Snapchat offers a variety of filters that allow users to enhance or edit their photos before uploading and sharing them. The main filter that lets you upload pictures from your camera roll is the Upload From Gallery filter.
What is the Upload From Gallery filter?
The Upload From Gallery filter allows Snapchat users to upload photos directly from their camera roll or gallery instead of having to take a new snap. This gives you access to all the photos already saved on your device so you can share older pictures or photos not taken through Snapchat.
To use the Upload From Gallery filter:
- Open the Snapchat app
- Tap the camera button to go to the camera screen
- Swipe left or right until you see the Upload From Gallery filter icon (it looks like a small photo gallery)
- Tap the Upload From Gallery icon
- Select a photo from your camera roll to upload
- Edit the photo with filters, drawings, text etc if desired
- Send or save the snap as usual
The Upload From Gallery filter lets you turn any photo from your camera roll into a snap. You can then share it with friends or add it to your Story just like a regular snap.
What are the benefits of the Upload From Gallery filter?
Here are some of the benefits of using Snapchat’s Upload From Gallery filter:
- Access to all your photos – you’re not limited only to new photos taken directly in the app
- Share old memories and throwback pics from your camera roll
- No need to screenshot photos already on your phone to share them
- Edit and enhance existing photos with Snapchat creative tools
- Maintain photo quality instead of screenshots which can degrade image quality
- More flexibility and options for the snaps you send
How is the Upload From Gallery filter different from Memories?
Memories and the Upload From Gallery filter give you both access to old photos, but there are some key differences:
| Memories | Upload From Gallery |
|---|---|
| Only shows snaps you’ve previously saved in Memories | Lets you access any photo in your camera roll |
| Automatically creates collections of related snaps | You select individual photos to upload |
| Memories snaps disappear after viewing | Uploaded snaps remain until you delete them |
| Primarily a viewing feature | Lets you edit and share old photos as new snaps |
So in summary, Memories is for viewing your old Snapchat snippets while Upload From Gallery allows active sharing and editing of photos from your full camera roll.
Can you upload photos on Snapchat without the Upload From Gallery filter?
Yes, there are a couple other ways to upload photos from your camera roll on Snapchat without having to use the Upload From Gallery filter:
- Memories – As mentioned above, you can view and share previously saved snaps through Memories. Just tap the Memories section in Snapchat to find old snaps.
- Save to Memories – When you take a new snap, you can save it to Memories before sending. This allows uploading a camera roll photo as a new snap.
- Stitch photos together – Select multiple photos and use the Stitch tool to combine them into one snap.
However, the Upload From Gallery filter is the most straightforward method as it avoids having to save photos as Memories first or stitching multiple images together. The filter gives direct access to upload any single photo.
Does the Upload From Gallery filter reduce Snapchat photo quality?
Yes, the Upload From Gallery filter will compress and reduce the quality of photos similarly to regular Snapchat snaps. This is done to save on storage space and data usage in the app.
When you upload a photo through the filter, Snapchat will:
- Compress and resize the photo to fit within a 720p resolution
- Apply optimization to reduce image file size
- Convert to the JPEG format
As a result, any photos uploaded through the filter will have lower quality than the original camera roll version. The amount of compression can vary depending on the resolution and size of the initial photo.
If maintaining maximum image quality is important, it may be better to share photos through alternative messaging apps rather than uploading via Snapchat filters. But the ease of use and creativity of Snapchat filters makes them convenient for casual photo sharing.
Can you upload videos from your gallery on Snapchat?
Unfortunately, Snapchat’s Upload From Gallery filter only works with static photos. There is no direct way to upload existing videos from your camera roll using filters.
However, there are some workaround options for sharing camera roll videos on Snapchat:
- Record your camera roll video playback using Snapchat’s camera.
- Import the video into an editing app and convert into an image slideshow which can be uploaded.
- Use video converting apps to change the format to MP4 which Snapchat accepts.
But there is no native Snapchat filter that provides the same upload functionality for camera roll videos as the Upload From Gallery filter does for photos.
Workarounds for uploading camera roll videos on Snapchat
1. Record your video playback
Open the video you want to share in your device’s media gallery or a third party app. Then open Snapchat and record your phone’s screen as the video plays back. This lets you capture and share the footage through Snapchat as you normally would a snap.
Just be sure to hold your phone steady and record in landscape orientation for best results. The drawback is your snap will include any device interfaces visible during playback.
2. Convert video into slideshow
You can import your camera roll video into editing apps like InShot or PicPlayPost. Then convert the footage into a fast picture slideshow, usually at 1 frame per second. Export the slideshow as a video. Since it’s just a series of static images, you can now upload it via Snapchat’s photo filter.
This technique allows sharing longer videos through Snapchat. But the downside is you lose any actual video motion. The result will be a quick succession of still frames only.
3. Change video format
Apps like Video Converter Ultimate allow changing the container format of videos. You can convert your camera roll videos to MP4 format which Snapchat accepts for uploading.
The video length has to be within Snapchat’s limits. But converting the file type lets you directly upload longer videos as snaps instead of just 10 second snippets. Be aware this can reduce video quality.
How can you save photos uploaded through Snapchat filters?
There are a couple ways to save photos you’ve uploaded via Snapchat filters:
- Save to Memories – After uploading the photo, tap the Download arrow icon to save it to your Snapchat Memories.
- Screenshot – Take a screenshot of the snap before sending or posting it.
- Save chat – If you sent the snap to a friend, hold and save the chat to your camera roll.
However, saving photos uploaded through Snapchat will not retain the original full quality version from your camera roll. Snapchat compression and reduction of resolution remains in downloaded versions.
For the highest quality saved copy, your best option is to save your photo edits and use them on the original source file from your device storage rather than uploading through Snapchat first.
Does Snapchat notify when you screenshot an uploaded photo?
Yes, Snapchat will send a notification to the sender if you take a screenshot of a snap they sent you, including photos uploaded from their camera roll.
The notification prevents stealthily saving or resharing people’s snaps without them knowing. This applies equally to regular Snapchat photos and those uploaded through the Upload From Gallery filter.
To screenshot uploaded photos without the sender being notified, you would need to use third-party apps or defeat Snapchat’s screenshot detection. But this violates Snapchat’s terms of use.
Can you upload photos to Snapchat on desktop?
Snapchat was originally designed as a mobile-only app. But recent versions have introduced some desktop web browser support.
Currently, you can view Snapchat stories, chat messages, and Memories on a desktop computer. However, core snap creation features like cameras and filters are not available. So the Upload From Gallery filter cannot be accessed on the desktop experience.
Uploading device photos is still limited to Snapchat’s mobile apps. You need to use the Android or iOS versions to bring in camera roll photos through the Upload From Gallery filter or related tools.
Does Snapchat automatically delete uploaded photos?
Snapchat does automatically delete photos and videos shared as snaps after they have been viewed. This holds true for photos uploaded from your camera roll using the Upload From Gallery filter as well.
By default, snaps sent directly to friends remain visible one time only and are then deleted. If you post an uploaded photo to your Story, it will typically remain for 24 hours before being deleted.
However, there are ways to save uploaded Snapchat pics before they are deleted:
- Recipient takes screenshot before opening
- Sender saves snap to Memories before sending
- Third-party apps archive Snapchat data
Keep in mind snaps saved to Memories also get deleted after 30 days if they are not added to a special collection. So uploading photos to Snapchat should still be considered temporary sharing rather than permanent storage.
Is there a limit on number of photos you can upload with Snapchat filters at once?
Snapchat does limit how many photos you can upload and share within a certain time period:
- 10 photos per hour – The Upload From Gallery filter is capped at 10 photos per hour
- 10 videos per day – You can only upload up to 10 total videos per 24 hours
Trying to exceed these limits will result in an error message from Snapchat preventing additional uploads until the next hour or day window resets.
This restriction helps manage Snapchat’s storage and networking loads with so many users uploading media. The hourly photo limit specifically applies to the Upload From Gallery filter when bringing in camera roll pics.
Can Snapchat tell if a photo was uploaded from your camera roll?
There is no obvious indicator to Snapchat recipients that a photo was uploaded from your camera gallery. Uploaded snaps appear the same as photos taken directly within the app.
The Snapchat interfaces for sending and viewing uploaded photos are identical to regular Snapchat camera snaps. There’s no built-in way to reveal the snap’s source.
However, there are some subtle clues that a snap may be an uploaded photo rather than taken live:
- Higher resolution or different ratio than Snapchat cameras
- EXIF metadata may show non-Snapchat source device
- Lack of context like Snapchat interfaces and camera button
But nothing definitively confirms a snap’s origin without the sender admitting it was uploaded. Overall Snapchat tries to provide a consistent experience between new snaps and uploaded pics.
Do uploads use mobile data even on WiFi?
By default, Snapchat will use your WiFi connection for uploads if you are connected to a wireless network. This helps reduce mobile data usage.
However, you can change this behaviour in Snapchat’s Settings:
- Go to Settings > Manage
- Tap Additional Services > Manage
- Turn off ‘Use WiFi for Media’ option
With that setting disabled, Snapchat will use mobile data for uploads even when on WiFi. This may be preferred to avoid congesting or exploiting office/school networks.
Note that downloads and viewing will still happen over WiFi. It’s only the image uploads sent out that can be forced onto mobile data.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s Upload From Gallery filter provides a straightforward way to share photos from your existing camera roll. While uploading reduces image quality slightly, the ability to enhance photos with Snapchat’s creative tools makes it worth it for fun social sharing.
Just be mindful of Snapchat’s temporary nature and auto-deletion functions when relying on it as your photo library. Maintain the originals where possible when uploading precious memories you want to keep.