Snapchat bringing augmented reality into your photos and videos, Instagram changing its photo grid, and Twitter allowing users to express themselves more than ever before, we’re giving you the skinny on all things social media this September.

Facebook

• Facebook now lets you swap to Instagram without having to navigate back to the home screen
  • The social media company says that the change is designed to help users keep in touch with friends on both platforms
  • The two platforms also allow cross-posting from Instagram into a Facebook page
• Facebook is also testing a snooze feature that will let users “unfollow” their friends for a predetermined period of time
• The social media powerhouse is testing updates and indicators to let users know when others are active on the site or not

Takeaways…

• Facebook Snooze could be extremely beneficial to company pages who might otherwise risk being unliked or unfollowed all together
• The site continues their efforts to prompt users to engage with each other more often, considering they are more likely to do so when postings are live, proving the primary goal for Facebook is to make it less about content and more about conversations

Instagram

• Instagram now allows the use of filters while live-streaming on the app
  • The update brings augmented-reality feature to live streaming where users can access different filters while they record live video
• The app is also testing a new layout that could be beneficial to marketers
  • The grid will display four photos instead of three

Takeaways…

• Social media apps are competing with one another to make sure that they offer the best version of augmented reality, as the feature is rapidly growing in popularity
• The change in layout could greatly impact brands and influencers who have spent hours of time and effort on their feeds

Twitter

• Twitter is introducing the ‘Twitter Lite’ app, described as ‘a new mobile web experience which minimizes data usage, loads quickly on slower connections, and takes up less than 1 MB on mobile devices’
  • Twitter Lite not only requires less data, but promises 30% faster launch times and quicker navigation throughout the platform
  • The data saver mode that comes with Twitter Lite could potentially reduce data usage up to 70%, and offers online support so that users can still maintain their session even if the connection is spotty
•  The app is also testing out the ability to use 280 characters instead of 140, which could lead to much more tweeting

Takeaways…

• While smartphone use is growing rapidly around the world, Twitter is attempting to cater to those who use mobile and experience slower networks which could lead to more users on their site
• Twitter is attempting to provide more of an outlet for users to express themselves over in hopes of growing their audience

Snapchat

• Snapchat is adding its own twist onto the augmented reality world by bringing users’ Bitmojis (cartoon images created to look like themselves) to life in the app
  • According to Snap Inc., more than a third of their 173 million users are actively using AR camera features on Snapchat every day
• The app also just launched a new project which will allow users to place 3D augmented reality art in specific locations
  • Users will be able to locate the art on a map and visit to inspect it

Takeaways…

• Snapchat keeps on delivering more and more ways for their audience to engage creatively, and the AR features work especially well for building a personal brand
• The app is attempting to make a more powerful presence with young adults, expanding its target demographic