Snapchat first came out in July 2011 as an iOS app called Picaboo ; it was then relaunched under the name Snapchat in September 2011.

Quick Scoop: When Did Snapchat Come Out?

If you’re wondering “when did Snapchat come out?” you’re really asking about two closely linked dates:

  • July 2011 (Picaboo launch on iOS) – the earliest version of the app went live under the original name “Picaboo,” created by Stanford students Evan Spiegel, Reggie Brown, and Bobby Murphy.
  • September 2011 (relaunch as Snapchat) – after branding and co‑founder disputes, the app was renamed and relaunched as Snapchat, the name it’s known by today.

So in casual conversation, people often say Snapchat came out in 2011 , but more precisely: it started in July 2011 and became “Snapchat” in September 2011.

Tiny Timeline (2011 Onward)

  • July 2011 – “Picaboo” photo‑sharing app launches on iOS, focused on disappearing photos.
  • September 2011 – App is rebranded and relaunched as Snapchat, and the company that will become Snap Inc. forms around it.
  • October 2012 – Snapchat launches on Android, expanding beyond iOS users.

You can think of 2011 as the year Snapchat quietly slipped into the App Store, then snowballed into the massive social platform it is now.

Extra Context + “Latest News” Angle

  • Snapchat has evolved far beyond disappearing photos, adding Stories, Discover, Lenses/filters, and Snap Map over the years to keep up with changing social media habits.
  • The app’s core idea of ephemeral, casual sharing still shapes how younger users communicate compared with more permanent feeds like traditional Facebook or Instagram posts.

In forum discussions and “trending topic” threads, people often bring up this 2011 origin story when comparing Snapchat’s longevity to newer apps, or when debating whether Snapchat is still relevant in 2026.

TL;DR: Snapchat came out in July 2011 as Picaboo , then was relaunched as Snapchat in September 2011 and has been evolving ever since.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.