Snapchat has officially rolled out native support for iPads, as revealed in the app’s latest release notes. Since its launch in 2011, Snapchat has only been available on iPads as an iPhone app, with large black borders that limited the app’s usability on the larger screen. This new update, arriving 13 years after Snapchat first debuted on iOS, marks a significant shift for iPad users.
The release notes in the App Store simply state, “Snapchat now offers native support for iPad.” With this update, Snapchat will now fill the entire iPad screen, offering a more immersive experience. Users can enjoy a larger canvas for capturing Snaps and view more friends on the 2nd and 4th tabs, making social interactions on the app more dynamic and engaging.
This long-awaited update improves accessibility on iPads and allows users to explore Snapchat’s tools, augmented reality (AR) experiences, and AI features on a bigger screen. However, it remains unclear why Snap delayed the release of an iPad-native version for so long, and there has been no announcement of any exclusive features for iPad users with this update.
Despite the new native support, the app is still not fully optimized for tablets as it only operates in portrait mode, not landscape mode. This limitation means that while Snapchat has made strides towards enhancing the user experience on iPads, there is still room for improvement.
The launch of the native iPad app comes as TikTok has already optimized its app for larger screens like iPads and tablets, allowing users to navigate the app in landscape mode for a better viewing experience. By releasing native iPad support, Snapchat is positioning itself to better compete with TikTok and attract more users to its platform, including its TikTok competitor, Spotlight.
Interestingly, Instagram, another major player in the social media space, has yet to release a native iPad app. This gives Snapchat and TikTok a competitive edge over the Meta-owned platform, potentially drawing more users who prefer a full-screen experience on their tablets.