Granted Patent B2

US 12,627,623 · App. 18/647,398 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: 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.

H04L51/046G06Q50/01H04L51/10H04L51/216

Abstract

Claims (68)

1 . A system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory component storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting that a first user tagged at least two second users and a third user in association with a media content item created by the first user;

determining that the at least two second users are bidirectional contacts of the first user of the first user, such that the first user added each of the least two second users as a contact, and each of the at least two second users added the first user as a contact;

automatically adding, based on determining that the at least two second users are bidirectional contacts of the first user, a first message to a group message thread between the first user and the at least two second users, wherein the first message indicates that the at least two second users were tagged in association with the media content item;

determining that the third user is a non-bidirectional contact of the first user, such that either the first user added the third user as a contact or the third user added the first user as a contact, but not both; and

based on determining that the third user is a non-bidirectional contact of the first user,

refraining from adding the third user to the group message thread, and

adding a second message to an individual message thread between the first user and the third user, wherein the second message indicates that the third user was tagged in association with the media content item.

2 . The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

receiving an indication of user input to publish the media content item as a Story associated with the first user,

wherein automatically adding the first message to the group message thread is further in response to receiving the indication.

3 . The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

causing, on a first device associated with the first user, display of an interface element for tagging the at least two second users and the third user in association with the media content item; and

receiving an indication of user input provided by the first user via the interface element, the user input selecting the at least two second users and the third user for tagging in association with the media content item,

wherein the detecting corresponds to receiving the indication.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the user input selecting the at least two second users corresponds to user selection of a predefined group which includes the first user and the at least two second users.

5 . The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

prompting the first user prior to adding the first message to the group message thread.

6 . The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

detecting, prior to adding the first message to the group message thread, that the group message thread exists between the first user and the at least two second users,

wherein adding the first message to the group message thread is performed based on the detecting.

7 . The system of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

detecting, prior to adding the first message to the group message thread, that the group message thread does not exist between the first user and the at least two second users; and

creating, based on detecting that the group message does not exist, the group message thread between the first user and the at least two second users,

wherein adding the first message to the group message thread is performed based on the creating.

8 . A method comprising:

detecting that a first user tagged at least two second users and a third user in association with a media content item created by the first user;

determining that the at least two second users are bidirectional contacts of the first user of the first user, such that the first user added each of the least two second users as a contact, and each of the at least two second users added the first user as a contact;

automatically adding, based on determining that the at least two second users are bidirectional contacts of the first user, a first message to a group message thread between the first user and the at least two second users, wherein the first message indicates that the at least two second users were tagged in association with the media content item;

determining that the third user is a non-bidirectional contact of the first user, such that either the first user added the third user as a contact or the third user added the first user as a contact, but not both; and

based on determining that the third user is a non-bidirectional contact of the first user,

refraining from adding the third user to the group message thread, and

adding a second message to an individual message thread between the first user and the third user, wherein the second message indicates that the third user was tagged in association with the media content item.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving an indication of user input to publish the media content item as a Story associated with the first user,

wherein automatically adding the first message to the group message thread is further in response to receiving the indication.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

causing, on a first device associated with the first user, display of an interface element for tagging the at least two second users and the third user in association with the media content item; and

receiving an indication of user input provided by the first user via the interface element, the user input selecting the at least two second users and the third user for tagging in association with the media content item,

wherein the detecting corresponds to receiving the indication.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the user input selecting the at least two second users corresponds to user selection of a predefined group which includes the first user and the at least two second users.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

prompting the first user prior to adding the first message to the group message thread.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

detecting, prior to adding the first message to the group message thread, that the group message thread exists between the first user and the at least two second users,

wherein adding the first message to the group message thread is performed based on the detecting.

14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

detecting, prior to adding the first message to the group message thread, that the group message thread does not exist between the first user and the at least two second users; and

creating, based on detecting that the group message does not exist, the group message thread between the first user and the at least two second users,

wherein adding the first message to the group message thread is performed based on the creating.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting that a first user tagged at least two second users and a third user in association with a media content item created by the first user;

determining that the at least two second users are bidirectional contacts of the first user of the first user, such that the first user added each of the least two second users as a contact, and each of the at least two second users added the first user as a contact;

automatically adding, based on determining that the at least two second users are bidirectional contacts of the first user, a first message to a group message thread between the first user and the at least two second users, wherein the first message indicates that the at least two second users were tagged in association with the media content item;

determining that the third user is a non-bidirectional contact of the first user, such that either the first user added the third user as a contact or the third user added the first user as a contact, but not both; and

based on determining that the third user is a non-bidirectional contact of the first user,

refraining from adding the third user to the group message thread, and

adding a second message to an individual message thread between the first user and the third user, wherein the second message indicates that the third user was tagged in association with the media content item.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:

receiving an indication of user input to publish the media content item as a Story associated with the first user,

wherein automatically adding the first message to the group message thread is further in response to receiving the indication.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:

causing, on a first device associated with the first user, display of an interface element for tagging the at least two second users and the third user in association with the media content item; and

receiving an indication of user input provided by the first user via the interface element, the user input selecting the at least two second users and the third user for tagging in association with the media content item,

wherein the detecting corresponds to receiving the indication.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the user input selecting the at least two second users corresponds to user selection of a predefined group which includes the first user and the at least two second users.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (17)