Snapchat was invented by three Stanford University students: Evan Spiegel, Reggie Brown, and Bobby Murphy, who first launched the app under the name “Picaboo” in July 2011 before renaming it Snapchat a few months later.

Quick Scoop: Who Invented Snapchat?

If you’re wondering who invented Snapchat , the story is a mix of a late–night idea, college friends, and a lot of drama that turned into a multi‑billion‑dollar company.

The Core Answer

  • Snapchat was founded in 2011 by:
    • Evan Spiegel (business/product, later CEO)
* Reggie Brown (original idea for disappearing photos)

* Bobby Murphy (coding and technical backbone)
  • The app started as “Picaboo” in July 2011 and was soon rebranded as Snapchat.

In most headlines, you’ll see Evan Spiegel mentioned as the founder and public face of Snapchat, but legally and historically all three are recognized as co‑founders after later settlements.

Mini Origin Story: From Idea to App

Think of Snapchat’s origin like a short campus movie:
Reggie Brown has the “what if photos disappeared?” idea, Evan Spiegel sees the product potential, and Bobby Murphy turns it into working code.

  • Around 2010–2011 at Stanford, Brown told Spiegel he wanted a photo‑sharing app where pictures disappear after viewing.
  • Spiegel liked the concept and brought in Murphy, who was strong at coding.
  • They built an iOS app called Picaboo and launched it on July 8, 2011.
  • After tweaks and re‑branding, it became Snapchat later in 2011 and began catching on with high‑school and college students.

In early days, usage was tiny—roughly a few thousand daily users by late 2011—but it grew rapidly to hundreds of thousands within months as disappearing photos went viral among younger users.

Co‑Founder Drama: Who Gets Credit?

The question “who invented Snapchat” is also a question of who gets credit. The backstory is a bit messy.

  • Reggie Brown:
    • Credited with the original disappearing‑photo idea.
* Was pushed out early and removed from the company before Snapchat took off.

* Later sued and reportedly settled for about 157 million dollars and official co‑founder status.
  • Evan Spiegel:
    • Became CEO and the main public face of Snapchat and later Snap Inc.
* Often described in media as “Snapchat’s founder,” which simplifies the three‑founder reality.
  • Bobby Murphy:
    • Co‑founder and chief technology officer, responsible for the app’s technical side.

So, if you want to be precise, the safest answer is:

Snapchat was invented and founded by Evan Spiegel, Reggie Brown, and Bobby Murphy, with Brown originating the core disappearing‑photo concept.

Today’s Context and “Latest News”

Snapchat has evolved far beyond a simple disappearing‑photo app, and the founding trio’s work is now tied to a big social media and AR company, Snap Inc.

  • Evan Spiegel is still the CEO and a co‑founder of Snap Inc., steering Snapchat through competition, regulations, and new features like AR lenses and AI tools.
  • In recent earnings and public letters, Spiegel has talked about:
    • Pushing toward around a billion monthly active users.
* Heavier use of AI internally (he’s said roughly 40% of new code is AI‑generated).

* Navigating regulatory pressure around teen usage and safety on the platform.

All of that traces back to that original student project at Stanford in 2011.

Quick FAQ Style Recap

  • Who invented Snapchat?
    Evan Spiegel, Reggie Brown, and Bobby Murphy.
  • Who had the original idea?
    Reggie Brown proposed the disappearing‑photo concept to Evan Spiegel.
  • Who is usually called “the founder” today?
    Evan Spiegel, as CEO and public face, though all three are recognized as co‑founders.
  • When was Snapchat launched?
    First launched as Picaboo on July 8, 2011, then rebranded as Snapchat later in

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