Snapchat Mocks Instagram Copycats With Reals Feature
▼ Summary
– Snap announced an April Fools’ Day joke, temporarily renaming its Spotlight video feed to “Reals.”
– The announcement featured CEO Evan Spiegel describing “Reals” as a place for authentic, real moments.
– Spiegel used the video to remind users that Snapchat originated the ephemeral Stories format.
– The author believes the name change is a joke, citing the day and the excessive puns in the video.
– Despite the likely prank, the feed name had already switched to “Reals” in the iOS app at the time of writing.
On April 1, Snapchat launched a pointed April Fools’ joke, temporarily rebranding its Spotlight short-form video feed to “Reals.” The move is a thinly veiled jab at competitors, particularly Instagram, which has a similar feature called Reels. In a promotional video, CEO Evan Spiegel described the new “Reals” as a space where “real people share real moments. Really,” emphasizing the platform’s focus on authenticity.
Spiegel used the opportunity to remind users of Snapchat’s pioneering role in popularizing the ephemeral Stories format, a feature later adopted by Instagram and others. He stated that the platform has long been used for genuine self-expression and connection, which is what makes it special. The implication is clear: while others copy, Snapchat innovates. It’s worth noting that Spotlight itself arrived after the rise of TikTok and Instagram’s short video feeds, but the company’s history with Stories gives it a claim to foundational social media trends.
The satirical rename is loaded with puns and appears to be a one-day stunt, though the change was live in the iOS app at the time of reporting. The playful announcement underscores the ongoing, often tense, rivalry in the social media landscape where feature imitation is common. By calling its feature “Reals,” Snapchat is directly mocking the naming conventions of its competitors while reinforcing its own brand identity around real, unfiltered sharing.
(Source: The Verge)
