Snapchat in 2024: Safety features, AI updates & more

Snapchat’s 2024 was marked by steady updates and developments aimed at enhancing user experience, improving safety measures, and refining advertising tools. From introducing AI-driven features for creators to rolling out new safety controls for teens, the platform saw a range of changes throughout the year. 

Here’s a month-by-month overview of the key updates that defined Snapchat’s journey this year.

January

• Snapchat introduced new parental controls to restrict teenagers’ usage of My AI, ensuring a safer interaction with the platform’s chatbot.

April 

• The platform added watermarks to AI-generated images, promoting clarity and distinguishing AI-created content from authentic visuals.

May 

• Advanced AR and ML tools were launched, helping brands and advertisers craft immersive, cutting-edge experiences.

June

• Snapchat unveiled generative AI tools tailored for AR creators, expanding their creative potential.

• Enhanced safety features were rolled out that ensured a secure environment for teenagers interacting on the app.

July

• Snapchat rolled out tools to personalize user accounts, offering unique and tailored experiences, including helping users design personalized houses on Snap Map, enabled users to have a virtual pet accompany them not only on Snap Map but also within their chats among others. 

• Exclusive AR experiences were introduced for the 2024 Olympics, allowing users to interact with the global event.

August 

• Snap Inc. released the Quarter Two (Q2) Snapchat earnings report for the year 2024, showcasing its increase in daily active users, new content offered to build the community, and efforts to drive sustainable profits and more.

• The platform revamped its Ads Manager platform to simplify the campaign creation process, notably by reducing the number of steps needed to set campaign objectives. 

• The platform rolled out updates to its ad tools and creative options

September 

• The platform tested limited public sharing for teens amid child safety scrutiny. 

• Snapchat unveiled advanced AI and AR features, showcasing its technological edge.

• Snap updated terms of service for its 'My Selfie' tool, previously known as ‘AI Selfies,’ reserving the right to use users’ faces in advertisements. 

• Snapchat shifts from OpenAI to Google for expanded AI features.

• The platform joined the EU’s AI Pact ahead of the 2026 AI Act implementation.
  

October 

• Footstep tracking was introduced for iOS, enhancing Snapchat’s location-based offerings for personalized user experiences.

November 

• The platform expanded its partnership with third-party verification provider DoubleVerify, enabling the platform to offer advertisers enhanced brand safety and suitability measurement on ad campaigns.

• Began experimenting with a new ad format called 'Sponsored Snaps,' integrating promotional content directly into users’ inbox feeds. 

December 

• Snapchat launched a unified monetization program, empowering creators with simplified earning opportunities and boosting content creation.