How to Use Snapchat? A Complete User Guide

Mobile applications have become a necessity of time and have made our day-to-day life much easier. Whether it’s entertainment, communication, education, or even businesses, everything has become compact and more accessible, and less time-consuming, enhancing productivity at work.

If you open your Play Store and App Store, they are flooded with a countless number of mobile applications. Among these, one application that has grabbed the attention of 900 million users is Snapchat.

900 million? Yeah! You heard right!

This mobile app is becoming more popular among users, especially those who are younger and teenagers.

However, despite this rapid rise, it’s not easy for many users to get started with Snapchat. Are you also one of those who are still trying to figure out how to use Snapchat?

Fortunately! You are at the right place.

In this article, I will walk you through each step on how to use Snapchat easily. 

Let’s start!

Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app that lets users send snaps( Images and videos) that are self-destructive or disappear after being viewed.

It is widely known for its wide variety of filters, stories, and other unique features.

The foundation of the app was laid in April 2011 by Stanford students Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown. It offers a fast and fun way to share moments with friends and family, helping people feel closer together even if they are physically far apart.

However, my primary objective is to help you understand how to use this social media app effectively. So, don’t miss the detailed section ahead, answering this question in detail.

In this section, I will discuss how you can use Snapchat. From downloading the app to using its features successfully, everything is in one frame. So, pay your full attention so that you may not miss any single part of this section. 

Getting Started: Snapchat Login or Account Setup

Here I will tell you how you can successfully complete the Snapchat login process. Just follow the described steps.

Step 1: Download & Open the App

Initially, you have to download Snapchat from your Play Store or App Store. It is completely free. It will take a few minutes to download. Once downloading is completed, open the app.

Step 2: Click the Sign Up Option

When you open the app, two options will appear “Sign Up” and “Login”. If you are a newbie, click on the Sign Up option to create an account for Snap.

Step 3: Enter Your Name & Birthday

Here, you will be asked to enter your full name and date of birth. Carefully enter them.

Step 4: Create a Username & Password

After entering your name and birthday, you will be taken to a new page where you will have to create a username and password. Create a strong password using numbers, symbols, and letters.

Step 5: Enter Your Email And Verify It

In this step, you have to enter your email. Additionally, you can start Snapchat using your mobile number. After entering them, you will be sent a verification code that you will copy and paste.

Step 6: Log into  Your Snapchat Account

After this verification, you will be automatically logged into your account and redirected to the main camera screen.

Snapchat Login: When You Have a Snap Account

Let’s suppose you deleted Snapchat from your mobile phone and re-downloaded it. Here, you will not have to create an account. You can simply log in through your existing account. Here’s how you can do it;

Step 1: Open the App

After re-downloading, you have to open the app. Here, you will see two options: Sign Up and Login. As you had an account, this time you have to click the Login option.

Step 2: Enter the Username & Password

Now, you will be asked to enter your username and password. You can enter a new or existing one.

Step 3: Hit the “Log In” Option

Finally, hit the Log In option. You will be successfully redirected to the main camera screen with the existing Snap account.

Once you have logged in, you can easily enjoy the features of this app. Whether it’s about sending snaps, chat screen, using camera filters for images, and Snap-stories, read the sections discussed below.

1. Chat Screen

“Chat Screen” is the dedicated messaging hub or Snapchat “Chat Room” that connects you with your family and friends. However, when it comes to accessing this feature, it is quite simple. 

First of all, you have to swipe right from the camera screen. Here, you will find all your friends’ snaps, chats, stories, etc. Here’s how to use this feature effectively.

• Add common connections: Quickly add common connections and contacts from your friend list.
• Watch and Rewatch stories: Your friends will usually upload their stories. Their Bitmoji and profile icon will appear in the form of a ring. Just tap on it to view the uploaded story. If you wanna rewatch this story, hold down their Bitmoji and select the “View Again” option.

2. Profile Screen & Account Settings

Using Snap, you will also get an opportunity to manage your stories, add more friends, and update your account. This section is where your personal information is located. If you have to access your profile screen, just tap your profile icon in the upper left-hand corner. Here’s what you can do further.

• View your snapcode: This is the section where you can easily see your Snapcode. Furthermore, you can share it with others to enlarge your friend list.
• Watch updates: On the profile icon, if you see any “Dot”, it means you have a new update. You can simply watch such updates by hitting this dot.
• Hide your location: Just activate the ghost mode. It means you have to hide your Snap location and make it accessible to only selected members.

3. Spotlight

Any feature that makes this mobile app a source of entertainment is “Spotlight”. Spotlight is where you can explore short-form entertaining videos that are created by users all around the world. To access this feature, you simply have to tap the Spotlight icon that usually appears as an arrow form. How to enjoy this feature is discussed below.

• Add your favorite: If you see and like something, just tap the ❤️ to add it as a favorite.
• Watch & Engage: When watching snaps, like, share, and comment on them.
• Edit & Submit your snaps: To personalize your Spotlight experience, you have to edit your snaps with filters and music.

4. Snapchat Lenses

If you want to express your photo or video in a fun or creative way, you can use various lenses that alter your appearance in various ways. Here’s how you can do it;

Step 1: Tap the camera screen. At the bottom, several icons will appear.

Step 2: Swipe through the lens options and select the desired one.

Step 3: Tap the icon of the lens to capture the photo. To record a video, hold this icon until the recording is completed.

5. Snap Filters for Images

Snapchat lets you add multiple filters to your snaps. If you want to provide your photos or videos with different filter looks, follow these steps.

Step 1: Tap the gallery icon in the bottom left. At the top, the camera roll option will appear. Just click on it.

Step 2: Select the picture from the gallery or capture a new one to which you have to apply the filter.

Step 3: Tap the Edit option present at the bottom left. Here, you have to select the filter that you want to apply.

Step 4: Tap the “Done” button to save and share your edited photo.

6. Snapchat Stories

Many teenagers use Snapchat stories to share moments with friends that are also self-destructive. You can also apply this feature by following these steps.

• Swipe left and tap the stories button to see the available stories.
• You can subscribe to these stories for future content.
• If you find any story that needs reporting, press and hold it and tap the flag icon.

How to Send Snaps?

Sending snaps to your friends is very simple. This process can be completed in only three steps.

Step 1: Open Snapchat on your mobile. Here, the camera screen will appear. Tap the “Capture Button” to take a photo. If you have to send a video, hold this button until the recording is completed.

Step 2: Once selected or captured the snap, you will have to hit the “Send to” option. Select the contacts to whom you wanna send this snap.

Step 3: Now, hit the send option that will appear in the form of an “Arrow”. Your video or photo will be successfully sent.

What happens if you lose your mobile phone and want to stay connected with your friends? Here’s not to worry, in this situation, you can send them a snap using Snapchat web. Additionally, you can open snaps in Snapchat web easily.

How to Start Screen Chat?

Follow the steps below to start the screen chat.

• Swipe right the camera or simply hit the chat option to access the chat screen
• Select the contact or your friend’s name to whom you want to send the message.
• You can type your message, add stickers, and emojis. 
• Last, hit the send option. Your conversation will start with that selected person. 

Sometimes your contact numbers can reach up to hundreds, and you want to keep any friends close or important messages accessible. To achieve this, you can pin someone on Snapchat.

MY AI is a smart chatbot that has been integrated into this mobile app. This bot is located on your chat screen labeled as “MY AI,” and it offers multiple benefits to users. I am going to explore a few of them.

• When you get bored and don’t find anyone active to make an enjoyable conversation, you can start chatting with this chatbot. 
• When typing to your friend, you may get confused about how and what to reply to their messages. In this situation, you can give a prompt to MY AI. It will provide you with the perfect answers that you can send to your friends. 
• You can get many fun and entertainment ideas by using this feature. For example, which snap lens or filter to choose for selfies, and what type of snap to send for a special occasion?
• All in one, you can pin and unpin MY AI on Snapchat to keep it accessible at the top of your chat list.

Snapchat is one of the most popular messaging apps that is used to share images and videos with friends and family. However, many users don’t know how to use it. They are even unfamiliar with its unique features.

Keeping this in mind, I have created this article guide, in which I have told everything that you need to learn. First of all, I have discussed how users can pass through the Snapchat login process with an account and without an account.

In the end, my discussion was about using its features. Whether it’s about applying filters, lenses, or the start chat screen, you will find everything in this post guide.