Snapchat will let users pay to replay Snaps

Brett Molina | news

Those disappearing Snaps on red-hot messaging app Snapchat won't vanish as quickly because of a new paid feature rolled out Tuesday.

Snapchat announced it will allow users to purchase Replays of any Snap they receive. For $1, users will be able to replay a Snap up to three times. There is one caveat: You can only buy a Replay on a specific Snap once. So, drop the idea of purchasing several Replays and watching a Snap repeatedly.

The feature marks a major shift for Snapchat, which launched on the premise of letting users send messages that disappear after a few seconds. The app has spawned a series of related services dedicated to letting users hold on to Snaps on a permanent basis.

Earlier this year, Snapchat introduced the Discover feature, which lets media outlets create their own channels with content aimed at users of the messaging service. They also rolled out "tap to view" controls in July, dropping a "tap and hold" option available since its launch for watching Snaps.

Snapchat is seeking more ways to generate revenue as its valuation skyrockets. The company started rolling out ads on the app last year. According to a Bloomberg report from July, Snapchat was in talks with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba on a funding round that would value the company at $10 billion.

Snapchat is also adding new Lenses to spruce up user selfies.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.