Snapchat launches its first-ever watchOS app
Snapchat has officially launched its first dedicated app for watchOS , finally bringing a selection of its core features to the Apple Watch . For many users, this is a long-awaited update that makes it easier than ever to stay connected without having to constantly reach for your iPhone.
With the new app, you can now preview incoming messages directly on your wrist and respond using several convenient options: typing via the on-screen keyboard, using Scribble to draw letters, dictating your reply, or sending a quick emoji reaction.
🎯 Why Now?
Snap says its goal is to make Snapchat accessible across all the devices people already use every day. While the app has been available on smartphones from day one, Snap has already seen growing usage on tablets and desktop platforms — making wearables like the Apple Watch a natural next step.
This marks a shift from the company’s earlier stance when the Apple Watch first launched back in 2015. At the time, Snap took a cautious approach, preferring to wait and see whether smartwatches would gain widespread adoption before investing in an official app.
⚠️ Early Challenges
As with most new app launches, there are still some early-stage issues. Some users have reported that the watchOS app gets stuck on the loading screen, which may be due to compatibility bugs or backend limitations. Hopefully, Snap will roll out fixes soon to improve stability and user experience.
This rollout also comes shortly after Snap rolled back a controversial redesign of the main Snapchat app. Introduced in September 2024, the three-tab layout was intended to simplify navigation but ended up causing frustration among users — especially in North America, where daily active users dropped significantly. After seven months of backlash, the company reverted to a five-tab interface and is now working on a more refined version.
🤔 What About Android Smartwatches?
For now, Android Wear OS users aren’t getting the same treatment. There’s no official Snapchat app available for Wear OS, and sideloading the full Android app usually leads to a poor or unstable experience. At best, Android smartwatch owners can only receive basic notifications through their phones.
Still, the arrival of Snapchat on Apple Watch represents a meaningful expansion of the app’s ecosystem — and could signal future support for other wearable platforms down the line.