Snapchat has officially introduced native support for iPads, as announced in the app’s latest release notes. This update comes 13 years after the app’s initial launch on iOS. Previously, iPad users accessed Snapchat through the iPhone version, which resulted in large black borders around the display.
With the new update, Snapchat now fills the iPad’s full screen, providing a larger canvas for capturing Snaps and allowing users to view more friends on the app’s interface. The release notes state, “Snapchat now offers native support for iPad! This means that Snapchat will fill an iPad’s full screen, providing you with a larger canvas when capturing Snaps and allowing you to see more friends on the 2nd and 4th tabs. It’s still the same Snapchat you know and love, but this time on the big screen!” highlighting the enhanced accessibility for users.
However, the app is currently only optimized for portrait mode, lacking support for landscape orientation. This limitation may affect usability for some users, as they cannot rotate their devices while using the app.
The launch of the native iPad app comes as Snapchat seeks to compete more effectively with TikTok, which has already optimized its app for larger screens, including landscape mode. Additionally, Instagram has yet to release a native iPad app, giving Snapchat a potential advantage in the social media landscape.
While it remains unclear why Snapchat delayed this update until now, the new app allows users to experiment with augmented reality tools and AI features on a larger screen, potentially paving the way for future enhancements.
