IP Library › Granted Patent US 12669921
Granted Patent B2
US 12669921 · App. 18/437,610 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Content collection indicators within a group messaging system

Inventors: Nathan Kenneth Boyd (Los Angeles, CA); Michael James Connolly (Mill Valley, CA); Daniel Vincent Grippi (New York, NY); Christie Marie Heikkinen (Sherman Oaks, CA); David Phillip Taitz (Los Angeles, CA)
Assignee: Snap Inc.
G06F3/04842H04L51/216
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12669921
App. No.
18/437,610
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, a method, includes identifying members of a group in a messaging application, detecting an active sharing of content collection from a member of the group, and generating a visual indicator corresponding to the group in a user interface of the messaging application. The method may also include further includes receiving user input from the member of the group to share the content collection with one or more members of the group, and in response to receiving the user input, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection only from devices associated with the one or more members of the group, where detecting the active sharing of content collection from the member of the group is based on receiving the user input from the member of the group.

Claims (71)

1 . A method, comprising:

identifying members of a group in a messaging application;

detecting an active sharing of content collection from a member of the group;

generating a visual indicator corresponding to the group in a user interface of the messaging application;

receiving user input from the member of the group to share the content collection with one or more members of the group, all members of the group, one or more users of the messaging application, one or more other users of the messaging application, or one or more other users outside the group; and

in response to receiving the user input, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection only from devices associated with the one or more members of the group, all members of the group, the one or more users of the messaging application, the one or more other users of the messaging application, or the one or more other users outside the group,

wherein detecting the active sharing of content collection from the member of the group is based on receiving the user input from the member of the group.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the ephemeral display of the content collection comprises:

posting the content collection to a network platform of the messaging application, the content collection being only viewable by the devices associated with the one or more members of the group, all members of the group, the one or more users of the messaging application, the one or more other users of the messaging application, or the one or more other users outside the group.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a user selection of the visual indicator in the user interface of the messaging application from another member of the group; and

in response to receiving the user selection of the visual indicator, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection only from devices associated with the other member of the group.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content collection comprises at least one media content item.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a messaging user interface of the messaging application, the messaging user interface comprising a list of users and the group;

detecting a user selection of the visual indicator in the messaging user interface of the messaging application; and

in response to detecting the user selection of the visual indicator in the messaging user interface of the messaging application, opening a group profile user interface of the messaging application or enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection,

wherein the group profile user interface comprises a list of members of the group,

wherein the visual indicator corresponds to the group in the messaging user interface.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a group profile user interface of the messaging application, the group profile user interface comprising a list of members of the group;

detecting a user selection of the visual indicator in the group profile user interface of the messaging application; and

in response to detecting the user selection of the visual indicator in the group profile user interface of the messaging application, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection,

wherein the visual indicator corresponds to the member of the group in the group profile user interface of the messaging application.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the visual indicator comprises a ring surrounding a thumbnail of the content collection of the member.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

replacing a default profile icon of the member in the group profile user interface with a thumbnail of the content collection of the member.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying a group conversation user interface of the messaging application, the group conversation user interface comprising presence pills of members of the group;

detecting a user selection of the visual indicator in the group conversation user interface of the messaging application; and

in response to detecting the user selection of the visual indicator in the group conversation user interface of the messaging application, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection,

wherein the visual indicator comprises a ring surrounding a thumbnail of the content collection of the member in a presence pill of the member in the group conversation user interface of the messaging application.

10 . A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying members of a group in a messaging application;

detecting an active sharing of content collection from a member of the group;

generating a visual indicator corresponding to the group in a user interface of the messaging application;

receiving user input from the member of the group to share the content collection with one or more members of the group, all members of the group, one or more users of the messaging application, one or more other users of the messaging application, or one or more other users outside the group; and

in response to receiving the user input, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection only from devices associated with the one or more members of the group, all members of the group, the one or more users of the messaging application, the one or more other users of the messaging application, or the one or more other users outside the group,

wherein detecting the active sharing of content collection from the member of the group is based on receiving the user input from the member of the group.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein enabling the ephemeral display of the content collection comprises:

posting the content collection to a network platform of the messaging application, the content collection being only viewable by the devices associated with the one or more members of the group, all members of the group, the one or more users of the messaging application, the one or more other users of the messaging application, or the one or more other users outside the group.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a user selection of the visual indicator in the user interface of the messaging application from another member of the group; and

in response to receiving the user selection of the visual indicator, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection only from devices associated with the other member of the group.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the content collection comprises at least one media content item.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a messaging user interface of the messaging application, the messaging user interface comprising a list of users and the group;

detecting a user selection of the visual indicator in the messaging user interface of the messaging application; and

in response to detecting the user selection of the visual indicator in the messaging user interface of the messaging application, opening a group profile user interface of the messaging application or enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection,

wherein the group profile user interface comprises a list of members of the group,

wherein the visual indicator corresponds to the group in the messaging user interface.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a group profile user interface of the messaging application, the group profile user interface comprising a list of members of the group;

detecting a user selection of the visual indicator in the group profile user interface of the messaging application; and

in response to detecting the user selection of the visual indicator in the group profile user interface of the messaging application, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection,

wherein the visual indicator corresponds to the member of the group in the group profile user interface of the messaging application.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the visual indicator comprises a ring surrounding a thumbnail of the content collection of the member.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a group conversation user interface of the messaging application, the group conversation user interface comprising presence pills of members of the group;

detecting a user selection of the visual indicator in the group conversation user interface of the messaging application; and

in response to detecting the user selection of the visual indicator in the group conversation user interface of the messaging application, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection,

wherein the visual indicator comprises a ring surrounding a thumbnail of the content collection of the member in a presence pill of the member in the group conversation user interface of the messaging application.

18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

identifying members of a group in a messaging application;

detecting an active sharing of content collection from a member of the group;

generating a visual indicator corresponding to the group in a user interface of the messaging application;

receiving user input from the member of the group to share the content collection with one or more members of the group, all members of the group, one or more users of the messaging application, one or more other users of the messaging application, or one or more other users outside the group; and

in response to receiving the user input, enabling an ephemeral display of the content collection only from devices associated with the one or more members of the group, all members of the group, the one or more users of the messaging application, the one or more other users of the messaging application, or the one or more other users outside the group,

wherein detecting the active sharing of content collection from the member of the group is based on receiving the user input from the member of the group.