Snapchat for Android and iOS Gets 'Geofilters' for Special Locations

Snapchat, the disappearing-image messaging service, has added new filters for special locations, dubbed 'Geofilters'. The new location-specific feature is currently only available in Los Angeles and New York with no word on global availability.

The 'Geofilters' feature can be used on Snapchat for Android and iOS by swiping right on the screen of the clicked image, which brings specific location stickers or adds just the name of the city to the snapped picture. Notably, a user needs to enable location services on the device to use the new 'Geofilters'.

The company confirmed the new feature on its blog post and said, "We've had a lot of fun drawing up new filters for special locations in Los Angeles and New York. Swipe right on the preview screen to check them out - they'll change depending on which neighbourhoods you're in! Although you'll need to enable location services for this feature, we don't store your location."

Earlier, Snapchat had revealed that its Stories feature was the app's most popular feature, leaving behind the ephemeral Snaps feature that made it famous. Snapchat claimed that 1 billion Stories were viewed each day, shooting up from 500 million two months ago.

The Snapchat Stories feature was launched late last year, and lets users create a set of images that stays available to view for 24 hours before disappearing. These stories can be viewed by the user's friends, or by anyone, depending on the user's chosen settings.

Snapchat had also added two new features to its app in May: text chats (instant messaging) and video calls.

Facebook recently rolled out its own ephemeral messaging app, Slingshot.