Snapchat Launches Topic Chats for Public Discussions

Snap is rolling out a fresh way for Snapchat users to gather around trending topics with the official launch of Topic Chats, which blends public discussion with Snapchat’s familiar chat experience.

Unlike traditional private chats on Snapchat, Topic Chats are public and centered around specific subjects, creators, or places. Over the next few weeks Snapchatters in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand will begin to spot these chats in multiple spots: in the chat shortcuts bar, within search results, on the Stories page, and alongside Spotlight videos.

When a trending topic attracts lots of attention, users may see a bright yellow “Join the Chat” button—tapping it brings them into the corresponding Topic Chat while offering related videos to explore.

Snap says these Topic Chats group together Snaps and conversations around a subject to make it easy and visual to follow what others are saying. You can check if friends have joined a given Topic Chat, which helps you find common interests and also pushes the chats you engage with to the top of your Topic Chat page for easy access.

At the same time Snap is cultivating a safe space: Topic Chats will be moderated to ensure they remain appropriate, and Snapchat display names, not usernames, are shown with messages, keeping more private details hidden from people you don’t know. From a functionality standpoint, users can send text, emojis, Bitmoji stickers, and regular Snapchat stickers in these public chats.

If you decide you want out, you can leave the chat quietly, without announcing your exit, and your past messages will remain visible in the chat history unless you delete them. If you come across a message that violates the community guidelines, you can report it directly by pressing and holding the message.

Snap’s decision to introduce Topic Chats marks a shift for the company. Historically Snapchat has focused on private interactions, but this move embraces the public side of social conversation.