Key findings
- Snapchat now offers native iPad support in portrait mode for full-screen use
- Despite the update, Snapchat on the iPad lacks support for landscape mode
- The update also lacks multi-device support, allowing you to opt out of other devices.
The latest update of the Snapchat-App has finally added native support for the iPad after more than a decade. Snapchat is available on the iPhone since 2011, but in all this time there has never been official iPad support.
It was possible to run the iPhone app on an iPad, but not in full screen mode; the iPhone app appears with large black borders on either side. With the new version of Snapchat, you can now use Snapchat in full screen mode on your iPad, but only in Portrait format. It is currently not possible to use Snapchat in landscape mode on an iPad.
Snapchat now supports full-screen iPads in portrait mode
Finally you can use the entire iPad screen
Until now, there were no real advantages to using the Snapchat app on the iPad. You got a larger version of the iPhone app with thick black bars on either side. Everything was a little bigger, but you could get the same effect just by holding the iPhone closer to your face.
However, the new update makes the experience on the iPad a little different than on the iPhone. The release notes in the App Store for version 13.4.0.41 is:
Snapchat now has native support for the iPad! This means Snapchat fills the entire screen of an iPad, giving you a bigger canvas when taking Snaps and allowing you to see more friends in the second and fourth tabs.
It’s still the same Snapchat you know and love, but this time on the big screen.
This makes the new update sound very impressive, but ultimately the only difference is that the app now fits the dimensions of the iPad screen instead of sticking to the iPhone’s narrower aspect ratio. The line about seeing more friends on the 2nd and 4th tabs simply means that on the Chat screen And Story screen The larger display allows you to see more of your friends on the screen.
On the iPhone’s Stories screen, you can see four icons at the top of the screen under Friends. On the iPad, there are seven. The same goes for the Chat screen, with the iPad app able to display more icons on a single screen than the 10 visible on the iPhone app.
For example on the Story screenon the iPhone you will see four icons under Friends at the top of the screen. On the iPad, seven are visible. The same applies to the Chat screenwith the iPad app being able to display more icons on a screen than the 10 visible on the iPhone app. The iPad app is also able to display more stories on a page, in rows of three rather than rows of two like on the iPhone.
On the Lens screen the extra width of the iPad’s display means that the tools for editing, like adding stickers, text or music, appear on the sides of the screen, leaving the image itself free for you to make your edits. Otherwise, the experience of using Snapchat on the iPad is pretty much the same.
iPad support is far from perfect
Hopefully more updates will come
It took a long time for the Snapchat app to offer iPad support, and while it’s a marked improvement over using the iPhone app on the iPad, it’s not without its flaws. One of the biggest is that the Snapchat app can only be used in portrait mode. With most iPad apps, when you turn your device on its side, the app rotates with you, allowing you to use the app in a wider configuration.
However, this is currently not possible with the Snapchat app as it only uses portrait mode. When you rotate your iPad, the app screen rotates with you, meaning your app is now on its side. This is not ideal, especially for those who use their iPad in landscape mode with a Magic Keyboard .
When you rotate your iPad, the screen rotates with it, meaning your app is now on its side. This isn’t ideal, especially for those who want to use their iPad in landscape mode with a Magic Keyboard.
Additionally, there’s no multi-device support either. Users have reported that when they log into Snapchat on their iPad, they’ll find that they’re logged out of Snapchat on their iPhone. This means you can’t quickly switch between devices without having to log back in each time you switch.
Hopefully these issues can be fixed in future updates, but for now, at least you can finally use Snapchat in full screen mode on your iPad.
