please explain how Snapchat works

I know I'm an old fart, but I like following entertainment news and celebrities and Snapchat seems to be the place everyone is headed.

I know kids use it as the way it was intended - you take a photo, send it to your friends, and it disappears in less than a minute. However it seems like celebs are using it more like Instagram, but when I look at the app, it makes no sense to me.

Ex: I follow a celeb (say Neil Patrick Harris) but when I select his name, I don't see anything. All it wants me to do is swipe "right to chat". I've seen on Tumblr where people will mention photos on someone's Snapchat, and they'll go out there to look. So clearly I'm not looking in the right place.

I find it weird that an app that's *so* hard to use for publicity reasons is so popular, but I'm guessing they're just trying to figure out where the kids are.

Re: please explain how Snapchat works

I am SO glad I am not the only one who has NO IDEA how this app works

Re: please explain how Snapchat works

Posted by itsagoodlife

I am SO glad I am not the only one who has NO IDEA how this app works

Re: please explain how Snapchat works

Re: please explain how Snapchat works

I believe you would have to slide left and to stories screen and that is probably where you would find celeb snaps. The other screen is for direct snap message which I doubt you are getting from neil Patrick harris lol

Re: please explain how Snapchat works

I am also old, but work in media/PR so I had to recently get familiar with it. This video is hilarious.

Re: please explain how Snapchat works

SO's kids are all over that thing (they're ages are 21-27). the convinced the roommate to join (43) and they are CONSTANTLY making fun of him because he doesn't know how to use it.

i'm not interested in it... but then again, if my grandmother (91... go grandma) can do facebook, then maybe, just maybe i'll eventually come around.

please explain how Snapchat works

Ha - for sure I'm not getting direct snaps from NPH, but when I look on the right, it's stories for already established companies (CNN, Buzzfeed, etc). I don't see how you can select a celebrity's "story". When I search on that screen for stories, I only see where I can chat with someone directly.

Re: please explain how Snapchat works

When you first open it, you'll have your camera screen (as if to take a pic). Click on the bottom right-hand side (it has three dashes). This brings you to the stories screen. You should see your story (if you posted one). Then, a section called Discover with different companies (mine is showing MTV, National Geographic, etc.). Under that, there'll be another section called Live with different cities. Right under that will be a section called Recent Updates. That is where you will see updates by the people you are following.. but ONLY if they updated within the last 24 hours. If they haven't, they won't show up there. & once you watch it, it'll move down to the next (and final section) called All Stories. Snapchats disappear after 24 hours so if nothing is there, no one has posted anything recently. Try following "skinnytaste" and check it out. She just posted a story so you should definitely see her under your recent stories.

I think you're going to the DISCOVER page which is only different companies' snapchat stories by accident. I hope this helps!

please explain how Snapchat works

I think my issue is that I don't go there often and I'm guessing the celebs I follow don't post often so I never see anything new. I didn't know about the 24 hour thing - so that screen just always looks the same to me. Thanks!

Re: please explain how Snapchat works

Yeah, you'll only see the last 24 hours. So if someone posts something at 8am today and you don't check it until tomorrow after 8am, you won't see any stories.

please explain how Snapchat works

No idea. I just like the filters lol.