Will Smith hosts original Snapchat series from home

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Like many celebrities, Will Smith is turning to social media to express himself while he self isolates. He partnered with Snapchat for a 12-episode original series called Will From Home. He will be connecting with friends, family, and celebrity guests who are staying at home as well. The first guest was model and TV personality, Tyra Banks. New episodes will appear on the social network on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

According to Sean Mills, Snapchat's head of original content, the show came about after discussions between the company and Smith's production company, Westbrook Media, discussed how the constraints of the global shutdown give way for "new forms of creativity and new ways to tell stories." And while Snapchat is stepping up with more content related to COVID-19 updates, the social network finds an uptick of interest in entertainment-related content. Smith's new show fits right into this category.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Snapchat introduces its mental health-related feature earlier than expected due to COVID-19

Snap Inc. is hoping to somewhat help during this global COVID-19 pandemic by offering its Here For You feature earlier than its intended release. Announced earlier this year to mark Safer Internet Day, Snapchat's Here For You function is designed to direct users to mental health-related resources. In a company blog post released in February, it was supposed to roll out "in the coming months" to "show safety resources from local experts when Snapchatters search for certain topics, including those related to anxiety, depression, stress, grief, suicidal thoughts, and bullying." 

But with the toll that the novel coronavirus has taken on both our physical and mental health, Snap Inc. has opted to release the feature earlier than its intended April release date. So, Snapchat users who search for the terms "coronavirus" and "COVID-19" should surface important and verified information from partners like "the Ad Council, World Health Organization, the CDC, Crisis Text Line, NHS, and other partners who are creating content on anxiety specifically related to coronavirus." According to an email to Mashable, the feature is expected to roll out next week. 

Customize your Bitmoji's avatar with the new 'Mix and Match' feature

It's now easier to customize your Bitmoji to a look that you want with the app's new Mix and Match feature. You can now select each piece of clothing with different styles and colours for tops, bottoms, footwear, outerwear, and even socks. If you find an outfit you like, you can save it to your closet to wear again. You will need the latest version of the app to get the feature. It's also available through Snapchat.

Once you download or update the app, you can access Mix and Match by tapping on the fashion icon to open the Avatar Designer. The bottom navigation will show new icons for each clothing item. On Snapchat, the feature is accessible through your profile. Head to the Bitmoji option and select Change Outfit. The app is available on both iOS and Android.

Source: MobileSyrup

Spotify finally lets you share music on Snapchat

Long since its competition (like Instagram) got the feature, Spotify finally lets you share the music you listen to directly to Snapchat. If you have Snapchat and Spotify in the same device, Snapchat will now be an option you'll see in Spotify's share menu. The app will automatically create a snap with the song info and album art. Just like with Instagram, you can send this to individual Snapchat friends or have it posted on your story. You can share songs, albums, playlists, or podcasts. Now, if you get a Spotify share on Snapchat, you can swipe up to start listening to the song sent to you.

Source: The Verge