SnapchatSnapchat is looking to build its own "internal app store" of gaming titles, according to a new report out today from The Information.

The platform is set for a tentative launch sometime this fall, and will allow outside developers to build games that Snapchat then distributes for users to play within the Snapchat app.

People familiar with the company's plans claim that Snapchat has already lined up one gaming publisher to make a new game for Snapchat's app store.

Unless every game is completely free, it's unclear how the company plans to succeed when Apple has strict App Store guidelines that prevent companies from selling apps, games, and other content in their apps that aren't designated in-app purchases.

The company is preparing to launch a platform this fall that will let outside developers create games to be played through the Snapchat app, according to two people familiar with the matter.

It is relying on outside developers to build the games that could be downloaded in an internal app-store of titles. The gaming platform has been in the works for at least a year as the company has worked on the platform’s technology, according to a person familiar with the effort.

Recently, Valve had trouble with Apple's policies in this regard, after trying to get its Steam Link app on the App Store, which would have let users purchase games within the app. After Apple rejected the app, Valve removed game purchasing as an option from Steam Link and has resubmitted it for approval to Apple. Now, when users see a game in the app Valve points them toward a Mac or PC as places to make their purchases.

For Snapchat, the deeper foray into gaming is believed to be an attempt to further distance itself from rival Instagram, which has copied a few of its features over the years and eventually became more successful than Snapchat in regards to the 24-hour "stories" feature. However, one source reportedly suggested that the gaming platform is still "more experimental" at this point than a central business effort by the company.

Earlier this year, the company expressed interest in gaming on a small scale with the launch of "Snappables," Snapchat Lenses that are interactive and let users play AR games with friends. Many social-focused apps have tried out gaming experiences in the past, including Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Apple's own iMessage through the launch of the Messages App Store in iOS 10.

Top Rated Comments

nexu Avatar
91 months ago
Good luck honey
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
91 months ago
Does anyone want this? What are they thinking!?
They're thinking "Let's throw everything into the water to see what floats because this ship is sinking fast."
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hlfway2anywhere Avatar
91 months ago
Does anyone want this? What are they thinking!?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple blogger Avatar
91 months ago
Good luck honey
But Apple doesn’t allow apps to have their own app stores in their apps?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMerik Avatar
91 months ago
I don’t use Snapchat but I hope they successfully challenge Apple’s control of iOS apps.

I was traveling recently and my phone required me to re-enter my iTunes Store (App Store) account password in order to use any of the third party apps that were installed. Firstly, I resent that my purchased apps aren’t available to me unless I have an active connection to the app store.

Now imagine this. I have a strong password for my Apple ID and iTunes Store accounts. It was generated by my password manager, 1Password. It’s not one I can memorize. The rub is, I couldn’t retrieve my store password because 1Password is an app that also requires me to be logged into the app store! Motherf****r! I had to call Apple Support and change my password in order to use my apps. Afterwards, I had to save my password in a Note to avoid this inconvenience, defeating the purpose of a password manager.
Did you have "Offload Unused Apps" enabled and then tried to run one that then needed to be reloaded?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ikir Avatar
91 months ago
I don’t use Snapchat but I hope they successfully challenge Apple’s control of iOS apps.

I was traveling recently and my phone required me to re-enter my iTunes Store (App Store) account password in order to use any of the third party apps that were installed. Firstly, I resent that my purchased apps aren’t available to me unless I have an active connection to the app store.

Now imagine this. I have a strong password for my Apple ID and iTunes Store accounts. It was generated by my password manager, 1Password. It’s not one I can memorize. The rub is, I couldn’t retrieve my store password because 1Password is an app that also requires me to be logged into the app store! Motherf****r! I had to call Apple Support and change my password in order to use my apps. Afterwards, I had to save my password in a Note to avoid this inconvenience, defeating the purpose of a password manager.
Sorry no sense
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses: These 17 U.S. States Offer Them or Will Later

Thursday June 19, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states and Puerto...
ios 26 call holding

iOS 26 Beta is Hiding a New Ringtone — Here's What It Sounds Like

Thursday June 19, 2025 7:25 pm PDT by
Apple is hiding a new ringtone within iOS 26. The new ringtone is an alternative version of the existing Reflection ringtone, which has been the default ringtone since the iPhone X was released in 2017. It was discovered within the code for the first developer beta of iOS 26, but it remains hidden, so you will not find it in the list of ringtones available in the Settings app for now. It...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
iPhone 16 Battery Life Feature

iOS 26's New Battery Life Mode Available Only on These iPhone Models

Saturday June 21, 2025 9:02 am PDT by
Last week, we reported that iOS 26 introduces an opt-in Adaptive Power Mode on the iPhone, alongside the existing Low Power Mode. Apple says that Adaptive Power Mode can make "small performance adjustments" when necessary to extend an iPhone's battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to "take a little longer." The full description of...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Wednesday June 18, 2025 10:24 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a few days after Apple provided the betas to developers. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. When the...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
General Spotify Feature

Spotify Preparing to Launch Long-Awaited Lossless Audio Tier on iPhone

Thursday June 19, 2025 1:46 pm PDT by
Spotify appears to be gearing up to launch its long-awaited lossless music tier. Chris Messina (via TechCrunch) and Spicetify (via The Verge) spotted new lossless references within the code for Spotify's desktop app and web player. With assistance from Aaron Perris, MacRumors has confirmed that the latest beta of the Spotify app for the iPhone also contains new lossless-related code....
Craig Federighi No

John Gruber Reacts to Apple Declining His Interview After His Criticism

Wednesday June 18, 2025 8:10 pm PDT by
Every year between 2015 and 2024, at least one Apple executive agreed to be interviewed by Daring Fireball's John Gruber for a special WWDC episode of his podcast, The Talk Show. Last year, for example, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, marketing chief Greg Joswiak, and top AI researcher John Giannandrea joined Gruber on stage at the California Theatre in San Jose to discuss...
iPhone 17 Base Model Rumored to Come in New Green and Purple Colors Feature

iPhone 17 Base Model Rumored to Come in New Purple and Green Colors

Friday June 20, 2025 7:24 am PDT by
Apple is testing new Purple and Green color options for the iPhone 17 base model, according to new information shared by a leaker known as Majin Bu. In a blog post today, Majin Bu said that only one of the two new colors might make the final cut, with Purple apparently being the more likely choice. The base model iPhone 16 is available in five colors: Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, and...