Snapchat launched native support for iPad, as announced in Snap’s latest App Store release notes.

This update comes 13 years after Snapchat’s initial iOS debut in 2011, when it was only available on iPads as an iPhone app with large black borders.

The new iPad-optimized version offers users a full-screen experience, providing a larger canvas for capturing Snaps and displaying more friends on the second and fourth tabs. 

The expansion enhances accessibility and serves as a testing ground for features, allowing users to experiment with tools, AR experiences, and AI on a bigger screen.

Despite the update, the app retains some limitations. Notably, it can only run in portrait mode, not landscape, indicating that full tablet optimization remains a work in progress.

The company has not disclosed the reasons for the timing of the iPad support release or whether it plans to offer iPad-specific features.

The move aligns Snapchat more closely with competitors like TikTok, which released an update last year designed for larger screens, including iPads and tablets. TikTok’s update introduced landscape mode and improved navigation for these devices.

Snapchat’s iPad support could boost engagement with Spotlight, the platform’s TikTok competitor. 

The larger screen also allows users to test Snap AR Lenses experiences comprehensively.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel recently revealed that the company has increased its spending on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

“There was a recognition that we’d fallen behind the curve on the machine learning side, which, to some degree, was reflected in the business performance,” Spiegel stated. 

“We needed to improve there and bring together some of our most senior machine learning folks to talk about what it would look like for us to get to state of the art and invest,” he added.