Snapchat introduces “Story Explorer” feature

Snapchat just launched a brand-new update that’s sure to make the app deplete your data even faster (but at least you’ll have fun while doing it).

It’s certainly an interesting new feature, and one that could come in handy.

Story Explorer builds upon Snapchat Stories, allowing users to browse related snaps by swiping upward.

Not all snaps within a given story will have an option to explore further; that’s at the discretion of Snapchat’s curators.

“The basic idea was we don’t provide any depth inside Stories-you’re on the red carpet”. Now, Story Explorer lets Snapchat and creators learn from what moments are the most valuable, given the number of views. But Snapchat chief Evan Spiegel said it enhances Snapchat’s experiential element: the feeling of “being there”, so to speak.

“It’s the first time you’ll be able to experience that incredible game-winning dunk from thousands of perspectives throughout the stadium – or feel like you’re right there on the scene when breaking news unfolds”, Snapchat wrote in a blog post announcing the feature.

Snapchat recently raised an additional $537 million in new funding, which valued the company at $16 billion – prompting renewed scrutiny of its business model and potential profitability.

In October, Twitter added a new tab called ‘Moments, ‘ aimed at showing users timely content about events, pop culture and news happening in real time.

In the United States, the Snapchat app is 10th on the Apple App Store. This is made possible by technology Snapchat says it has developed.

Story Explorer is rolling out in NY and Los Angeles, today, and should expand to more areas over the coming weeks and months.