1. It’s a Great Way to Keep up With Friends

Whether you’re at the beach, on a plane, or bored at the office, Snapchat is an awesome and unique way to share the goings-on in your life with friends as well as to see what’s going on in their lives too. People Snap everything from makeup routines to hilariously long lines at Starbucks, all to show (rather than tell) their friends what their lives are all about. You can even include text with your images, so you can show off your fancy cocktail or ask the ever-important question, “legs or hot dogs?”

2. Everyone is on Snapchat

And we mean everyone. Not only can you keep up with friends using this popular app, you can also get a glimpse into the lives of some of your favorite celebrities. Celebrities of all stripes – including DJ Khaled, most of the Kardashians, Ryan Seacrest, Justin Bieber, and Jared Leto – enjoy using Snapchat to show off their daily exploits and sometimes to debut new content and products as well.

3. Brands Are on There, Too

Snapchat not only allows you to get a glimpse into the lives of your favorite celebs, it also lets you learn more about your favorite brands, too. It’s especially popular with top beauty and fashion brands like Glossier, Too Faced, and H&M. Snapchat is by no means limited to women’s products. Brands like Gatorade, General Electric, and Sour Patch Kids have all taken advantage of the platform to reach customers in fun and unique ways, with great success.

4. The Filters Are Really Awesome

Ever wondered what you’d look like with Sia’s hair, as a monster, or face-swapped with your best friend? You can do all that and so much more using Snapchat’s legendary facial filters. They add and subtract filters frequently, but leave a few user favorites like the glossy-eyed flower crown and, of course, the face swap filter. Because really, who doesn’t want to know how they’d look if they were a dog?