Web version of Snapchat is available, but problems are frequent | Forbes JAPAN (Forbes Japan)

Snapchat, which launched in 2011, was a service limited to smartphone apps, but it seems to have started offering the web version. This may be an unusual transition from mobile to the web, but it could help increase the impact of Snapchat.

But while the site is open and in theory all the features of the app should be available, it is very frustrating as it is.

First of all, the only browser supported is Chrome, and I’m not satisfied because I mainly use Safari. Furthermore, when I accessed it using Chrome, it didn’t work smoothly, and in my case, I was confused by the message “Mobile app version is too old.”

The issue was resolved by taking out the phone and downloading the latest version of the app from the store, but the process required receiving a text message and going through the approval process. Similar complaints have been reported by other Twitter users.

Additionally, another Twitter user reported that the web version failed to load chat history, leaving a loading flag where the chats should be.

So, while the product is temporarily available, no official press release has been released, and we can assume it’s still in the testing stages.

However, Snapchat has definitely embarked on a very exciting challenge. The very popular mobile-focused SNS has made its functionality available on the web. With so much innovation moving from the web to mobile devices over the past decade, Snapchat’s move in the opposite direction is welcome.

For example, typing on a laptop is easier and faster than typing on a mobile phone. If you want to send a message, it’s easier to type it on your laptop than to pull out your phone, unlock it, and open an app.

I hope Snapchat will fix the current bug as soon as possible. But nevertheless, the web version was launched in a somewhat disappointing state.

（original forbes.com）