How Snapchat Stories Advance with a Tap
This patent describes how an electronic device can quickly show a series of short-lived messages, deleting the current one and showing the next in response to a simple screen tap.
Original patent title: “Apparatus and method for accelerated display of ephemeral messages”
This patent describes how an electronic device can quickly show a series of short-lived messages, deleting the current one and showing the next in response to a simple screen tap. Granted to Snapchat Inc in 2014 with 11 claims and 176 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2033.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent covers a system where an electronic device displays a series of 'ephemeral messages' (messages that disappear). Each message appears for a specific, short 'transitory period of time' set by a timer. If a user makes a 'haptic contact' (touches the screen) during this period, the system immediately deletes the current message and automatically displays the next message in the series, starting its own timer (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). For example, when viewing a friend's Snapchat Story, tapping the screen quickly moves you to the next photo or video in their story.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover messages that remain visible indefinitely unless manually dismissed, as all messages are deleted when their 'transitory period of time' expires (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
- Does not cover systems where a user gesture only dismisses a message without automatically presenting the next one in a set (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1 requires 'deletes... and proceeds to present... a second ephemeral message').
- Does not cover messages that are deleted solely by a timer, without any user interaction accelerating their deletion or advancing to the next message (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1 specifies deletion 'in response to the haptic contact signal').
- Does not cover systems where the display of the next message requires a separate, explicit action beyond the gesture that deleted the previous message (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1 links deletion and progression directly).
- Does not cover messages that are not part of a 'set of ephemeral messages available for viewing' (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1).
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in linking a simple user gesture, such as a tap, directly to the immediate deletion of the current temporary message and the automatic display of the next one. This allows for seamless, accelerated viewing of a sequence of short-lived content.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Snapchat Stories
Instagram Stories
Facebook Stories
WhatsApp Status
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent describes the core interaction model for consuming 'Stories' content, a format popularized by Snapchat. This method of rapid, sequential content consumption became a defining feature for the platform, influencing how users interact with short-form media. It enabled a new, fast-paced way for users to share and view daily updates from friends.
Filed
August 22, 2013
Granted
December 16, 2014
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Snap Inc., the original assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, continues to build on this technology with its Snapchat application. Other major technology companies like Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp) have adopted similar 'Stories' formats, indicating the widespread influence of this interaction model.
Market impact
This patent helped define a new paradigm for consuming short-form, temporary content, particularly in social media. It enabled the 'Stories' format to become a dominant feature across multiple platforms, creating a new category of content consumption that emphasizes immediacy and rapid progression. This interaction model significantly impacted user engagement patterns and content creation strategies in the social networking space.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent covers a system where an electronic device displays a series of 'ephemeral messages' (messages that disappear). Each message appears for a specific, short 'transitory period of time' set by a timer. If a user makes a 'haptic contact' (touches the screen) during this period, the system immediately deletes the current message and automatically displays the next message in the series, starting its own timer (Claim 1). For example, when viewing a friend's Snapchat Story, tapping the screen quickly moves you to the next photo or video in their story.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in linking a simple user gesture, such as a tap, directly to the immediate deletion of the current temporary message and the automatic display of the next one. This allows for seamless, accelerated viewing of a sequence of short-lived content.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover messages that remain visible indefinitely unless manually dismissed, as all messages are deleted when their 'transitory period of time' expires (Claim 1).
- Does not cover systems where a user gesture only dismisses a message without automatically presenting the next one in a set (Claim 1 requires 'deletes... and proceeds to present... a second ephemeral message').
- Does not cover messages that are deleted solely by a timer, without any user interaction accelerating their deletion or advancing to the next message (Claim 1 specifies deletion 'in response to the haptic contact signal').
- Does not cover systems where the display of the next message requires a separate, explicit action beyond the gesture that deleted the previous message (Claim 1 links deletion and progression directly).
- Does not cover messages that are not part of a 'set of ephemeral messages available for viewing' (Claim 1).
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
7/20
Moderate scope
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$420K – $1.3M
Midpoint $840K · 7.1 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
11 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Spiegel, E. (2014). How Snapchat Stories Advance with a Tap (U.S. Patent No. 8,914,752). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8914752/apparatus-and-method-for-accelerated-display-of-ephemeral-messages
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Snapchat Stories Advance with a Tap cover?
This patent describes how an electronic device can quickly show a series of short-lived messages, deleting the current one and showing the next in response to a simple screen tap.
Who owns patent US 8914752?
Snapchat Inc owns this patent, granted in 2014.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on August 22, 2033, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 8914752 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 176 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent describes the core interaction model for consuming 'Stories' content, a format popularized by Snapchat. This method of rapid, sequential content consumption became a defining feature for the platform, influencing how users interact with short-form media. It enabled a new, fast-paced way for users to share and view daily updates from friends.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover messages that remain visible indefinitely unless manually dismissed, as all messages are deleted when their 'transitory period of time' expires (Claim 1).
Same assignee
More from Snapchat Inc
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