
One of the little things that brightens each day is opening Snapchat and seeing which new filters are waiting for you to try out. You can go with a tried-and-true favorite such as the Coachella flower crown or become a one-eyed pirate for the day. But if you find yourself feeling like you'd like to try on more than the fifteen or so available filters, there's another app you need to download.
Snow, which launched in September 2015 from developer Camp Mobile, is very similar to Snapchat, but has far more (we're talking more than 100) filters.
Around our offices, Snow has induced laughs, squeals, and all sorts of childish giggles. It is pure, fantastical playfulness at its best. You can turn yourself into Minnie Mouse, a deer, a traffic cone (yes, really, a traffic cone), a puppy, a pineapple, a fried egg, a seedling — the options are endless, and oddly specific.
There are also cutesy animated characters, as well as color filters that you can choose from, which are similar to the ones available on Instagram.
Of course, not everything about Snow is perfect. There are some culturally insensitive filters such as a Native American headdress that, for obvious reasons, are best left unused. As with any social media, it's only fun so long as you stay respectful and considerate.
Like Snapchat, Snow faces that you send friends will self-destruct, and friends only have the option to replay a message once. There's also a Live category similar to Snapchat Story. Here you can post images that will last for 24 hours. But perhaps the best part of Snow, and something that is truly unique to the app, is that you can also share your filtered faces on Facebook and Instagram, in addition to sharing them with contacts of yours who use the app.
Click through to see some of our favorite app features and filters so far. Then try downloading the app for free from the App Store or Google Play to have some fun of your own.
This article originally ran June 30, 2016.

Snow has a revamped Story section that looks very similar to Snapchat and Instagram Stories. Tap the "play" icon in the lower left-hand corner of the main camera screen. From there, you can watch featured stories and select which friends you want to have access to your Story.

Snow's latest filter is all about your hands. You'll see a new mask category that shows a heart over a hand. Select that and choose one of the eleven available options. Then open your hand in front of the camera to see a spinning pencil, foam finger, and other silly objects appear.

Access Snow's built-in self timer by tapping the three dots in the upper left-hand corner. You'll get a three second countdown that's useful whether you're taking an action shot, a selfie, or a portrait.

Snapchat has Boomerangs, but Snow has Gifs. Activate Gif mode by pressing the three intertwined circles along the bottom toolbar. Then, apply your filter of choice, film your gif, and pick a location or time tag.

Like Snapchat, Snow also lets you have group chats within the app. To access these from the main camera screen, tap chat in the bottom right-hand corner. You have the option to send video messages, choose from an extensive sticker collection, or, you know, just send a standard text.
Photo: Snow.
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