You can pay to put a virtual house on the Snapchat map

Snapchat Plus subscribers are getting a new feature which allows you to design your own virtual home to display on Snap Map. You can view your home at any time by visiting the map, as can anyone you share your location with.

Your customization options range from drab shacks to extravagant multi-story residences and castles. Essentially, it allows you to showcase your location with a more inviting appearance than the gray, lifeless cuboid structures that typically populate the map. There’s not much other use for it at the moment other than giving Snapchat Plus members something extra to justify yet another social media subscription in their monthly budget.

But maybe it’s a transition to something more? I’m imagining an AR experience à la Pokémon Goexcept it’s more Cross between animals It is You can play interior decorator and invite your friends over for a quick furniture flex or Snap viewing party. (Perhaps it’s best that I’m not responsible for these decisions.) At the very least, it’s a more amusing sign of your social opulence than a blue checkmark.

Premium Snapchatters will also soon see their pets follow their Bitmoji as they type in chats, as well as the ability to post bite-sized Snaps that expire in fractions of a second (down to 0.10 seconds). All users will receive a “mirror” that allows you to see yourself using your phone’s selfie camera while customizing a Bitmoji. New AI lenses are also coming, including one that reimagines you as a five-year-old – which could actually be useful for someone who doesn’t have photos of themselves as a child for whatever unfortunate reason.