Are you wondering how to use Snapchat on a computer? Snapchat is one of the few social media apps that never made the transition from mobile to desktop. Instagram has a web app, and WhatsApp has a desktop app, but you’ve always needed your phone nearby to Snap. However, starting today, you can pick up those conversations on your Mac or PC, whether you’re sending a quick photo to a friend or joining a group video call.
This isn’t necessarily “breaking news.” Since July, Snapchat+ subscribers have had access to a web app. Since mid-summer, you could have been snapping friends from your laptop for $3.99 per month. Of course, if you didn’t, you just saved $8 because Snap Inc. officially rolled out the feature to everyone today.
How can you use Snapchat on a PC
To begin, you must be using the most recent version of Chrome or Microsoft Edge. No, Snapchat does not have a Mac or PC app, so you must rely on the web app. Navigate to web.snapchat.com and sign in with your username and password. You must enter the code if you have two-factor authentication enabled (which you should).
Then, in the Snapchat app on your iPhone or Android, confirm your account. You can respond to the prompt by tapping the notification that appears on your mobile device. (It should go without saying, but if you see this alert on Snapchat and aren’t attempting to sign into your account via the web app, don’t tap “Yes.” Tap “No.”)
When everything is finished, you’ll be greeted by a welcome page with your Snapchat avatar. Click “Get Started,” and then grant Snapchat access to your computer’s webcam and microphone. If the camera does not turn on automatically, you can enable it by clicking on the large camera icon in the centre of the screen.
It’s really just Snapchat in a more limited, distilled form from here. You can take pictures (with or without lenses), send them to individual friends or groups, and initiate video or audio calls at any time. However, you cannot access Snap Map, Stories, Discover, Spotlight, or your snap archive. But, more importantly, you can’t open snaps on your computer. You can send as many as you want, but if you receive one, you must pick up your phone to read it. That’s disappointing.
Obviously, if you care about those missing features, particularly opening snaps, the web app won’t feel exactly like Snapchat. However, I do not believe that is the case here. Snap may add features like opening snaps and stories to the web app in the future, but for now, Snapchat on the web appears to be designed to help you move conversations from mobile to desktop and back again.
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