Snapchat launches a range of creative tools, features and content to keep people engaged during the lockdown

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 that comes with self isolation.

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. Some examples shared by our community (1, 2, 3, 4).

As of Thursday 19 March, Snap Camera app downloads are up over 10X since the beginning of the month compared to the norm.

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 are aligned with recommendations from the World Health Organisation

1. 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.
2. A special lens which allows users to show that they are staying at home

WHO PARTNERED LENSES

Today we also have launched two new Snapchat lenses we worked on with the World Health organization that 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 the carousel for 24 hours on 1 April and following will be live in Search on Snapchat and Lens Explorer.

With this lens, Snapchatters can encourage friends with four tips on safety:

With this lens, Snapchatters can encourage social distancing practices:

NEW FILTERS AND STICKERS

Starting this week, Snapchatters in India will find stickers and filters they can use to encourage themselves and each other to stay home, stay safe, practice social distancing, wash their hands and work from home.

NEW BITMOJI

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

Snap has always taken a proactive approach to ensuring Snapchatters have access to credible, fact-based information on their platform.

With an aim to highlight the most relevant and informative local Coronavirus content for the Snap community, Snap’s editorial and Strategic Partner Management teams are partnering with the local teams to curate, onboard and highlight the best in local language Coronavirus 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 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.

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 (Profile here) – who 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 (Profile here) – who have reported on the World Health Organization praising India for the country’s efforts to help stop the spread of the virus
• Pluc TV (Profile here) – who 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 coronavirus, reported on the phenomenon of 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.