How to Enable the New Snapchat Alpha on Android
Android Snapchat users have been waiting for a faster, more stable version of the popular social media app since the company first introduced a big update back in 2017. The new build is finally approaching full release, and thanks to excellent work on this side by Mishal Rahman of XDA-Developers , some Android users can check out the alpha version of the new Snapchat right now. If you’re wondering what this new, faster version of Snapchat is like and don’t want to wait, here’s how to get it on your phone:
Rooting your Android phone
Before we start, there are a few points to make. First, this version of Snapchat is an alpha build, which means it is incomplete and may have some missing features, bugs, or stability issues.
The second warning is more serious: enabling Snapchat Alpha will require root access to your phone’s internal files. This can be a risky procedure and can lead to quite a lot of problems if you don’t know what to do or cannot complete an important step. These potential risks include: performance instability, faulty apps, and even a locked smartphone. Additionally, rooting your phone can void your warranty – for example, you won’t be able to contact the manufacturer for help if something goes wrong.
The result of rooting your device is that you have full access to your phone’s internal storage and you can install applications and tools that allow you to uniquely manipulate your device’s files and settings. A full explanation of what is rooting and how / why to do it can be found in our guide to rooting for Android phones , which also includes resources for rooting specific devices.
If, for whatever reason, you choose not to root your phone, you can still use the new Snapchat user interface for Android after it’s officially released (although we don’t know exactly when that will happen). This method only applies to accessing an unreleased alpha version.
Necessary materials
With those warnings cleared, let’s get up and running with this shiny new Snapchat interface. Here’s what you need:
- Rooted Android phone with developer mode enabled.
- The most recent version of the Snapchat app
- The computer with the most recent ADB binaries installed.
- USB cable to connect your phone to a PC.
Updating your Snapchat app
Naturally, to enable the latest features, we’ll need the latest version of the Snapchat app. To access the alpha, you need to run beta 10.39 or 10.39.1.
Visit the Snapchat page on the Google Play Store to see if you need to update. If you are not running the 10.39 or 10.39.1 beta but the Play Store does not indicate that you have an update ready, you can instead download the latest Snapchat APK from APKMirror and download it to your device.
Setting up Snapchat to enable alpha access
Once you’ve installed the correct build, things get a little tricky. We’re going to edit a file in the Snapchat directory on your phone, which requires some action. First of all, it’s time to root your phone if you haven’t already. As stated above, refer to our guide to rooting your phone for detailed instructions on how to do this.
Once your phone is rooted, you will need to download a root-enabled file manager software that will allow you to edit files.
There are several root-enabled file browsers such as MiExplorer, FX File Explorer and others, although we will be using MiXplorer for our purposes here.
After installing MiXplorer, open the application. On the left toolbar, there is a Root Directory option. Tap this and the app will ask you for root access. Give it access, and from here you can access all the files on your phone, including those important to the system and applications.
Open a folder named data , then navigate to data again. In that folder, find com.shapchat.android and then shared_prefs .
Then open the file labeled ” dynamicAppConfic.xml “. Search the document for the phrase “appFamily” to find the line we need to edit. The complete line should look like this : <line name ‘”appFamily”> snapchat </string> . On this line, replace the word “snapchat” with “mushroom”. The line should now look like this : <line name ‘”appFamily”> mushroom </string> .
Save the file, then exit MiExplorer.
Find your Snapchat app in the app drawer and hold the icon until you access the app info page. From there select “Force Close Snapchat”.
Enable developer mode and USB debugging
Since the next step will require you to connect your phone to your computer to make changes, you need to enable USB debugging.
And for that you need to go to developer mode. In your device’s system settings , go to Settings , About Phone and then Software Information . Scroll down and tap the build number a few times until you get a notification that developer mode is on.
Go back to the Settings menu and select Developer Options . Scroll until you find the debug section and then enable USB debugging .
These are the first steps over the phone. Then we need to connect the phone to your PC to complete the process.
On your computer
Start this part of the process by connecting your phone to your computer via USB.
If you haven’t already, you will need to download the latest ADB binaries ( you will find our guide here ).
Open a Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell on your computer from the Start menu or by pressing Window + X. You can also use the search bar if you cannot find it. On Linux, press Ctrl + Alt + T and macOS users can open the Terminal app in Applications> Utilities .
In the Command Prompt window, enter the directory where the ADB binaries are saved.
Once there, the next step is to open the ADB Shell. At the Windows command prompt, enter the adb shell command and press Enter to access the ADB shell. If you are using Windows PowerShell use :. \ Adb shell . MacOS and Linux users will use the ./adb shell .
Once you have access to the ADB shell, enter the command: su, press Enter and accept the prompt to grant root access.
Then enter these commands one by one:
- pm enable com.snapchat.android/com.snap.mushroom.MushroomMainActivity
- pm enable com.snapchat.android/com.snap.mushroom.MainActivity
- pm disable com.snapchat.android/.LandingPageActivity
After executing the commands, close the Command Prompt window and safely disconnect your phone from your computer.
If you’ve followed these steps, you now have access to the new redesigned Snapchat interface. It wasn’t that bad, was it?