Snap adds social event planning feature with Snapchat Plans

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-10T14:02:24.309Z • Permanent link

Snap's new feature, Snapchat Plans, has been making headlines in recent days, with many speculating about its implications on the social media landscape. However, according to sources close to the company, Snapchat Plans is not a new subscription service, but rather a set of features designed to encourage users to hang out in person. The brainchild of Snapchat's CEO, Evan Spiegel, and his team, Plans aims to provide users with a more tangible way to connect with friends and like-minded individuals.

One of the key individuals behind Snapchat Plans is Natalia Quiñones, a renowned social psychologist who joined Snapchat in 2020 to lead the company's research and development efforts. Quiñones, who has worked with top brands such as Facebook and Google, has been instrumental in designing the features that make up Snapchat Plans. According to sources, Quiñones drew inspiration from her own experiences as a young adult, where she often found herself feeling disconnected from her friends despite being constantly connected to her phone.

Snapchat Plans is set to launch in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, with plans to expand to other countries in the coming months. The feature is expected to be rolled out across Snapchat's mobile app, with users able to access it through the app's main interface. Users will be able to plan and schedule in-person meetups with friends, family, and colleagues, complete with features such as maps, calendars, and reminders.

The launch of Snapchat Plans has significant implications for the AI & Tech Ecosystems domain, particularly for companies that rely on social media data to inform their marketing strategies. For example, companies such as Facebook and Instagram, which have long relied on social media data to target their ads, may need to rethink their approaches in light of Snapchat Plans' focus on in-person connections. Research communities, such as those focused on social media analytics and user behavior, will also need to adapt their methodologies to account for the new feature.

The impact of Snapchat Plans on the global economy is also worth noting. According to a recent report by the Pew Research Center, social media has become a major driver of economic growth, with online shopping and social media advertising projected to reach $10 trillion by 2025. The launch of Snapchat Plans could potentially disrupt this trend, as users begin to favor in-person connections over online interactions.

Snapchat Plans is not the first attempt to create a social media feature that encourages in-person connections. For example, the popular social media platform, Meetup, has been around since 2002, providing users with a platform to plan and attend in-person meetups. However, Meetup's approach has been limited to a niche user base, with many users preferring to stick to online platforms for socializing. Snapchat Plans, on the other hand, has the potential to reach a much broader audience, thanks to its massive user base and built-in features.