Snapchat‘s new Custom Stories feature is going to be a huge hit at parties.
In an attempt to stay one step ahead of Instagram Stories, Snapchat created a way of collaborating with friends on the app. Now you’ll be able to invite friends to your Stories, giving them the opportunity to add their own experience and distinct flair to the story before pushing it live. (Custom Stories will still disappear after the normal 24-hour time period.) It’s the latest in a long line of Snapchat features—Snapchat Scissors, Snapchat Loop and a magic eraser—ensuring we stay as addicted as ever to the service.
Here are a few simple steps on how to create a Custom Story for the next big event on your calendar.
How to make a Custom Snapchat Story
1) Take a snap
Just like you would any other snap, the first step for creating a new story is to take a nice selfie or a snap of whatever you’re doing.
2) Tap “Create A Story”
Once you take your snap, tap “+ CREATE STORY” at the top-left corner of your story section. This will bring you to a new window to customize your new story.
3) Name your new story
Give your story a unique name that will reflect the content you and your friends will be adding to the Story. Essentially, these personalized stories will be treated just like public stories for your city or a local event, except you will be able to decide who can view it.
My Story name above (“Memorial Weekend!”) is clearly not unique, but holiday weekends are always a great excuse to create a personalized story. Cookouts, pools and drunk selfies: It’s perfect for Snapchat.
4) Add friends to the Story
Once you create a name, you can the friends you want to be included in the experience. The step for adding friends is the same for choosing who can view your custom story. Note: All of the contributors to the story will also be able to view it (for obvious reasons).
If you want to let someone or a group of people add or view the story but you don’t have their username, you can utilize the geofence toggle that will make the story and capabilities appear when inside the designated area.
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5) Create and build your story
When you are done adding friends and configuring the geofence, tap “CREATE STORY” and the story will be published for use. The Story will appear under your “STORIES” section.
If a friend or two slipped your mind or you want to change who can view it, you can go back into the story by tapping the settings wheel next to the story on your Stories feed.
You can add as many snaps as you want to the stories, but you can only create up to three Custom Stories at one time. There’s an easy way around that limit, though. Just ask a friend to create another Custom Story and add you as a member.
