Snapchat calls its sent pictures and messages “Snaps.” The term is central to the app’s identity: a Snap can contain a photo, video, text, drawings, filters, or other effects, and it can be sent privately or shared through features such as Stories.
The name reflects Snapchat’s original emphasis on disappearing communication. Early Snaps were designed to be viewable for a limited time before disappearing from the recipient’s normal view, although recipients could sometimes save them or capture screenshots. Snapchat later expanded beyond disappearing photos to include persistent chats, public content, video calls, and algorithmic feeds.
A common mix-up is confusing a Snap with a Story. A Snap is usually an individual piece of content sent to selected people, while a Story is a sequence of Snaps posted for friends or a broader audience and traditionally available for 24 hours. “Tweet” belongs to X/Twitter, “post” is a broad social-media term, and “Pin” is associated especially with Pinterest.