【The Sex Factor Episode 8 Playing With The Pros】

Sick of being forced to use "login with Facebook?The Sex Factor Episode 8 Playing With The Pros" You might soon have an alternative and it could come from a company you'd least expect: Snap.

The historically closed off company is reportedly working on a new developer platform called "SnapKit." It would allow developers to tap into parts of Snapchat for their own services, including a kind of social login that would let users access third-party services using their Snapchat credentials.

SEE ALSO: Never Do These Things on Your Favorite Social Networks

The move, first reported by TechCrunch, would be a significant departure for the company, which up until now has been resistant to letting third-party developers onto its platform.

According to the report, there are a couple of different aspects to the so-called SnapKit platform. There's the social login, akin to Facebook's ubiquitous "login with Facebook" button, which would also incorporate a user's Bitmoji avatar.

But aside from the login tool, Snap is also reportedly working on features that would let developers tap into the app's camera and augmented reality features. With the tool, app developers could rely on Snap's AR camera instead of having to build out their own augmented reality features, which could be a time consuming effort.

It's not clear when all this could launch, but there have been other signs that Snap is looking to build out its relationships with third-party developers. Mashable reported in March that the beta version of the Snapchat app included a new setting for "connected apps."

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The feature didn't give any indication of what apps might be working with Snapchat, but it did indicate that the app would soon have a way to manage other apps that have access to your Snapchat account.

A Snap spokesperson declined to comment on SnapKit. But the move would come at a crucial time for the company, which is facing lackluster user and revenue growth, as well as backlash against its recent redesign.

Those struggles may have motivated Snap to consider working with third-party developers in ways it hasn't in the past. Snap ramped up efforts to push out third-party developers in 2015 after a series of shady apps that purported to help users save the app's ephemeral messages led to security issues. (Snap didn't offer an official API at the time, but enterprising developers were able to reverse engineer one.)

Since then, the company's been much more controlling about which services are allowed to access its platform, even as it's grown a bit more open.

But, faced with increasingly devastating competition from Facebook and a redesign backlash that just won't go away, a developer platform could look much more attractive than it once did. Besides being able to capitalize on public squeamishness on using the "login with Facebook" button in the wake of Cambridge Analytica, it could help boost Snapchat's visibility.

And, if the company does opt to open up its vaunted camera and AR tech to third party developers. it could help juice the app's flagging engagement, too. By giving developers a way to use Snapchat's effects outside of Snapchat, it could reach a whole new set of users it's not currently engaging.

And, if it goes really well, they might just turn into new Snapchat fans, too.

---

Featured Video For You

---

How your favorite TV shows get their props

---

Topics Facebook Snapchat Social Media

• Science
• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Life
• Entertainment
• Social Good
• Shopping
• Games

• Best Hydro Flask deal: Save $10 on a 24
• Does Pixar's 'Elio' have an end
• Upgrade Your Monitor, Not Your GPU
• Is Ray Tracing Worth the FPS Hit? 36 Game Performance Investigation
• The Mismeasure of Media
• Best coffee machine deal: Save over $200 on Philips 4400 Espresso Machine
• Best laptop deal: Get the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 for $200 off at Best Buy
• Is Upscaling Useful at Lower Resolutions? Nvidia DLSS vs Native at 1080p
• What's Thermal Throttling and How to Prevent It
• Don't Buy a GPU Now: Wait for Next

• Want to become a social media celeb? There's a college degree for that
• How I transitioned into the freelance economy–and tripled my income
• Tesla Model S goes a record 560 miles on a single charge, Elon Musk is not impressed
• Sorry, but your favorite childhood toys were way more dangerous than fidget spinners
• Match's new video feature is the future of online dating
• Finally, the world has heard Jared Kushner's voice
• Amazon's Prime Wardrobe will let you try on almost anything for free
• Department of Defense still uses 8
• 'Diablo III' Necromancer add
• 'Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls' takes Kickstarter by storm—again

• Inside the Murky Process of Getting Games on Steam
• Best early Prime Day deal: Take 55% off the DJI Power 1000 portable power station
• Best CPU Deals, AMD vs Intel: Holiday CPU Buying Guide
• Don't Buy a GPU Now: Wait for Next
• New Zealand will ban plastic bags for good
• How to use a Visa gift card on Amazon for Prime Day
• 3D Game Rendering 101
• Best budget TV deal: Save up to $530 on Amazon Omni QLED Fire TVs
• Time to Unite
• CPUs Don't Matter For 4K Gaming... Wrong!

• Against Fear
• A Games List of Only Amazing Hidden Indie Gems and Snubs
• Best fitness tracker deal: Take $50 off the Oura Ring Gen3 at Amazon
• Klarna launches integrated mobile phone plan to its app
• NYT Strands hints, answers for April 23
• Best budget TV deal: Save up to $530 on Amazon Omni QLED Fire TVs
• CF Pachuca vs. RB Salzburg 2025 livestream: Watch Club World Cup for free
• Refurbished Bose 550 Dolby Atmos Soundbar: Just $170
• CPU Price Watch: 9900K Incoming, Ryzen Cuts
• Ever Wonder How the Shazam Algorithm Works?