Re: How does aim assist work?
Let me also give you another perspective: aim assist is a variable sensitivity multiplier. Within a certain range from a visible target, your input sensitivity decreases, so that you can fine tune your aim better. It's somewhat similar to aiming down sights, where each scope zoom is also a sensitivity multiplier, but which doesn't change during aiming.
The feeling of snapping to a target is understandable, as the eye-hand coordination gets affected. An aimbot that places the crosshair over a target can look and feel pretty similar.