Snapchat is a popular social media platform that allows users to share photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. While Snapchat is primarily designed as a mobile app, it is possible to access and use Snapchat on a laptop computer without needing to provide a phone number during signup.
Why use Snapchat on a laptop?
There are a few key reasons why someone may want to use Snapchat on their laptop rather than just on a mobile device:
- Larger screen – Viewing Snaps, Stories, and Discover content is more enjoyable on a laptop’s larger screen compared to a smartphone screen.
- Typing – Typing messages and captions is often faster and easier on a full keyboard compared to a mobile touchscreen keyboard.
- Managing accounts – It can be easier to manage multiple Snapchat accounts on a laptop rather than constantly logging in and out on a phone.
- Privacy – Using Snapchat on a laptop allows keeping Snapchat activity separate from your main smartphone device.
How to sign up for Snapchat on a laptop
Signing up for a new Snapchat account on a laptop is easy to do:
- Go to Snapchat.com on your laptop’s web browser. This will take you to the Snapchat login page.
- Click ‘Sign Up’ below the ‘Log In’ section.
- Enter your email address, create a password, enter your birthday and gender.
- On the next page, enter your first and last name.
- Then you’ll be taken to a page to create your unique Snapchat username.
- After creating a username, you’ll be asked to verify your email address.
- Once your email is verified, your Snapchat account will be ready to use on laptop!
The whole signup process only takes a few minutes. The key thing is that Snapchat does not require you to enter a phone number in order to sign up on the desktop website.
How to use Snapchat on a laptop
Once logged into your new Snapchat account on a laptop, you’ll be able to use the core features of Snapchat including:
- Sending photo and video Snaps – You can send disappearing photo and video messages to friends in your Snapchat contacts.
- Viewing Stories – Watch Stories from your friends and discover new content from creators and publishers.
- Chat – Have ongoing chats with friends using text, video and audio messages.
- Filters and Lenses – Add filters, lenses and geofilters to your photos and videos.
- Snapchat Discover – Watch curated shows, news and entertainment content on Discover.
- Snapchat Memories – View saved Snaps and Stories in your Memories and upload them to your Story.
While the Snapchat interface on desktop isn’t as robust as the mobile app, the core messaging and viewing functionality works quite well. You’ll be able to chat and share content with friends seamlessly.
Tips for using Snapchat on laptop
Here are some useful tips for having the best experience using Snapchat on your laptop:
- Use a laptop with a webcam so you can send video Snaps.
- Enable push notifications in Settings so you don’t miss Snaps and chats.
- Customize your privacy settings so only friends can contact you.
- Be careful about logging in on shared or public computers for privacy.
- Plug headphones into your laptop to have audio on Snaps and Stories.
- Click the video icon in chat to switch to live video chatting.
- Hover over Stories previews to get a better view before opening them.
- Type in the chat bar then press Shift+Enter to send a new line.
- Save incoming Snaps before they disappear by clicking the Download arrow.
FAQs about Snapchat for laptop
Does Snapchat work on Mac or Windows PC?
Yes, Snapchat’s web version works on both Windows and Mac computers. As long as you have an updated web browser, you can access Snapchat on either operating system.
Can I use Snapchat on multiple devices?
You can be logged into Snapchat on mobile and desktop at the same time. You can seamlessly switch between sending and viewing Snaps on different devices.
Is Snapchat for web missing any features?
Snapchat on the web is missing a few things such as visual filters for faces, Bitmoji, location sharing, etc. But all the core messaging functions are there.
Is there a Snapchat desktop app I can download?
There is no downloadable Snapchat app for desktop. The desktop experience is designed as a web app that runs in your browser.
How do I video/audio chat on Snapchat web?
In an ongoing chat with a friend, click the video or audio call icon at the top right to start a live video or voice call with that friend.
Conclusion
Accessing Snapchat on a laptop is simple to do and opens up new ways to enjoy Snaps, Stories, and chatting with friends. While the desktop experience lacks some features of mobile, the core Snapchat activities work flawlessly in the browser. With a few tips, you can become a pro at Snapchatting from your Mac or PC.