10 Snapchat Life Hacks Every User Should Know
Snapchat launched back in 2011 and has come a long way since then: it practically invented the Stories format used by all social networks and facilitated the shift from the public and constant sharing of information online to the more private and temporary approach that most of us prefer today.
The app also has many more features than you might imagine—it’s rightfully considered the most functional and versatile social media app. From location alerts and data saving to customizable notifications and clever camera tricks, here’s how to get the most out of Snapchat.
Use Snapchat’s hidden data-saving mode to reduce storage usage and extend battery life.
Snapchat has a Data Saver mode that does exactly what its name suggests – saves data. Snaps and Stories won’t download automatically in the background as usual, so you’ll need to manually tap them to initiate downloads and view media. This is useful when traveling or away from reliable Wi-Fi, and since background downloads occur less frequently, you’ll also save some battery. To enable it, tap the gear icon (top right) on your profile to open the app settings, then tap “Data Saver.”
Receive notifications only for specific Snapchat stories.
There’s a lot going on on Snapchat, so if you have a lot of friends, you can quickly get inundated with notifications—especially when it comes to Stories. By adjusting your settings, you can receive notifications only for the Stories that interest you most.
On your profile page, tap the gear icon (top right), then select “Notifications.” Here you can turn off Story notifications in general. You can then add Story notifications specifically for your favorite contacts, one at a time. Go to a friend’s profile page, then tap the three dots (top right): select “Story Settings” > “Story Notifications” to ensure you receive alerts for that specific person.
You can take photos using multiple cameras at the same time.
You don’t have to limit yourself to just one camera for photos: you can simultaneously take photos and videos with both the front and rear cameras of your phone to annotate and react to what you see. From the main shooting screen, tap the drop-down arrow on the right, then select “Dual Camera.” Tap the “Dual Camera” icon again to choose from four layout options, including one where your image is superimposed on the main image.
Use Snapchat’s Snap Map feature to let someone know when you’ve safely arrived at your location.
It’s not a feature you’ll want to use everywhere, but it’s handy for family members and partners: as a complement to Snap Map’s location-sharing feature, you can also tag a specific contact when you get home (or anywhere else on the map).
Go to the contact’s main profile page, tap the three dots (in the upper right corner), then select “Arrival Notifications.” You can select “My Home” or tap “Add” to specify a different location—school, soccer practice, or anything else.
Let your friends decide for themselves whether they want to view your custom Snapchat stories.
One of Snapchat’s most appealing features is the ability to create custom stories for a specific audience, and you can set this up right on your profile page: just tap “New Story.” However, you don’t have to choose who can view your story—you can let your friends decide for themselves whether they want to participate.
After creating a story, take a new photo as usual, then tap the sticker icon (in the upper right corner) and select “Story.” This will allow you to post an invite link to any of your stories, allowing your contacts to decide whether they want to see your vacation adventures or thousands of photos of your pets.
You can share a snapshot to specific users or to one of your other Stories, so you still have complete control over who sees what (and can exclude other users from seeing your Stories at any time).
You can view your memories on Snapchat.
Snapchat is focused on content creation, which means you might not realize how much you can do with the photo and video memories the app accumulates. On your profile page, tap the three dots (top right), then select “Memories” to ensure they’re saved (you can also save individual snaps as you take them).
You can view your memories later by tapping the image icon to the left of the shutter button on the main shooting screen—and the app has a powerful search built in. Try searching for pets, sunsets, places, or dates (for example, “August 2023”), and you’ll get results almost instantly.
You’ll also see certain images and videos curated by Snapchat and grouped as Memories, and any of your Memories can be republished as Snaps or Stories (with new edits if needed).
You can save your Snapchat chats forever.
Snapchat is known for its ephemeral nature, but your photos, videos, and text messages don’t have to disappear immediately after viewing. You can choose to keep some conversations longer, turning the app into a more familiar messaging tool.
In any of your private or group chats, tap the top header bar, then the three dots (in the upper right corner). Select “Delete Chats,” and you can set them to never be deleted. You can also permanently save images, videos, and text by long-pressing them in the chat, then selecting “Keep in Chat.”
You can create your own stickers for Snapchat.
Any element in your photos and videos can be cut out and used as a sticker in future posts. After taking a photo, tap the scissors icon on the right, and you’ll get three selection tools to select the desired sticker. After cutting, you can move the new sticker anywhere in the current photo and access it in future posts by tapping the sticker icon in the upper right corner of the capture screen.
You can also use Snapchat in a web browser.
Snapchat isn’t just a mobile app; there’s also an official web app that offers most of the features available on Android and iOS. It also makes typing much easier, so if you use Snapchat as a messenger, it’s worth checking out. You can view stories on the web version and even send snaps—though you’ll be limited to using your computer’s webcam, so these will mostly be shots of your face and the room you’re in.
Snapchat has a hidden dark mode and other themes.
Snapchat offers a variety of different themes for mobile devices, though these options are fairly well hidden within the app. On your profile page, tap the gear icon (top right), then select “App Appearance” to access themes. Swipe left and right to cycle through them, including light and dark modes and more. If you’re a Snapchat+ subscriber ($3.99 per month), you can customize individual elements of your theme.