Still not have a Snapchat account? Would you like to know what you can do actually using the app and how the app does work? This extensive article contains everything you need to know.
Snapchat Tips
Snap Chat goes hard. Not only in the US but worldwide. Especially among young people (12 to 19), Snapchat is extremely popular, but older users are also using it. Have you never used Snapchat, but want to start it, then this guide is for you.
What is Snapchat?
Snap Chat is an app that lets you send photos and videos to others. You can select the people you want them to see it, but you can also publish your content publicly so that anyone who follows you can see it. An important feature of Snapchat is that pictures and movies disappear after a few seconds. They never remain on the network.
How to start
To use Snapchat, you do have to register with the service. You use an email address, a password and your date of birth. Then select a username and you can start.
See also: Snapchat sign up guide
Because Snapchat is a social platform, add now some people you know. You can just do that by adding contacts, but you can add people via their username. `You can also do that from within Snapchat by tapping the ghost icon at the top of the screen and then choose the ‘Add Friends’ option. From this window, you can also see who has added you and all your friends who are on Snapchat.
Finding your way in the main screen
The main screen of Snapchat consists largely of images from your camera (front or back). Furthermore, there are icons above and below.
In the top bar, you will see at the top left a lightning icon. This determines whether your camera will or will not flash when taking a photo.
In the middle is the ghost, which get you to the menu. From there, you check your friends, add new contacts, and you can go to the settings via the gear icon at top right.
At the top right of the main screen is a smiley with arrows. Tap to change camera on the front or back. Incidentally, you can also change by tapping twice in succession elsewhere in the image.
Due to the bottom of the screen. Bottom left is a square, which is sometimes filled with a number. If so, then you have a new message. Press square to go to the list of Snap Instant messages.
At the bottom in the middle is a large round button, which is for taking a picture. Keep it pressed and hold to record a movie.
On the right, you will find the hamburger button that leads you to the list of Snapchat Stories and Discover. More about that later.
Create and send Photos and videos
In the main screen, you capture as said pictures and movies. Choose a camera and tap the shutter button to capture something of yourself on film.
Is it successful, then you get into the next menu. At the bottom of the screen, bottom left, you can adjust how long the picture should be visible for others. With the arrow next to the timer can save your photos taken in your Photos app. If you don’t save your photo, you can not view the photo anymore. Tap the arrow next to the icon to add the photo or video to Your Story.
Are you ready, tap the bottom right on the right arrow. Then choose your contacts to whom you want to send it and choose the arrow to the right corner of the screen. After that, your picture or video is sent.
Emoji, add text and scribbles
Have you taken a picture and you haven’t send it yet, then you can still spice up the picture. For example, with emoji. You do this by choosing the sticker icon at the right top of the screen. You can now choose the emoji and put in the image. By pinching and rotating, you put it in exactly the right place.
You also have the possibility to insert text. Therefore, choose the letter above the screen. Normally you get a dark bar in which you can type, but once you tap on the letter, then choose a looser form with larger letters. We can then also change the color. By dragging and rotating choose the right place for the text.
You can also put scribbles or drawings in your photo, by selecting the pencil. You can choose (as in the text) the color. Good tip: move all the way down the screen to use black. Then go all the way to the left for White.
Masks
While making a selfie, you can also add masks. You do this by tapping the screen on your face and hold it. The app brings you face in front and then you can choose different masks. Every day a new one appears, but every day one disappears too. The one that disappear is still available for $1 each. Often the masks have something funny, for example, if you open your mouth.
Filters
Before you send photos, you can choose to make them prettier with filters. You do this by swiping left or right before you send it. There are also filters that are localized. So you can say hello to people from Amsterdam or let you friends know that your are in Paris with a picture of the Eiffel Tower.
If you make a video, you can also make use of this. In addition, it is possible to play the movies accelerated, decelerated, or play in reverse order via filters.
How the message feed in Snapchat works
If you swipe to the right from the main screen of Snap Chat (or by tapping on the bottom left square), you come into the Snapchat Feed. Here is a list of friends who have sent you something. But is the meaning of the icons to the left of the names?
Filled arrow: You have sent a photo, video or message.
Open arrow: The recipient has opened the content sent by you.
Solid square: You’ve received a new message from someone else. Tap it to play.
Open squares: You have opened the message from another.
Two arrows on each other: Someone has taken a screenshot of your sent message.
Round arrow: Someone reopened your message. Snapchat allows that once a day for free. Would you like to do it more often, you have to pay.
Meanings of Snapchat Emoji
When you start Snapchat, it is likely that there are emoji behind the names of people with whom you exchange messages. But what do they actually do? Check it out in this list:
- ? Gold star: Someone reopened that person’s Snap more than once in the past 24 hours.
- ? Yellow heart: You guys are best friends. You send this person most Snaps and he / she yours too.
- ❤️ Red heart: You are for two weeks best friends.
- ? Pink hearts: You are for two months the best friends.
- ? Baby: You have just become friends with this person.
- ? Sunglasses: One of your best friends is also one of the best friends of this person.
- ? Grin: Your best friend is the best friend of this person. That means you send as many messages to someone like this person.
- ? Naughty: You’re one of the best friends of the other, but you are not that person. That means that you have sent fewer messages to this person than the reverse.
- ? Smile: Not your best friend, but you are good friends. You do not send each other the most Snaps.
- ? Fire: You’ve put together a streak Snap: you send each other daily a message, photo or video.
- ? Hundred: 100 consecutive days were you able to send each other a snap.
These emoji can be great to build friendships on the platform. For Snapchat, this is a smart way to get users to use the service every day.
You can also chat
Snapchat is not just for photos and videos. You can also just old-fashioned chat with others by sending messages. From the message feed, you swipe to the right on a name to send someone a text message. But these conversations are not preserved. You can see the entire chat as long as the screen remains open, but when you close it, then everything disappears and you start the next time with a blank screen. If you are both together in a chat, the yellow color camera button at the bottom changes in blue. Keep it pressed to start a video chat.
Snapchat Stories and Discover
If you wipe from the main screen to the left, you come in the Stories screen. Here you will find updates from friends who have chosen to send their Snaps to all followers. You can view them like other Snaps though these are often less personal and more public photos and videos. Unlike other Snaps is that these remain only 24 hours online, then they disappear.
Sometimes there are also live stories. These include Snapchat chosen Snaps from users and are always in a theme. Sometimes you get a tour through the capital of a city, other times the Snaps report an incident or event.
Additionally, you will find in this screen Discover. You’ll see some media are who create content for Snapchat. Often the short news or movies that are designed in style Snapchat. By another swipe left on the Stories screen, you can see all the available publications in a row. Among them include CNN, MTV, and National Geographic.