Advertisement

Snapchat now creates QR codes for web links

It's a modern spin on old mobile technology.

Remember the days when you were supposed to share websites between phones using QR codes? They're back, but with a modern twist. Snapchat is updating its mobile apps (iOS at first, with Android still in beta) with the ability to create Snapcodes for websites, not just your profile. If you want to share an article or plug your favorite page, your friends only have to capture it to start browsing from within the app.

It's hard to know if this will be rabidly popular among everyday users. If you just want to quickly show friends a site, why not just send the raw link through text chat? However, it might be particularly helpful for businesses. If an extra-trendy brand uses Snapcodes, it can now point you to the web (where it can make ad money) instead of hoping that you'll eventually do more than check out its Snaps. Given that Snapchat is reportedly on the cusp of becoming a publicly-traded company, it has a strong incentive to make site sharing easy.