Snapchat lets you create vertical stories that are optimized for mobile viewing. Here are a few tips on making vertical Snapchat stories:
Use Portrait Orientation
The key to creating vertical stories is shooting your snaps in portrait orientation, not landscape. Hold your phone vertically and capture your snaps that way. Snapchat will automatically detect that your snaps are vertical and display them properly in your story.
When you view a vertical story, it will take up the entire screen on your mobile device. Snapchat stores the orientation of each snap, so even if you mix landscape and portrait snaps in your story, it will display each one correctly.
Avoid Black Bars
If you take a landscape photo or video and try to add it to your story, Snapchat will add black bars on the sides to force it to be vertical. This looks unprofessional and wastes a lot of space.
Some tips to avoid black bars:
- Always take snaps in portrait mode
- Crop any landscape images or videos to be portrait before uploading them
- Use Snapchat’s editing tools to rotate landscape videos vertically after taking them
Use the Entire Screen
When framing shots for your vertical Snapchat story, be sure to use the entire screen. Compose your shots so the subject fills the screen. Avoid leaving excessive space above or below your subject.
For example, if you’re taking a photo of a person, get close and frame it from head to toe. Or if you’re shooting a building, stand back far enough to get the whole thing in the shot.
With practice, you’ll get a feel for how close you need to be to objects to maximize the vertical space.
Mix Up Your Angles
Shooting everything straight on in your vertical story can get boring fast. Mix up your angles to add visual interest:
- Shoot some snaps from above to showcase overhead views
- Get low and tilt your phone up for dramatic low angles
- Try a Dutch tilt by holding the phone slightly rotated
- Add variety by shooting left-handed at times
Your story will be much more dynamic if you shoot from different perspectives.
Use Portrait Mode Effects
Many phones now have Portrait Mode capabilities that digitally blur the background while keeping the subject sharp. This adds an artistic, professional look to your vertical snaps.
On the latest iPhones, Portrait Mode is built into the default Camera app. On Android, you may need to download a third-party camera app to get portrait effects.
Use Portrait Mode selectively for certain photos where you want the subject to stand out.
Take Advantage of Full Screen
Snapchat on mobile devices now supports full screen vertical stories. This means your snaps will take up the entire screen without black bars at the top and bottom.
To make your snaps truly full screen, avoid putting critical elements like text too close to the edges. Leave a safe margin so nothing gets cut off on screens with curved edges or notches.
The full screen view draws viewers in by eliminating distractions and makes images more cinematic.
Add Text and Drawing
Snapchat’s editing features like text captions, stickers, and drawing allow you to enhance your vertical snaps:
- Add text boxes with captions at the bottom or top so they don’t get lost on a vertical snap
- Draw arrows, circles, or doodles to point out parts of an image
- Stick emojis or stickers on photos and videos to convey reactions
Keep embellishments simple and clean for the best look. Overdoing it can make snaps seem cluttered.
Conclusion
Shooting vertical Snapchat stories optimized for mobile is easy once you know a few tips. Hold your phone upright, use the full screen, vary your angles, and take advantage of Snapchat’s editing tools. In just a bit of practice, you’ll be making pro-level vertical stories.
The vertical format is ideal for on-the-go Snapchatters. Make your stories a must-view by going vertical!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a Snapchat story only vertical?
To make a Snapchat story only vertical, you need to take all your snaps vertically in portrait orientation. Avoid mixing in any landscape formatted photos or videos. Snapchat will automatically display vertical snaps full screen and add black bars to landscape orientation.
Why are my Snapchat stories not full screen?
If your Snapchat stories have black bars at the top and bottom, it likely means you have added landscape oriented snaps. Only vertical portrait snaps will display full screen. Also, make sure you have the latest Snapchat update which enables full screen stories.
How do I fix Snapchat black bars?
To fix black bars on Snapchat stories, open any landscape snaps in the Snapchat editor and use the rotate tool to turn them vertically. You can also crop landscape images so they are portrait shaped before adding them. Always take new snaps holding your phone vertically to prevent black bars.
How do you do vertical on Snapchat?
To make Snapchat stories vertical, simply hold your phone in portrait orientation when capturing snaps and stories. Snapchat will detect the vertical framing and automatically adjust your story to be full screen vertical. Avoid mixing horizontal landscape images or videos.
Is Snapchat vertical or horizontal?
Snapchat was originally designed for vertical portrait stories. However, Snapchat does support both vertical and horizontal formats now. For Snapchat stories intended for mobile, vertical full screen orientation is recommended. The horizontal landscape format works best for Snapchat Discover channels.
Additional Tips
- Use Snapchat’s drawing tools to add visual interest to your vertical snaps with colors and emoji.
- Take advantage of vertical framing to capture tall objects like buildings in their entirety.
- Keep your subject centered in the shot to maximize the impact.
- Avoid excessive letterboxing by filling the frame with your subject.
- Monitor the lighting so your subject is properly exposed without blown highlights.
- Clean your phone camera lens regularly for crisp, clear vertical snaps.
- Consider getting a phone tripod and Bluetooth shutter remote for stable vertical framing.
- Practice taking vertical selfies and portraits that utilize the full frame.
- Take vertical snaps at unique events and special moments to share your life story.
- Use Snapchat’s timeline feature to tell narrative stories with a series of vertical snaps.
- Check that critical text and details are not cut off on phones with curved edges.
Summary
Optimizing Snapchat stories for vertical mobile viewing improves the experience for you and your viewers. Follow the tips in this guide, like always capturing snaps in portrait orientation, varying your angles, and taking advantage of Snapchat’s editing tools. With practice, shooting vertical on Snapchat will become second nature. Dramatic full screen vertical stories will make you a Snapchat pro!