Snapchat is experimenting with an events feature of its own

Snapchat is working on integrating support for events into its service in an apparent attempt to compete with similar functionality offered by Facebook. The unannounced feature was spotted in Snapchat's code by Jane Manchun Wong, an app researcher with a solid track record for uncovering new social media features before they're officially announced.

It's currently unclear exactly how Snapchat's event feature would work if it's ever released but a screenshot posted by Wong shows how its interface looks. When you create an event, you can assign it a time and a place. Swiping up on an invite allows recipients to join a group chat for the event. There's no word on whether the feature can be used to make public events or if it will only support private events between you and your immediate Snapchat friends.

The feature allows you to assign events to specific locations, so it seems plausible that they will integrate with Snapchat's Snap Map. Last year, Snap Map was updated to show you what your friends are up to based on their location. Combined with the unannounced event feature, it seems likely that you would be able to see relevant events, along with which of your friends are attending. However, with the feature so early in development, it's impossible to know exactly what Snap has planned for it. We've contacted Snap for more details about the new feature, and we will update this piece if we get a response.

Events are a staple of Snapchat's competitor Facebook, and while it might seem unfair that Snapchat is copying such a major feature, Facebook and Instagram have done the same to Snapchat on multiple occasions. Back in 2016, Facebook Messenger copied Snapchat's filters, and that same year, Instagram copied its Stories with huge success. Honestly, it's about time Snapchat stole a feature back in response.