People send fake snaps on Snapchat for a variety of reasons. Some do it harmlessly, just to prank or joke with friends. Others have more malicious intents, such as catfishing or spreading misinformation. There are a few different techniques people use to make convincing fake snaps. The most basic is simply using another image or video and uploading it as a snap. More advanced methods involve sophisticated editing and Photoshop techniques. Some dedicated pranksters even build custom Snapchat lens filters to alter their appearance in live selfies. Understanding the tactics people use to create fake snaps can help Snapchat users identify and avoid deception on the platform.
Uploading Existing Images/Videos As Snaps
The easiest way to make a fake snap is to simply upload any photo or video you have saved as your snap. This is most commonly done using old photos, stock images, celebrity photos, etc. The idea is to pretend it’s a live snap of whatever scenario the image depicts. For example, someone could send an old photo of a fancy dinner at a restaurant as a snap to make it look like they’re currently out eating.
Some things to watch out for with image/video snap fakes:
– The image/video quality is higher than typical snaps
– The framing/composition looks very professional
– There are no Snapchat UI elements like timestamp or caption
– It’s unlikely or impossible for them to be doing that activity at the moment
People often use fake image snaps to make their life look more exciting or glamorous than it really is. But sometimes people have more deceptive intents like pretending to be traveling somewhere they’re not.
Detecting Fake Image/Video Snaps
Here are some tips for detecting if a snap is just an uploaded image or video masquerading as a live snap:
– Tap and hold to see if you can replay it multiple times. Live snaps can only be replayed once.
– Look for the timestamp and caption layout. This won’t be present in saved images.
– Reverse image search the snap via Google Images to see if it appears elsewhere online.
– Look closely for editing artifacts, stock photo watermarks, or signs it’s a professional shot.
– If the person’s story has a mix of live selfies and higher-quality snaps, that’s a giveaway.
Editing Live Selfies with Image Editing Apps
A more advanced technique is using photo editing apps to alter live selfie snaps. There are many powerful editing apps like Photoshop Express, Facetune, Snow and more that allow easy editing.
Some things people may edit in their selfie snaps:
– Making themselves look thinner/more fit
– Smoothing their skin
– Whitening teeth
– Changing facial features like eye and nose shape
– Applying Snapchat-like filters over the face
– Inserting edited backgrounds
These editing tricks allow people to present an idealized or altered version of themselves on Snapchat. It gives them control to decide exactly how they want to look before sharing their snap selfie.
For authenticity, they often start with a real selfie snap before editing it. The edits can be so subtle that at a glance it just looks like a beautified version of themselves. But in severe cases, their appearance may look completely transformed.
Identifying Edited Selfie Snaps
Look for these warning signs that a snap selfie may be edited:
– Their appearance is drastically different than in other photos/videos
– Facial features and proportions look slightly off
– Their skin looks perfectly smooth and blemish-free
– The coloring looks very uniform and airbrushed
– Warping artifacts may be visible around the face or background
Keep in mind even “real” selfies often involve some minor editing to correct lighting or filters. But consistently seeing a too-perfect, idealized version of someone across their snaps is a sign the edits go beyond just minor touch-ups.
Using Lens Studio to Create Custom Snapchat Lenses
For sophisticated Snapchat users, Lens Studio allows creating custom lenses that work right within Snapchat’s camera in real-time. These lenses can include both fun effects like adding cute bunny ears and more deceptive effects like face filters.
Face filter lenses allow doing things like:
– Make eyes look bigger
– Change lip shape/size
– Adjust face shape
– Add makeup or touch up skin
– Add facial hair like mustaches
Some other potentially deceptive lens effects include:
– Make you appear thinner or more muscular
– Increase breast size
– Change hair color/style
– Add animated masks over your face
Lenses allow tweaking your appearance live in the Snapchat camera. This makes it harder to detect, since lens effects move naturally with your face as you turn your head.
Catching Custom Lens Effects
Look for these signs someone may be using a custom face-editing lens:
– Their face shape/features shift subtly as they turn their head
– Facial features, skin, hair change while rest of photo stays the same
– The effects animate smoothly to match head motions
– Coloring looks slightly unnatural
Compared to still image editing, lenses can be trickier to detect. But subtly warped facial proportions as they move around are often still noticeable on close inspection.
Using Projection Technology to Fake Snaps
On the most advanced end, there are projection-mapping tools that allow creating incredibly convincing fake snaps that look real.
Tools like Looking Glass Portrait display a 3D hologram of a person’s head that moves and responds as they would on a live video chat. This allows creating a realistic-looking video snap of a person who isn’t actually there.
The process involves:
– Capturing 3D scans or models of a person’s face
– Programming captured motions and expressions
– Rendering a video feed of the animated head
– Projecting the 3D hologram head into the middle of a glass tank
– Then filming that tank to use as a snap video
This results in an incredibly realistic and responsive 3D simulation of someone that can be used to fake live Snapchat footage.
Detecting Projected 3D Snap Fakes
These advanced fakes are designed to be very difficult to detect. But a few subtle signs to watch for include:
– The head looks slightly flat and 2D even as it rotates
– Lighting on the head looks off from the surroundings
– Their head floats unnaturally or lacks shadows
– Low-resolution parts become visible up close
As projection technology improves,projected 3D fakes will likely become even harder to discern from reality. But for now, a critical eye can still spot its small imperfections.
Why Do People Make Fake Snaps?
Understanding why people make fake Snapchat photos and videos can provide insight into spotting and avoiding deception. Some motivations for faking snaps include:
Pranking Friends
Some fakes are made in good fun just to joke around with friends. Using silly fake images to prank people can help keep things lighthearted.
Boosting Popularity
By making their life look more exciting, some use fake snaps to gain followers and increase their social capital. White lies about their activities can make them seem cooler.
Relationship Manipulation
In dating, people may use idealized fake snaps to catfish people or make their life appear more impressive than it really is. This facilitates manipulating people’s perceptions.
Vanity and Insecurity
Many edit their selfies to portray an idealized version of themselves that matches their insecurities. This lets them show off a fake “perfect” image.
Spreading Misinformation
Sharing fabricated imagery can also be used maliciously for gaslighting, slander, political manipulation, and more. Editing context changes stories.
Financial Incentives
Influencers and companies may also fake snaps to gain followers and drive traffic to monetized links. More views directly equal more income.
While motivations vary, understanding why people fake snaps helps identify risks of deception. Maintaining skepticism helps spot signs of falsification.
Avoiding Deception from Fake Snaps
Here are some tips to help avoid being deceived by fake snaps:
– Don’t assume snaps always depict reality – they can be easily faked.
– Cross-reference details against the person’s other social media and info.
– Fact-check anything questionable against other reputable sources.
– Analyze snaps carefully for editing artifacts and inconsistencies.
– Reverse image search to check if photos are taken elsewhere.
– Watch for idealization and perfection as signs of editing.
– Consider motivations – does the person have reason to falsify their image?
– Call out friends kindly if using obvious fake snaps as pranks.
– Don’t confront suspected catfish aggressively, just block.
– Set boundaries around excessive editing if it affects your mental health.
Staying critical of snap content and digging deeper helps limit risks of manipulation from fakes. But have fun calling out silly prank fakes from friends too!
Conclusion
While Snapchat’s ephemeral sharing foundation is built on authenticity, the ability to digitally edit photos and video makes creating convincing fake snaps possible. People do it for a variety of reasons, ranging from harmless pranks to more malicious manipulation.
However, understanding the common techniques used to fake snaps makes identifying signs of fabrication easier. Look for obvious reuse of old media, editing artifacts in selfies, subtle face filter effects, and projection technology tricks. Comparing suspicious snaps to other social media helps confirm inconsistencies.
As digital editing tech advances, fake snapshot content will only grow more sophisticated. But by staying skeptical of potential fakery and doing a bit of digging, Snapchat users can limit their risks of being deceived. After all, even on social media centered around real life sharing, some “realities” are distorted. By understanding how people send fake snaps, authenticity and truth can prevail.