Major Snapchat update adds Paperclip web browser, backdrops and voice filters

You can now share links and visit websites through the image-sharing app

Backdrops let you turn anything or anyone into the centrepiece of your snap

The latest Snapchat update has introduced three major new features to users.

The app now lets you send links to your friends, through something called Paperclip.

Once you’ve captured a picture or recorded a clip, you’ll see a new paperclip icon in the vertical toolkit.

After tapping it, you’ll be able to enter a url of your choice – a link to an event, for instance – and attach it to your snap.

Whoever you send it to will be able to see a preview of the link at the bottom of their screen and open it within Snapchat’s own browser with an upwards swipe.

All links shared through Paperclip have to abide by Snapchat’s terms of service, community guidelines and privacy policy, reports TechCrunch, and the company says it will warn users about potential phishing scams, malware and inappropriate content.

Backdrop, meanwhile, lets you turn anyone or anything into the centrepiece of your snap, by overlaying a pattern on the background of a shot.

Once you’ve taken a picture, you can tap the scissors icon and select the Backdrops option from the vertical toolkit.

After you choose your design, which change on a daily basis, trace around the subject that you want to stand loud and proud in front of the backdrop.

Finally, there are new voice filters that are, for the first time, completely independent of Snapchat’s lenses.

After you record a snap, tap the speaker icon in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen and choose from the voice filter options that pop up, such as alien or robot.