom you are around the most. Snapchat Planets Order is ranked in order of importance: Your number 1 is the best friend Mercury (closest to the Sun), your number 2 is Venus, and so through Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. This is a personal, astronomical order of your best friends.
- Story Rewatch Indicator
- What Is It: Spot a tiny emoji by a name in your Story viewers list if the individual has viewed your Story twice or more.
- Why It’s Cool: It feeds your curiosity. Now you’re able to see who was curious enough about your Story to take a second look.
- Snapchat+ Badge
- What It Is: A unique black star badge that shows up next to your profile name, indicating to other users that you’re a subscriber.
- Why It’s Cool: It’s a status symbol. It instantly declares you a premium member and an avid user of the platform.
Category 2: Customization and Aesthetics
These options enable you to customize the appearance and feel of your app.
- Custom App Icons
- What It Is: Replace the default yellow Snapchat app icon on your home screen with one of several dozen unique designs. Choices include seasonal designs, sleek and minimalist styles, or more.
- Why It’s Cool: It allows you to personalize the app to fit the look of your phone or simply be different. It’s a small but highly gratifying degree of customization.
- Custom Chat Wallpapers
- What It Is: Set distinct background wallpapers for your personal conversations.
- Why It’s Cool: Rather than the same gray background for all, you can set one specific photo for your conversation with your best buddy, another one for your family chat, etc. It makes each conversation feel more personal and unique.
- Custom Notification Sounds
- What It Is: Set individual notification sounds for individual friends.
- Why It’s Cool: You can know who just photographed you without even checking your phone. Create a special tone with your partner or best friend so you never miss their messages.
- Custom Capture Color and Border
- What It Is: Personalize the color of the capture button and add unique borders to your Snaps.
- Why It’s Cool: Another level of artistic expression, so your Snaps can look a certain way that basic users can’t imitate.
Category 3: AI-Powered and Premium Tools
Snapchat is going all in on AI, and Plus subscribers are the first to know.
- My AI with Exclusive Features
- What It Is: All users can access the “My AI” chatbot, but Plus subscribers receive an upgraded version. This features the option to have My AI create original Snaps for you from a text prompt.
- Why It’s Cool: You can input “a corgi riding a skateboard in space,” and My AI will create an original, sharable Snap. It’s a playful, space-age content creator.
- Generative AI Profile Backgrounds
- What It Is: Take a text prompt to generate an entirely original AI-created background for your Snapchat profile.
- Why It’s Cool: Your profile can be a real expression of your personality or mood at the moment, with a background no one else has.
- Priority Story Replies
- What It Is: When you respond to a public Story by a Snap Star or creator, your response is made more visible.
- Why It’s Cool: If you enjoy connecting with the creators that you love, this feature gets them more likely to view and answer your message.
Category 4: Convenience and Early Access
- Post View Emoji
- What It Is: Select an emoji that your friends will notice as soon as they look at a Snap that you have sent them. It shows up for a second where the “Opened” icon would be.
- Why It’s Cool: It’s like leaving a little signature or setting a certain tone for your Snap.
- Early Access to New Features
- What It Is: This is a central commitment of the subscription. You are able to use new features before the public at large gets them.
- Why It’s Cool: You are an early adopter and get to try out the future of Snapchat ahead of everyone else.
Is the Snapchat Plus Subscription Worth It for You?
This is the big question, and the answer is purely subjective. To make a decision, let’s compare it by user type:
The Snapchat Plus subscription is probably WORTH IT if:
- You’re a Power User: You rely on Snapchat to communicate. You’re interested in your Snap Score, best friends list, and friendship streaks. The customization and insights options will significantly enhance your day-to-day use.
- You’re a Social Butterfly or Creator: Priority Story Replies and the cosmetic-only features will make you stand out. The analytics such as the Story Rewatch Indicator offer useful feedback.
- You’re a Tech Enthusiast: You enjoy being an early adopter. The early access to features and latest AI features will be a huge plus for you.
You can likely SKIP the subscription if:
- You’re a Casual User: You only use the app a handful of times a week to look at Stories or shoot a quick Snap. The essentials of the free experience are plenty for your usage.
- You’re on a Tight Budget: It is not costly, but it is an ongoing expense for something that is not necessary. The funds could be utilized somewhere else.
- You Don’t Care About Customization: If you don’t care about changing the app icon, notification sound, and background of chats, then an enormous part of the value proposition does not make sense to you.
Final Thoughts
The Snapchat Plus subscription is not a necessity; it’s an enhancement. It’s a thoughtfully designed package for the app’s most loyal and engaged community members.
With the provision of a strong set of features that cater to our curiosity (Friend Solar System), creativity (AI tools) and love for personalization (custom icons), Snapchat has provided a strong incentive for its largest followers to spend just a bit more on the app they adore.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What will happen if I cancel my Snapchat Plus subscription?
- If you cancel your subscription you will still have access to all the Snapchat Plus features till the end of your current billing period.
- Does the Snapchat Plus subscription remove ads from the app?
- No, a Snapchat Plus subscription does not remove advertisements from the app. You will still see ads just like a non-subscribing user.
- Can other people see that I have Snapchat Plus?
- Yes, other people are able to see that you are a Snapchat Plus subscriber, mainly via the black star badge appearing alongside your name in your profile.
- Can I give a Snapchat Plus subscription as a gift to my friend?
- Yes, you can! It is possible to buy a subscription as a gift to someone else using Snapchat itself. To do this, go to the Snapchat+ screen, choose the gift option, and pick the subscription plan you’d like to send.
- Are all Snapchat Plus features available in every country?
- Generally, yes. The main list of Snapchat+ features such as the subscriber badge, custom icons, and Best Friend pins are available worldwide where Snapchat+ is available.
- That said, some of the latest, most experimental features—particularly those based on advanced AI—may first be released to particular regions or languages before a wider global availability.
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