Snapchat is making its Live Stories more interactive.
The company is adding a new feature to the live video section of its app that allows users to get deeper into stories they want to see more about. The feature (which is called “Story Explorer”) will offer users a closer look at significant events in specific city as they happen, via the city’s Live Story. Currently, Snapchat is releasing the feature out to New York City and Los Angeles at first, but says it will make more cities available soon.
When browsing a Live Story for either city, you’ll see a new “Explore” tab at the bottom of certain Snaps. Swipe up and you’ll be able to see more Snaps about the same event. Snapchat states that the goal is to allow users to see breaking news and other important moments from more perspectives.
“It’s the first time you’ll be able to experience that incredible game-winning dunk from thousands of perspectives throughout the stadium — or feel like you’re right there on the scene when breaking news unfolds,” the company wrote in a blog post announcing the feature.
The move is just the latest way the company has tweaked its stories feature. Last week, the company introduced “official stories,” a form of verified accounts for some of the app’s celebrity users.
But Story Explorer go a long way toward making Snapchat more valuable as a news source, while making the ad space within Live Stories more valuable.
The company introduced live stories in 2014, and the feature has quickly become one of the most popular of the app. A single story, which is live on the app for 24 hours, could be worth as much as $400,000 in other ad form.