Snapchat now has more daily active users than Twitter: Report

Snapchat, the messaging app, now has more than 150 million daily active users (DAUs), making it bigger than Twitter in terms of DAUs, according to a report on Bloomberg.

The report on Bloomberg says Snapchat has seen its DAU numbers grow from 110 million in December to 150 million, quoting people familiar with the matter. In contrast, Twitter has close to 140 million DAUs, according to “an average of analysts’ estimates surveyed by Bloomberg.” It should be noted that neither Snapchat nor Twitter have confirmed the numbers.

Snapchat’s growth is not really surprising and the app has gained popularity across the globe thanks to its Live Stores, where users can post videos, pictures with filters added to them for their friends or followers to see.

Plus celebrities like the entire Kardashian clan, Hollywood stars, etc have all taken to Snapchat to document their daily lives to followers and share constant live updates. On Snapchat, the stories last only 24 hours, although users have the option of downloading and saving a Snapchat story.

In India, Snapchat recently hit headlines after AIB comedian Tanmay Bhat posted a story where he mocked Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar. Tanmay’s video went viral for the wrong reasons as some people got offended by the content and even filed a complaint asking the video, which was later posted to other platforms like Instagram, etc, be taken down. Tanmay Bhat controversy aside, Snapchat as an app had gained popularity. The ‘Stories’ feature, coupled with filters, the ability to face swap have all made the app quite addictive and popular with users, especially teens. It was also reported that Facebook tried to acquire Snapchat for $3 billion in 2012, (before it bought out WhatsApp), but co-founder and CEO Evan Speigel didn’t give in. Facebook also launched a rival to Snapchat called Slingshot, but the app bombed. Snapchat on its part also has ‘Stories’ or content from some publishers under the Discover feature. According to a TechCrunch report, Snapchat recently acquired 3D photo app maker Seene, which lets users capture 3D model photos from their smartphone camera. The report says the technology could be used for a new selfie lenses in Snapchat. Snapchat’s growth is not really surprising. The messaging app has come a long way since it first started in 2011, from an app where the novelty was that messages disappeared to one that has created quite a following among its users.