Snapchat is one of the most popular social media apps, especially among young people. With its fun filters and disappearing messages, Snapchat makes sharing photos and videos with friends easy and entertaining. However, if you’re new to Snapchat, learning how to use it can be a bit intimidating at first. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Snapchat for the first time.
Step 1: Download the Snapchat app
The first step is to download the Snapchat app on your mobile device. You can find the free Snapchat app in the App Store for iOS devices or Google Play Store for Android devices. Once you’ve downloaded the app, open it and you’ll be taken to a signup page.
Step 2: Sign up
To create your Snapchat account, you’ll need to enter your email address and birthday first. Snapchat requires users to be at least 13 years old. You’ll then need to create a unique username and password. Your username is what friends will use to find you on Snapchat, so make it fun and memorable.
Once you’ve entered your information, you can choose to find friends who are already on Snapchat by allowing access to your phone’s contacts, entering specific usernames, or skipping this step for now. You’ll also need to verify your email address before your account is active.
Step 3: Customize your profile
After you log in for the first time, you can customize your Snapchat profile by tapping the ghost icon in the top left corner. From here you can:
- Add a profile photo – Choose a fun picture to represent your account.
- Edit your display name – Change the name friends will see in their friend list.
- Add a bio – Write a short description of yourself.
Customizing your profile helps your friends recognize you on Snapchat. Your settings can be changed anytime by editing your profile.
Step 4: Adjust your app settings
Under the settings menu represented by the gear icon, you can adjust various preferences for your Snapchat account. Important settings to review include:
- Who Can Contact Me – Choose whether you want anyone or just your friends to communicate with you on Snapchat.
- See My Location – Enable sharing your location with certain friends.
- Control Center Access – Determine which apps can access your Snapchat content.
- Notifications – Manage notifications you receive from Snapchat.
Adjusting these settings when you first log in helps ensure a positive Snapchat experience right from the start.
Step 5: Add friends
Snapchat is much more fun with friends! You can start finding friends by:
- Importing Contacts – Sync your phone’s contacts with Snapchat to see which of your contacts are already using it.
- Adding Friends Manually – Search for specific friends by entering their usernames.
- Adding from Camera Roll – Upload photos of friends saved in your camera roll to find their usernames.
You can also easily add friends through a Snapcode. A Snapcode is a personalized QR code that links directly to your profile. You can find your Snapcode under your profile settings. Friends can scan your Snapcode using Snapchat to add you instantly.
Step 6: Start snapping!
Once you have some friends added, you can start snapping! Tap the camera icon on the main screen to take a photo or video with your front or rear camera. You can customize your snaps using lenses, filters, stickers, text, and more. After taking your snap, select the friends you want to view it, choose how long you want it to be viewable (1 to 10 seconds), then hit send.
To view the snaps your friends send you, swipe right on the camera screen. You can replay a snap once before it disappears. You’ll also be notified when your friends are replaying your snaps. If you want to keep a snap permanently, press and hold it to save it to your camera roll.
7. Explore Snapchat features
In addition to sending photo and video snaps, here are some other fun things you can do on Snapchat:
- View Stories – Watch photo and video stories posted by your friends in the past 24 hours.
- Use Lenses – Swipe right on the camera to access funny augmented reality lenses and filters.
- Try Out Geofilters – Customize photos with location-based graphic overlays.
- Chat – Start a text or video chat with friends right from the app.
- Discover Content – Watch videos, read articles, and explore content from popular publishers.
Take some time to browse through all of Snapchat’s features. The best way to learn is to just start snapping!
Conclusion
Getting started on Snapchat is easy and fun. Simply download the app, create an account, add friends, customize your profile and settings, and start snapping. Snapchat’s playful features like lenses, filters, and disappearing messages make sharing moments with friends creative and enjoyable. Be sure to explore all that Snapchat has to offer as you get accustomed to the app. With a customized experience tailored to your preferences, you’ll be snapping like a pro in no time!