Getting started with Snapchat in 2023

Snapchat is an extremely popular social media app that lets its users send each other temporary (and thus disappearing) photos and videos.

The app, created by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown in 2011, has quickly risen to prominence as one of the most popular social media platforms, particularly among the younger demographic.

Snapchat’s primary selling point is its disappearing messages, which vanish after being viewed or after a specified amount of time has passed. Because of this function, the app has become widely used to broadcast fleeting experiences to a network of friends and followers. Snapchat not only lets you take pictures and record videos, but also provides a variety of filters, lenses, and augmented reality features so that you can add your own personal flair to your snaps.

Chatting, sending messages in groups, and following people or famous people are just some of the social features available in Snapchat. Snap Map is an additional feature of the app that lets users check in on their friends’ whereabouts and broadcast their own.

So, you’ve chosen to plunge into the insane filter carnival that is Snapchat? Don’t feel guilty that you’re only now getting started.

Send a Snap

Sending a Snap is the basic function of Snapchat. You can take a picture or record a video and send it to a friend or add it to your Story. You can also add text, stickers, or emojis to your Snap.

Add filters

Filters are a fun way to add a new look to your Snaps. You can add filters that change the color or lighting of your photo or video, or even add a location-based filter that shows your current location.

Add lenses

Lenses are AR-based filters that allow you to add animations to your face or background. You can add lenses that make you look like a cartoon character, add 3D animations to your surroundings, or even create a customized lens.

Shazam integration

Snapchat has integrated Shazam into its app, which allows you to identify songs playing in the background of Snaps.

You can make stickers

You can make stickers from your friends’ faces and then add them to your snaps. Take a photo, then tap on the scissors icon on the upper left side of the screen. Outline their head with your finger. The sticker will form and automatically save.

To use a sticker, take a photo, tap on the icon on the right that looks like a notepad and choose your sticker by tapping on it. You can drag the sticker to wherever you want it on the image.

Pro tip: If you make a circle around the person’s face and then fill in their face without lifting your finger, it makes the edges of your sticker much smoother and neater.

Create and share custom Stories

You can also create custom Stories with specific friends or groups. This allows you to share Snaps with a select group of people.

Collaborate with your friends

Collaborating with friends on Snapchat is a fun way to create and share Snaps together. Here are a few ways to collaborate on Snapchat:

Co-create Stories: You and your friends can co-create Stories by adding Snaps to the same Story. To do this, simply create a new Story and add your friends as contributors. Each person can add Snaps to the Story, and everyone who is a contributor can view the Story and add to it.

Play games: Snapchat offers a range of games that you can play with your friends. You can play games like Bitmoji Party, Snap Games, or even third-party games like Trivia Blast. Playing games together is a fun way to collaborate and have some friendly competition.

Create custom lenses: You can use Snapchat’s Lens Studio to create custom lenses that you and your friends can use. You can create lenses that feature your favorite characters or even design lenses that celebrate a special event or occasion.

Remix Snaps: You can remix Snaps by adding your own creative touch to your friend’s Snap. To do this, simply hold down on your friend’s Snap and select “Remix Snap.” You can then add your own stickers, text, or even draw on the Snap before sending it back to your friend.

Add filters to jazz up your snaps

You probably already know you can snap pictures and videos of your friends as puppies, pretty ladies and bunnies. These are called lenses. You can also add filters to photos and videos. Turn on this ability by tapping the ghost icon in the upper left of the camera screen, then go to Settings > Additional Services and tap the box by Filters. Now, swipe right or left after you take a photo or video to add some preset filters.

My Eyes Only

My Eyes Only is a password-protected section within Memories where you can store private Snaps and photo

You can make your own filters, too

Don’t see a filter you like? Using these custom filter-making directions, you can create an on-demand geofilter for a wedding, graduation, birthday, or whatever. The filter will work for anyone on Snapchat within a certain designated area.

Use lenses in video chat

To start the craziest video chat you’ve ever had, swipe left from the camera screen, tap on a friend, then tap on the video camera icon. From there, your friends will be able to watch or join your chat. To add lenses, tap on your face. The lens options will pop up, and you can start being silly.

Let the world know it’s your birthday

Tap the ghost icon in the upper left of the camera screen, then go to Settings > Birthday and tap the box next to Birthday Party. A birthday cake will be displayed by your name on your birthday so everyone will know it’s your special day.

Time your snaps

After taking a photo, there is a little clock icon on the right. Tap on it, and you can set how long a person can look at the snap-in your Stories.

Send money to your pals

Tap the ghost icon in the upper left of the camera screen, then go to Settings > Snapcash to send money to your friends through Square. Just tap the I Agree button and follow the on-screen directions.

Save your Story to make Memories

You can save your entire Story to Memories, which is where you can access all your saved photos and videos. To save your Story, tap the download icon next to your Story on the Stories screen. To find your Memories quickly, swipe up on the camera screen.

Then do things with the Memories

You can edit and send your Memories to others or post them to your Stories by tapping on the snap and then tapping on the Edit & Send option at the bottom of the screen.

Record Multi-Snaps

A Multi-Snap is a recording that lasts 10 seconds. All you do is hold down the photo button, and the app will take up to six 10-second recordings, depending on how long you hold down the button. You can choose which one you like and discard the rest, or you can choose to post them all. You can also decorate each one using editing tools.

Take a look at your Snap Map

With Snap Map, you can see where your friends are and what they’re doing. Go to the camera screen and slide your thumb and index finger together on the screen like you’re trying to zoom out. The map options will pop up.

First, choose who can see you on the map. You can pick from Only Me, My Friends and Select Friends, which lets you choose which specific friends can see you.

When you add a Snap to Our Story, your avatar will share the snaps on the map. When your friends share, their snaps pop up on the map, too. Just tap on your friend’s avatar to see what they shared.

Whether you share or not, your avatar will show up on the map in the last location you opened the Snapchat app. Each time you open the app, the location updates.

Add tints to areas of your photos

Ever want to change the colour of just one area of your photo? Like give yourself a new hair colour or change your friend into a Smurf? With the Tint Brush, you can.

Tap on the Scissor icon and then tap the Brush Icon. Choose a colour from the palette, then circle whatever you want to tint with your finger. Bam! The brush will tint whatever you circled.

Pro tip: You can also use the Tint Brush to make certain parts of your photo black-and-white. Just choose white from the palette to get the cool effect.

Add an artistic filter

In addition to the funny lenses, you can add to snaps, and you can also add artistic filters. Take a regular photo, then tap on the Brush icon under the Paperclip icon. A bunch of paintings will appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap on the one you like. Your photo will then be filtered to look like the painting.