Are you new to Snapchat and wondering how to use Snapchat?

Look no further!

Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows you to send pictures and videos to your friends, add filters and effects, and post stories that disappear after 24 hours.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the basics of how to use Snapchat so you can start snapping like a pro in no time.

First things first, you’ll need to download the Snapchat app from your app store.

Once you’ve downloaded the app, create an account by entering your name, phone number, and email address.

You’ll then be prompted to create a username and password.

Once you’ve created your account, you can start adding friends by searching for their username or by scanning their Snapcode.

Now that you have an account and some friends added, it’s time to start snapping!

You can take a picture or video by pressing the large circle button on the camera screen.

You can then add filters, stickers, and text to your snap before sending it to your friends.

If you want to post a snap to your story, simply press the “My Story” button instead of sending it to individual friends.

And that’s it!

You’re now ready to start using Snapchat.

How to Use Snapchat

If you’re new to Snapchat, it can be a bit overwhelming to navigate the app’s interface.

However, once you get the hang of it, Snapchat can be a fun and easy way to share your life with your friends and family.

In this section, we will walk you through the basics of using Snapchat, including how to navigate the Home Screen, explore the Chat Screen, and discover the Stories Screen.

Understanding the Home Screen

When you first open Snapchat, you’ll be taken to the Home Screen.

This is where you’ll see the camera view, capture button, and various icons that allow you to access different features of the app.

Here’s a breakdown of what each icon does:

Capture Button: This is the large circle at the bottom of the screen. Tap it once to take a photo, or press and hold it to record a video.
Chat Icon: This is the icon in the bottom left corner of the screen. Tap it to access your chats.
Stories Icon: This is the icon in the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap it to access your friends’ stories and discover new content.

Exploring the Chat Screen

The Chat Screen is where you can chat with your friends and send them snaps.

To access the Chat Screen, tap the chat icon in the bottom left corner of the Home Screen.

Here’s what you need to know:

Chats: Your chats will appear at the top of the screen. Tap on a chat to open it and start chatting with your friend.
Send a Snap: To send a snap, tap the capture button to take a photo or record a video. Then, tap the blue arrow icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to send it to your friend.
Icons: There are several icons at the bottom of the Chat Screen that allow you to access different features, such as stickers, Bitmojis, and more.

Discovering the Stories Screen

The Stories Screen is where you can view your friends’ stories and discover new content.

To access the Stories Screen, tap the stories icon in the bottom right corner of the Home Screen.

Here’s what you need to know:

Stories: Your friends’ stories will appear at the top of the screen. Tap on a story to view it.
Discover: Swipe left on the screen to access the Discover section, where you can discover new content from publishers and creators.
Camera View: To take a snap and add it to your story, tap the capture button to take a photo or record a video. Then, tap the “Add to My Story” button to add it to your story.

Adding Friends

Snapchat is all about sharing moments with your friends.

To do that, you need to add them to your friends list.

Here are three ways to add friends on Snapchat: using Snapcode, from your contact list, or through their username.

Using Snapcode

Snapcode is a unique code that every Snapchat user has.

It is a yellow square with a ghost in the middle and black dots around the edge.

To add a friend using their Snapcode, follow these steps:

Ask your friend to send you their Snapcode.
Open Snapchat and tap on your profile icon in the top left corner.
Tap on the “Add Friends” button.
Tap on “Scan Snapcode.”
Point your camera at the Snapcode and wait for Snapchat to scan it.
Tap on “Add Friend” to add them to your friends list.

From Contact List

Another way to add friends is through your contact list.

Snapchat can automatically detect which of your contacts are already on Snapchat.

Here’s how to add friends from your contact list:

Open Snapchat and tap on your profile icon in the top left corner.
Tap on the “Add Friends” button.
Tap on “Add from Contacts.”
Snapchat will show you a list of your contacts who are already on Snapchat.
Tap on the “+” button next to the friend you want to add to your friends list.

Through Username

If you know your friend’s Snapchat username, you can add them directly.

Here’s how to add friends through their username:

Open Snapchat and tap on your profile icon in the top left corner.
Tap on the “Add Friends” button.
Tap on “Add by Username.”
Type in your friend’s username and tap on “Add Friend.”

Creating and Sending Snaps

Creating and sending Snaps is the core feature of Snapchat.

In this section, we will walk you through the process of taking a Snap, adding text and stickers, using filters and lenses, and sending your Snap to your friends.

Taking a Snap

To take a Snap, tap the camera icon on the main screen.

You can take a photo by tapping the shutter button or hold it down to record a video.

You can also switch between the front and rear camera by tapping the camera icon in the top right corner.

Adding Text and Stickers

Once you’ve taken a Snap, you can add text and stickers to it.

To add text, tap anywhere on the screen and start typing.

You can change the font, color, and size of the text by tapping the T icon on the right side of the screen.

To add stickers, tap the sticker icon on the right side of the screen and browse through the available options.

Using Filters and Lenses

Filters and Lenses are fun ways to enhance your Snaps.

To use a filter, swipe left or right on the screen after taking a Snap.

You can also add Lenses by tapping the smiley face icon on the right side of the screen and selecting a Lens from the available options.

Sending Your Snap

Once you’ve added text, stickers, filters, and Lenses to your Snap, you can send it to your friends.

To send a Snap, tap the send button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

You can select individual friends to send the Snap to or create a group by selecting multiple friends.

You can also add your Snap to your Story by tapping the My Story button.

Using Chat Features

Snapchat’s chat feature is a great way to stay in touch with your friends and family.

In this section, we’ll go over the basics of using chat features on Snapchat, including starting a chat, sending messages and stickers, and making video calls.

Starting a Chat

To start a chat with someone on Snapchat, you’ll need to find them in your friends list.

Once you’ve found them, tap on their name to open up the chat screen.

From there, you can start typing a message to them.

Sending Messages and Stickers

Sending messages and stickers is easy on Snapchat.

Simply type out your message and hit send.

If you want to add a sticker to your message, tap on the sticker icon and select the one you want to use.

You can also search for stickers using keywords.

Making Video Calls

Snapchat also allows you to make video calls with your friends.

To make a video call, simply tap on the video camera icon in the chat screen.

The person you’re calling will receive a notification and can choose to accept or decline the call.

During the call, you can switch between the front and back cameras, mute your microphone, or turn off your camera if you need to.

When you’re done with the call, simply tap the red hang up button to end it.

Exploring Stories and Discover

Snapchat Stories and Discover give you a way to follow the activities of people you follow, and of major publishers, all in one place.

In this section, we will explore how to view and use Stories and Discover features on Snapchat.

Viewing Stories

To view Stories, swipe left from the Camera screen to get to the Stories screen.

You will see your friends’ Stories at the top of the screen.

You can tap on a friend’s Story to view it.

You can also swipe left or right to go to the next or previous Story.

Public Stories are also available for you to view.

To access them, swipe right from the Camera screen to get to the Discover screen.

You will see a list of popular Stories from different publishers, creators, and Spotlight.

You can tap on a Story to view it.

Using the Discover Feature

The Discover feature allows you to discover new content from publishers, creators, and Spotlight.

To access Discover, swipe right from the Camera screen to get to the Discover screen.

You can browse through the list of popular Stories and tap on a Story to view it.

You can also search for specific publishers or creators by tapping on the search bar at the top of the screen.

If you want to skip a Story, swipe left.

You can also subscribe to a publisher or creator’s Story by pressing and holding on a Story and selecting “Subscribe.”

Using Snapchat Map and Memories

Snapchat offers two features that allow you to share your location and save your snaps.

These features are Snap Map and Memories.

In this section, we will explore how to use these features to enhance your Snapchat experience.

Understanding Snap Map

Snap Map is a feature that allows you to share your location with your friends on Snapchat.

To access Snap Map, open the Snapchat app and swipe down on the camera screen.

You will see a map with the Bitmojis of your friends who have enabled Snap Map.

You can also view public snaps from around the world by tapping on the heat map.

If you want to hide your location from your friends, you can enable Ghost Mode.

To enable Ghost Mode, tap on your Bitmoji on the Snap Map and select “Ghost Mode.”

Your location will no longer be visible to your friends.

Using Memories

Memories is a feature that allows you to save your snaps and stories to Snapchat’s cloud storage.

To access Memories, swipe up from the camera screen.

You can also access Memories from the chat screen by tapping on the “Memories” icon.

Once you have saved a snap or story to Memories, you can edit and send it to your friends.

To send a snap from Memories, press and hold on the snap and select the “Send” option.

You can also add the snap to your story or save it to your camera roll.

If you want to keep your saved snaps private, you can use My Eyes Only.

My Eyes Only is a feature that allows you to save snaps to a passcode-protected folder within Memories.

To enable My Eyes Only, go to the Memories screen, swipe up, and select “My Eyes Only.”

You will be prompted to create a passcode.

Customizing Your Snapchat

Snapchat allows you to customize your profile to make it your own.

Here are some ways to make your Snapchat unique:

Editing Your Bitmoji

Your Bitmoji is your personal avatar that represents you on Snapchat.

To edit your Bitmoji, follow these steps:

Tap on your profile icon in the top left corner of the screen.
Tap on your Bitmoji icon.
Tap on “Edit Bitmoji” to customize your avatar.
You can change your Bitmoji’s hairstyle, facial features, clothing, and more.
Once you’re done editing, tap on “Save” to save your changes.

Changing Your Settings

You can also customize your Snapchat settings to fit your preferences.

Here are some settings you can change:

Notification Settings: You can choose which notifications you want to receive from Snapchat.
Privacy Settings: You can choose who can see your snaps and stories.
Filters and Lenses: You can enable or disable filters and lenses that appear when you take a snap.
Memories: You can choose to save your snaps to your memories or to your camera roll.
Snap Map: You can choose who can see your location on the Snap Map.

To change your Snapchat settings, follow these steps:

Tap on your profile icon in the top left corner of the screen.
Tap on the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen.
Scroll down to find the setting you want to change.
Tap on the setting to access its options.
Make your changes and tap on “Save” to save your changes.

Customizing your Snapchat can make it more fun and personal.

Try out different options to find what works best for you!

Key Takeaways

Congratulations! You now know the basics of using Snapchat.

Here are some key takeaways to remember:

Snapchat is a social media app that allows you to share photos and videos with your friends.
You can take photos and videos using the camera feature in the app. To take a photo, press the circle in the bottom center of your screen. To take a video, press and hold the circle.
You can add filters, stickers, and text to your snaps to make them more fun and interesting.
You can send snaps to individual friends or add them to your story, which all of your friends can see.
You can also chat with your friends on Snapchat using the chat feature.
Snapchat is popular among millennials and Gen-Zers, so if you’re trying to reach that audience, it’s a great platform to use.
Snapchat was founded by Evan Spiegel and is constantly evolving with new features and updates.
Be mindful of the privacy settings on Snapchat and only share content that you are comfortable with others seeing.

Now that you have a good understanding of how to use Snapchat, have fun snapping and sharing with your friends!