Snapchat has announced a major change to its platform as for the first time it will bring calling and messaging features to the web, allowing users to communicate outside of the app.

Snapchat for Web is first being made available to users of the Snapchat+ subscription service in the UK and some other countries but has said that this will be rolled out to all users “soon”.

To access the new web platform, users can visit web.snapchat.com and can log in with their Snapchat details.

The social media giant said all its major messaging features will be available on the new web app, with Lenses for video calls also being added soon.

The company confirmed that users will also be able to send Snaps from the web app.

South Wales Argus: New change coming to Snapchat use (PA)New change coming to Snapchat use (PA)

“With so many in our community spending more time online, whether it is for remote learning or working, streaming or just plain browsing – we saw a huge opportunity to make it easier for our community to stay connected throughout their day and we cannot wait to bring our favourite fundamental Snapchat capabilities to the web,” Snapchat said.

The company said the web version of the platform also included a privacy screen that would hide the Snapchat window – and a user’s conversations – if they click away for another task, as part of its safety measures.

The instant messaging app recently updated processes allowing users to change their usernames for the first time.

The app said the ability to alter a username had been one of the most requested features from its community.

Snapchat said users would be able to change their in-app username once a year to any unclaimed handle that has not been used in the past.