Fueled by its unique time limit-based photo sharing system, Snapchat recently surpassed Facebook in terms of the number of photos shared per day, according to a recent report. While Facebook still boasts a robust 350 million photo shares per day, Snapchat has now eclipsed the 400 million photos per day barrier and shows no signs of slowing down. Even more impressive is the fact that Snapchat’s photo volume doubled between the spring and autumn of 2013.
On Snapchat, users can share photos with a controlled group of friends and recipients. When a user uploads photos, he or she also sets a limit for the amount of time the photos will be available. Currently, users can display photos for 1 to 10 seconds, before they disappear from a recipient’s device and are completely erased from the Snapchat server. iPhone app developers are already taking advantage of Snapchat’s growing popularity, especially given rumors that Facebook is interested in acquiring the service for a reported price of around $3 billion.
Founded by two Stanford University students in 2011, Snapchat entices many users who are concerned about privacy issues. Other popular photo sharing websites, including Facebook and Instagram, permanently store shared content. There’s no way to completely erase an image from either site, which makes Snapchat an attractive alternative to people who are looking for more control over who sees their photos and how long they remain available.
While details of Facebook’s rumored offer are still murky and subject to much speculation, Snapchat’s popularity is continuing to grow at a very rapid pace. Regardless of whether or not a union with Facebook is in Snapchat’s future, mobile app developers in Seattle and around the country have an unprecedented opportunity to benefit from one of the biggest social media explosions to come along in years.
