How to Make a Snapchat Account

Sign up for Snapchat on your Android, iPhone, or iPad

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 10, 2022 Tested

Snapchat is a fun app that lets you send brief "Snap" photos and videos to your friends. These Snaps can be viewed for a few seconds before they are deleted forever. Snapchat is available for free for iPhone and Android.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Setting Up Your Account

1
Download the app. The way to do so is similar on iPhones and iPads as well as on Android devices:
- iPhone/iPad: Open Snapchat in the App Store, tap Get, and tap Install.
- Android: Open Snapchat in the Play Store, tap Install.
- Snapchat is designed for smart phones. You may encounter problems if you try to sign up using a tablet.^{[1]
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It's a yellow app containing the outline of a white ghost.
This will prompt you to create a new Snapchat account.
Type your first and last name in the provided spaces.
You must be 13 or older to open a Snapchat account. If your birthday indicates that you're younger than 13, you'll be redirected to Snapkidz.
7
Enter a username and tap Continue. Your username is the "Snapchat ID" that other users need to look up in order to add you. Your username cannot be changed, so carefully choose the new username you'd like to have associated with your Snapchat account.
- You will be able to choose a display name later. This is the name your friends will see. It can be anything you like and changed as often as you want.
8
Enter an email address and tap Continue. Your email address is used to verify changes you make to your Snapchat account.
- Snapchat will send a verification email. Check your email and follow the instructions to verify your email address.
Use a combination of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols to create a secure password.
Use the number associated with the device on which Snapchat is installed.
Snapchat has a verification method to ensure that automated accounts are not being created. Tap the images that have a ghost in them.
12
Add friends. Snapchat will scan your contacts list for other people using Snapchat. To add them as friends, simply tap on the person-with-a-plus icon to the right of the screen. Once they accept your friend request, you will be able to exchange pictures and videos.^{[2]
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- You can skip this by tapping "Not Allow" after tapping "Continue."
- If you want to add a friend who is not in your phone contacts, you will have to search for them manually. You can do this by tapping on the search icon in the top right of the "Add Friends" screen and searching their Snapchat username.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Using Snapchat

Once your account is set up and you have added your friends, you can start sending Snaps immediately. To take a picture, go to Snapchat's main screen, which is almost the same as your phone's camera. Tap the larger button in the bottom center to take a picture, or hold it to record a quick video.
2
Edit the picture. After taking a Snap, you can perform a variety of edits to it.
- You can add a caption to the photo by tapping once on the screen. This will bring up your keyboard, allowing you to write your caption or message not to mention design.
- You can draw on the picture by tapping on the pencil icon on the top right of the screen. This brings up a colored bar, which you can slide up or down to choose the color of your pen.
- You can add stickers, emojis, or Bitmojis. Tap the Stickers button at the top of the screen (it looks like a folded sticky note, to the left of the “T”). Swipe left and right on the list to see the different categories. Scroll down to see the selection. Tapping an emoji will add it to the picture, and then you can drag it to exactly where you want it with your finger. You can add as many stickers as you like to your Snap.
- You can make a sticker. Tap the scissors icon at the top of the screen, then use your finger to outline any part of the video, such as a person's face. Now you've created a sticker that you can move to any place on the screen with your finger.
- You can change the filter or add a time, temperature or speed caption by swiping to the left.
By default, the recipient will be able to view your Snap for three seconds. You can change this by tapping the Timer button in the bottom-left corner. A menu will appear, allowing you to select between 1 and 10 seconds.
4
Send the picture or add it to your Story. Send the picture by tapping the arrow button at the bottom right of the screen. This will bring you to your contacts list.
- Choose the people you want to send your snap to by tapping their display names. Then tap the arrow button on the bottom right of the screen to send.
- Go to the Chat page to see the status of your snap -- whether it has been "Sent", "Delivered" or "Opened".
- You can also add your snap to My Story, an option that is displayed at the top of your contacts list. Your story is a collection of Snaps and videos that you've added in the last 24 hours. Individual Snaps and videos disappear from your Story after 24 hours. By default, anyone on your contact list can view your Story an unlimited number of times. Swipe left on the camera screen and tap ⚙️ in the upper right corner to restrict who can see your Story.
5
Tap anywhere on the camera screen to use Lenses. Lenses is a feature that uses facial recognition to animate and add effects to your Snap. Lenses only works on iPhone 4s or newer, and on most devices running Android 4.3 or later.^{[3]
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- Activate Lenses before taking a Snap or video.
- If the Lenses feature doesn't activate, your device may not be compatible.
- Swipe to the left to see the different effects available. Some will have instructions, such as "Open your mouth" or "Raise your eyebrows." This will cause another animation to occur. The availability of Lenses rotates, so some effects will not always be available.^{[4]
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- Take a Snap or press and hold the button to record a video. You'll be able to send it like you would a regular Snap.
6
Open messages. Tap the Chat bubble in the lower-left corner of the screen to go to the Chat page. Tap the display name of the sender to view the Snap, video, or message.
- Be aware that once you start viewing, a timer will begin counting down the seconds. Once the timer gets to zero, you will no longer be able to view the snap.
- You can replay a Snap once before you navigate away from the screen. If you leave the Chat screen, replay is no longer available.
- The only way around this is to take a screenshot of the image while it is still on your screen. This will save the image to your gallery. Snapchat will also notify the sender that you have taken a screenshot.
7
Block friends. If you want to block someone on your contacts list (which prevents them from sending you Snaps or viewing your Story) scroll through your Contacts and tap their display name, then tap the ⚙️ icon that appears beside it. A secondary menu will appear, inviting you to block or delete that person.
- If you delete the person, they will disappear from your contacts list completely. If you block them, their display name will appear on a blocked list at the bottom of the contacts list.
- To unblock someone, scroll down to the blocked list, tap on their display name, tap the ⚙️ icon, and tap Unblock. Their name will return to your contacts list.
You can change a number of settings on your account by swiping down on the camera screen and then tapping ⚙️ in the top right corner.

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Question

Why can't I see the Sign Up screen?

Community Answer

Snapchat is likely logged in with another account. Tap the Ghost button, then the Gear button. Select "Log Out" to return to the main Sign Up/Sign In screen.

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Question

Can I create an account from a computer?

Community Answer

No, you can only create an account using the mobile app for iPhone or Android.

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Question

What do I do if my password isn't working?

Community Answer

If you've forgotten your password or someone changed it, you can request a password reset by filling out the form on Snapchat's password reset request page.

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