Snapchat filters allow users to add fun effects and transformations to their photos and videos in the app. Filters have become one of the most popular Snapchat features. On iPhone, turning on filters in Snapchat is easy once you know where to look.
Opening the Lens Carousel
All of Snapchat’s lenses and filters are located in the Lens Carousel at the bottom of the Snapchat camera screen. To access the Lens Carousel:
- Open the Snapchat app on your iPhone.
- Tap the camera button at the bottom of the screen to open the camera.
- At the bottom of the camera screen, swipe left or right over the row of circles to open the Lens Carousel.
Swiping left or right will scroll through the available lenses and filters. Tapping on a lens or filter icon will select it.
Finding Filters in the Lens Carousel
The Lens Carousel contains different types of lenses and filters to choose from:
- Lenses: These add effects like rainbow vomit or puppy dog ears and noses to your face.
- Filters: These add overlays like the time, weather, speed, or geofilters to your photos.
- Color Filters: These change the color tone of your photos and videos.
Filters are located towards the beginning of the Lens Carousel. Keep swiping left until you see filter icons appear.
Some filters you may see include:
- Time
- Temperature
- Speed
- Geofilters
Tapping a filter icon will select it and apply the filter to your camera view. You can tap the shutter button to take a photo or hold it down to record a video with the filter applied.
Using Geofilters
Geofilters are filters designed for specific locations and events. You need to be physically present in the location of a geofilter to use it. Geofilters will only show up in the Lens Carousel when you are in the correct geographic area.
To find geofilters in Snapchat:
- Enable location services for Snapchat in your iPhone’s Settings app.
- Open Snapchat and go to the camera screen.
- Swipe through the Lens Carousel until you see location-based geofilters appear.
- Tap a geofilter to select it and see the location name.
Custom geofilters designed for weddings, parties, concerts, and other private events will also only appear if you are in the correct location. Swipe through the Lens Carousel while at an event to find its custom geofilter.
Saving Photos with Filters
By default, photos and videos taken with filters applied will be saved to your Memories in Snapchat. To save them:
- Tap the preview thumbnail in the lower left after taking a photo or video with a filter.
- Tap the downward arrow icon in the bottom right.
- Select “Save to Memories” or “Save to Camera Roll” if you also want to save the photo/video to your iPhone’s local storage.
Saving to Memories will store your filtered content so you can re-share it later. Saving to your camera roll lets you access filtered photos/videos in your main iPhone photo library.
Replaying Filtered Photos and Videos
Snapchat’s Replay feature lets you view a photo or video again after taking it. To Replay content with filters:
- Take a photo or video with a filter enabled.
- Tap the preview thumbnail in the lower left.
- Tap the Replay icon (loop arrow) in the bottom right.
This will re-open the photo/video so you can view it again with the filter applied. You can Replay filtered content as many times as you want before it gets deleted.
Saving Filters to Favorites
You can save your favorite filters to Favorites so they are easier to access in the future:
- Swipe through the Lens Carousel and tap a filter you want to save.
- Tap the star icon above the Lens Carousel to save it to Favorites.
- To access Favorites, swipe up from the bottom of the Lens Carousel or tap the smiley face icon.
Saving often used filters to Favorites lets you quickly find them instead of swiping through the entire Lens Carousel.
Sharing Photos with Filters
After taking a photo or video with filters activated, you can share it with friends in a few ways:
- Tap the arrow icon in the lower right to send it as a Snap.
- Tap the chat bubble icon to share it to Group or Story.
- Tap the paper airplane icon to send it as a Chat message.
This will share the filtered content with the filters still applied. Friends can view the photo or video with the same filter on their end.
Turning Off Filters
There are a couple ways to turn off filters in Snapchat for iPhone:
- Tap the x icon in the upper left of the camera screen – This will disable the current filter.
- Swipe to the end of the Lens Carousel – The last icon turns off all lenses and filters.
- Close the camera screen – Returning to the main Snapchat screen turns off any active filters.
Turning filters off returns the Snapchat camera view back to normal without any effects applied.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s huge library of fun filters is easy to access in the iPhone app once you open the Lens Carousel. Swipe to find filters, tap one to select it, take your photo/video, and then share away! Saving favorites and replays lets you find and reuse filters easily. Turn any filter off in just a tap when you want shots without effects. With this guide, you’ll be a Snapchat filter pro in no time!