Snapchat is having a moment. Well, it’s had a couple of year long moments and doesn’t look to lose any steam in 2016. We here at Appamatix are fans of Snapchat and always try to stay up with what’s new and bring you all the latest from the popular app. From getting more views to the meanings of the latest batch of emoji, there is always something new for us to write about in the world of Snapchat.
But maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “Meh. I’m kind of over Snapchat.” Perhaps you’re just looking for something new. Or maybe you were not aware that there are any other apps out there like Snapchat. Or perhaps you’re a parent trying to keep abreast of social media trends. I am here to tell you there are other apps out there like Snapchat and some of them are well worth taking a gander. So read on to discover the 6 Best Apps Like Snapchat; you may just find the next and your newest social media, self-destructing photos, messaging app. A.k.a. Time Suck.
We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. — Walt Disney
6 Best Apps Like Snapchat — Snapchat Alternatives
So, you’re thinking about leaving Snapchat? Or you’re just exploring some other options. Maybe your New Year’s resolution was to spend a bit less time on social media. Or maybe you dig the idea of being a first in “the next big thing.” Or maybe you still really like Snapchat, but you want to help foster competition against it, so it will continue to adapt and improve. Whatever your reasons, you’re here searching for something new. Like we said before, we love Snapchat as much as the next guy, but there is such a wealth of fun and interesting apps out there, how could we resist exploration.
You may or may not know that one of the biggest drawbacks to Snapchat is that despite originally touting deletion, the photos do not actually disappear. Back in 2014, there was a big hullabaloo about it, and now Snapchat has options to replay videos, view Snaps again, and sends out notifications to users when a Snap has been screenshot or saved. Photos are deleted from Snapchat’s server once they’re opened. But are they really gone? It’s hard to know. So, that’s great that there’s more transparency, but listen, if privacy is a concern of yours (which it probably is if you’re even using Snapchat in the first place), Snapchat may not be the app for you.
You’ll find below our top picks for similarly themed apps who offer different features and in some cases better security. So here they are, in no particular order, except that the first two are available for not only iOS and Android, but also Windows! (We have a soft spot for Windows and try to throw Windows users some love every chance we get). Without any further ado, here are some promising Snapchat alternatives that are out there:
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Cyber Dust
Cyber Dust is a great alternative to Snapchat! Very similar messaging features but with Cyber Dust, you can rest assured that your stuff really is gone once deleted because according to the website, “your messages are protected from screenshots… and never touch a hard drive – not even our own.” Cyber Dust is available in fifteen different languages and is used the world over. We’ll admit that sending “a Dust” is not quite as catchy (or appealing, I mean, c’mon, crop dusting immediately comes to mind) as taking a “Snap” but look past the trendy lingo and you are in store for a really wonderful app. But one term I do dig is “sending a Blast,” because it just makes sense — sending one thing out to all your followers. Cyber Dust has a much more streamlined and appealing interface than Snapchat, in my opinion. Cyber Dust might just be the professional and more adult (not like adult films, cheeky), rather grown up answer to Snapchat. Oh! And did we mention, it’s FREE?! It is. It’s free.
To check out Cyber Dust’s website, click here. To download Cyber Dust for Windows phone, click here. For Android users, click here. For iOS, click here.
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Wickr
You may have already heard of Wickr. It’s usually at the top of such lists. Wickr is generally believed to be the most secure of the self-deleting messages platforms. Bonus! Wickr is available for your desktop!!! And not just Windows and OS X, but also Linux! You know — the third party of Operating Systems. What I’m not too sure about is the name. Why would somebody name their messaging app after a material used for making baskets? It’s like that scene in Breakfast of Champions when Kilgore Trout discovers a shipping company named Pyramid — they named their mobility based property after something famously large and immobile. He’s told the owners must have just liked the sound of it, which leads him to speculate about a future where the government has to come up with more and more ugly words because the language is devolving into beautiful meaninglessness.
That has nothing to do with anything, and I should delete it. But if I had written this in Wickr, I wouldn’t have to!
Click here to visit Wickr’s website. To download Wickr for Android devices, click here. And for iOS, click here.
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Telegram
We’ve written about Telegram before as a great alternative to Skype. It’s an all around great messaging app. One thing that really stands out about this one is that this is one of those handful of messaging clients that recognizes you don’t always want to be on your phone at all times for the rest of your life, so there’s actually a desktop version. Whereas you need to do some clumsy workarounds in order to check your Snapchat online, or else resort to emulation or sketchy third party apps, it’s all native out of the box for Telegram.
Of course, if you look at the other entries on this list, you’ll see that more and more of these apps are also sporting desktop versions. I hope this becomes more of a standard in the app world. Therefore, I wouldn’t be too surprised if the desktop ports of apps like these eventually drive the mobile market towards wider cross-platforming.
Click here for Telegram’s website. For the Google Play store, click here. For the App Store, click here.
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Clipchat
Clipchat recognizes just exactly what brings users to Snapchat, and attempts to improve on it primarily by improving on the user interface. The UI is a bit more intuitive here than in Snapchat. Also, instead of just sending the picture, it will send a blurred version that users have to actively engage with in order to un-blur. This sort of activity theoretically reduces the window in which a receiving user can take a screen cap of what you’ve sent them.
To read more on Clipchat, visit their website here. To download for iOS, click here. For Android, click here.
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Burn Note
Here’s another app that has a desktop version. It also has a pretty interesting and elegant means of sidestepping the classic screen-shot program that has become endemic with these self deleting messengers these days: When you send a message in Burn Note, your audience will receive a few black bars instead of text. They have to “spotlight” these bars by swiping their finger or mouse cursor over it. Since one hand has to be engaged with aiming the spotlight, it makes it a lot harder to execute a screen shot. And even if they can manage it (say, with the help of some friends), the screen shot isn’t going to get the whole message, but just the two or three words that were visible at that time. Full-proof? No. But a little extra security never hurts.
Click here to visit Burn Note’s website. And to download Burn Note for Android devices, click here. For iOS, click here.
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Slinger
I also just wanted to take a moment to throw out the name of a new(ish) fun vertical video sharing app that might give Snapchat a run for its money in the videos department. As far as interface goes, it’s pretty straightforward, nothing terribly special. But Slinger has some really nice features specifically for editing and publishing your vertical videos. For now, until Slinger gains some more momentum, it’s a great app to use in conjunction with your Snapchat. Unfortunately, Slinger is only available for iPhone users. But it is free, so it’s got that goin’ for it.
To check out Slinger, click here. To download Slinger from the App Store, click here.
And for those of you who have heard about a little app called Slingshot and were wondering why it wasn’t included on our list, well it’s no longer a thing, unfortunately. It is hard out there in app world, and Slingshot has gone the way of the dodo bird and my will to put on pants on any given Saturday morning.
And what about you, dear Reader? Are you done with Snapchat? Still love it? Have you tried any of the alternatives on our list? Are there other apps out there like Snapchat that you can recommend to us and your fellow readers? Please feel free to comment below and share this article if you liked it.
