Snapchat was originally conceived as a way to send images that would self-destruct a few moments after they had been viewed.
But the latest update to Snapchat will turn that idea on its head, by allowing people to post images and video without a time limit.
Snapchat opens first Middle East office in Dubai Internet City
The app's new Infinity feature lets users add 'limitless snaps' and 'looping videos' for the first time.
The app, which is extremely popular among teenage smartphone users, has more than 158 million daily active users globally.
The update also includes a new Magic Eraser tool which will enable users to edit and remove objects and imperfections from images before sharing them.
A 'draw with emojis' tool has also been introduced, allowing Snapchat users to draw lines of emojis onto their photos and videos.
The announcement comes as Snapchat has come under increased pressure from Facebook in recent months, as the social networking firm has added several features similar to Snapchat's own core functions.
Snapchat floated on the US stock market for the first time earlier this year, having been valued at more than £17 billion ahead of its initial public offering (IPO) in March.
The Snapchat update includes an eraser feature to remove unwanted objects and a 'draw with emojis' tool
The app was created by current chief executive Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown when they were students together at Stanford University.
One new approach taken by the company to ensure its future success is to explore the world of augmented reality.
Snapchat released its Spectacles in November 2016, which are a range of sunglasses which users can film 10 second video clips and upload them straight to picture messaging app.
A screen grab from the new update, which allows users to post limitless snaps that run in an infinite loop. The new Infinity feature lets users add 'limitless snaps' and 'looping videos' for the first time
And a patents emerged last week that revealed plans to give the glasses an augmented reality upgrade.
Mr Spiegel told the Wall Street Journal: 'We're going to take a slow approach to rolling them out.
'It's about us figuring out if it fits into people's lives and seeing how they like it.'
Snapchat has launched new World Lenses in March that let Snapchatters add augmented reality elements to their real environment by placing 3D objects in any scene.
Users can interact with a glittery rainbow, colorful flowers, a sad cloud and a floating 'OMG' in the initial rollout – the firm noted that the Lenses are set to change daily.
The technology is similar to what was used in the popular Pokemon Go app – as user could see colorful creatures prancing around the real world using their smartphones.
