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After primarily focusing on private conversations since its founding, Snapchat is embracing public conversations with a new \u201cTopic Chats\u201d feature. The social network says<\/a> the feature lets users chat about what\u2019s happening in the world and across various communities, from Formula 1 to the reality TV show \u201cBelow Deck.\u201d<\/p>\n Profiles will remain private to anyone you\u2019re not friends with, helping prevent unwanted friend requests or direct messages, Snapchat says. While a user\u2019s display name will be visible next to their message, others won\u2019t be able to tap through to their profile from a Topic Chat, the company told TechCrunch in an email. And unlike usernames, display names can\u2019t be used to search for someone.<\/p>\n Snapchat told TechCrunch that it will use LLM technology and other safety measures to moderate Topic Chats to keep them safe and appropriate. Additionally, messages must adhere to Snapchat\u2019s Community Guidelines, and users can report inappropriate messages. The company says it will take action against users who violate its policies, including warning users and blocking accounts.<\/p>\n Users will be able to see which Topic Chats their friends have joined, which the company says will make it easier for people to find common interests with others.<\/p>\n In addition to messages, Topic Chats will also surface related Spotlight videos, which are the app\u2019s TikTok-like short-form videos. <\/p>\n Up until now, the only place for public conversations on Snapchat was in Spotlight comments. Snapchat says it was inspired to launch Topic Chats after seeing how its community interacts in public comments, as it wanted to give users a new way to have these conversations. <\/p>\n \u201cSnapchatters create billions of Snaps every day, sharing moments with friends and family, and as we\u2019ve expanded services like Spotlight, we\u2019ve also found that the Snapchat community loves commenting publicly about trending topics and events,\u201d the company wrote in a blog post<\/a>. <\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco<\/span> Users in Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S. will start seeing Topic Chats appear across Snapchat over the coming weeks in Chat shortcuts, in search, in the Stories page, and on Spotlight videos. If you see a big yellow button on a Story or Spotlight that says \u201cJoin the Chat,\u201d you can click on it to enter a chatroom.<\/p>\n Snapchat says messages sent in Topic Chats will be retained for up to five years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n