Snapchat is testing ads in its chat tab. The company announced on Tuesday that users will soon see ‘Sponsored Snaps’ from advertisers right alongside messages from their friends.

“Today, we are excited to begin testing two new advertising placements on Snapchat,” it wrote. 

What are Sponsored Snaps? 

Sponsored Snaps are ads that appear in users’ inboxes. With this feature, advertisers can place visual messages next to user chats. As per the platform, Sponsored Snaps will display “a full-screen vertical video Snap directly to Snapchatters.” 

Users have the option to open the ads if they want to reply or know more about them. They can also choose to ignore them and Snapchat will automatically remove them over time. 

According to Snapchat, Sponsored Snaps will not send notifications to users and they can differentiate sponsored ads from regular messages. Disney will be one of the first advertisers to partner with Snapchat to launch this feature. 

Promoted Places

Snapchat is also rolling out Promoted Places on Snap Map. The platform says that this feature will enable users to discover new spots to visit. The launch partners for this feature include popular fast-food chains McDonald’s and Taco Bell.

In September, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel shared that the will focus on its advertising business following a significant 48% drop in its stock price. Spiegel explained that the company is testing two new ad formats and will also focus on augmented reality to attract advertisers. 

Despite its stock decline, Snapchat reported a 16% growth in its Direct Response (DR) sector year-over-year and saw its total active advertisers double in Q2. The company says it currently has 850 million users.