Snapchat Adds Native iPad Support after 13 Years

Snapchat has officially announced the rollout of native support for iPad in the app’s latest release notes

Since its inception in 2011, Snapchat has been exclusively accessible on iPads as an iPhone application with substantial black borders rather than a native application optimized for its larger screen.

Thirteen years after Snapchat’s inception on iOS, iPad support is now being implemented with this latest update.

The App Store release notes indicate that “Snapchat now offers native support for iPad.” “This implies that Snapchat will occupy the entire screen of an iPad, enabling you to view a broader range of friends on the second and fourth tabs and capture Snaps on a larger canvas.”

The new app enhances iPad accessibility and provides a proving ground for new features, allowing users to experiment with tools, AR experiences, and AI on a larger screen.

Snap has not disclosed whether it will provide iPad users with any new experiences, nor has it disclosed the reason for its decision to delay the release of its app to the iPad until now.

Regrettably, the new application is still not entirely optimized for tablets, as it can operate exclusively in portrait mode rather than landscape mode.

The native app’s release coincides with TikTok’s release of an update last year intended to optimize larger displays, such as those found on iPads and tablets.

The update enabled users to traverse the app more quickly and use it in landscape mode more easily. Snapchat is more well-positioned to compete with TikTok and potentially attract more attention to its TikTok competitor, Spotlight, by introducing native support for iPads.

Additionally, it is essential to mention that TikTok and Snapchat possess a slight competitive advantage over the Meta-owned platform, as another Instagram has yet to introduce a native iPad app.