Is Yubo connected to Snapchat?

Is Yubo connected to Snapchat?

Despite both logos being yellow, Yubo is not affiliated with Snapchat and is its own live social discovery app for Gen Z. However, Yubo does have a partnership with Snapchat revolving around the Snapchat Camera Kit.

Snapchat’s Camera Kit

If you have spent time on the livestreaming section of Yubo, you might have noticed camera filters similar to ones on Snapchat. Again, Yubo is not connected to Snapchat, it just utilizes Snapchat’s Camera Kit – which is an AR tool that Snapchat provides for platforms to use! It allows platforms and creators to use Snapchat’s filter system and features in other apps. Snapchat is the social media hub of face filters - from ones that put fun little butterflies on your cheeks, to ones that completely warp your face. Snapchat filters have even begun dipping into augmented reality and filter-based games! Snapchat also has an open filter system, where practically anyone can create custom filters and upload them to Snapchat for others to use. Since Snapchat has become the mecca for face mobile app filters, they decided to share their technology through a Camera Kit. Livestreaming is a large part of how users interact on Yubo so it made sense to naturally integrate filters to make Lives more fun and comfortable. Instead of working from the ground up, Yubo partnered with Snapchat to use its already amazing technology to spice up livestreams with fun filters. That is why you will notice a small watermark that says “powered by Snapchat” when using them. In addition to the Camera Kit lenses, Yubo also creates its own filters and game filters to be used exclusively in the Yubo app! 

In fact, Yubo just debuted its first filter-based game, Pixel Muncher! In this game, Pixels, which are Yubo’s in-app digital collectables, fall from the sky, but so do spiked wrecking balls. The goal is to catch as many Pixels as you can without catching the wrecking balls. Players will also notice three hearts at the top of the screen, every time a player accidentally eats a wrecking ball, they lose a heart. If the player eats three wrecking balls, the game ends and shows them their score. After the player catches a certain amount of Pixels, the game gets faster and speeds up the rate at which they fall. Just like any other filter in the Yubo app, multiple people can play Pixel muncher at the same time. So don’t be surprised if you see a live with ten people on stage playing Pixel Muncher to see who gets the highest score.

Why did Yubo add filters?

Yubo added face filters to its livestreaming feature for two reasons. The first reason is simple: it's fun. With tons of filters for users to choose from there are endless livestreaming possibilities. Lives can be themed where everyone on camera is an alien or a Dorito chip - we don’t judge. Users are always trying to find new and funny filters to show their friends. The second reason is to help take the edge off of social anxiety. Some people are shy and don’t want to fully expose their face on camera, but still want to interact beyond being camera off. This is where filters can really help bridge that gap and make users more comfortable. With filters they can more confidently interact on screen with other users. Maybe all they need is a subtle filter that adds butterflies or flames to their cheeks, maybe they like using the Yubo-favored “big mouth” filter. Or perhaps they only want their eyes and mouth to be visible, so they lean towards the alien, sloth, or even banana filter.

Social Social Media

Yubo is one of the few social media platforms that is actually “social”. When you think of social media, many platforms involve scrolling through carefully curated feeds or highly-edited content. While this format of course offers value in its own way, it tends to encourage more passive engagement and lead to parasocial relationships. Instead, Yubo focuses on creating an environment that allows for authentic interactions. Yubo users have the chance to talk with others in real time through Yubo’s signature livestreaming feature or share direct messages with others as well. 

Ultimately, Yubo saw the need to help create new connections, not just give them the tools to stay connected to people they already knew. While implementing filters might seem like a small step towards that goal or even an industry standard at this point, it is largely important to ensure every user has the tools they need to form new connections. Yubo is a stand alone app with industry leading safety technology and 60M users across the world. Yubo strives to be the leading live social discovery app for Gen Z and will continue to create genuine connections online.