Snapchat launches Lens Challenges akin to TikTok, Instagram

Challenges on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram dominate the way people participate in online trends, and now Snapchat is trying to get in on the action with Lens Challenges.

Lens Challenges are exactly what they sound like: themed challenges that incorporate a special Snapchat Lens, which can then be featured for the app’s community. The first challenge, which launches today, is tied into the holiday season. Snapchat users can select a specific Lens that will allow them to sing a version of “Jingle Bells” performed by Gwen Stefani.

Snapchat may be the latest company to jump on offering official challenges for users to participate in, but it’s in no way the first. TikTok, an app owned by Chinese company Bytedance, has perfected using challenges and promoting trends as a way to keep users engaged. TikTok even highlighted some of the app’s biggest challenges in its year-end roundup, shouting out individual creators who amassed some of the highest views.

YouTube is another platform that finds many of its users participating in viral trends, with challenge videos often collecting hundreds of thousands or millions of views. Often, challenges from TikTok and Instagram end up on YouTube — including the “In My Feelings” challenge, where people performed a dance to Drake’s song, and the Zoom challenge, where users sat on a floor in front of a camera and were pulled out of a frame while pretending to put on a seatbelt.

For those looking to try their hand at participating in Snapchat challenges, open the app’s Lens Carousel. Tap the smiley icon in order to access Lens Explorer, and then choose the “Jingle Bells” challenge option. Once you have a take you’re satisfied with, send your Snap to the Gwen Stefani Challenge story.