Ever since its inception back in 2011, Snapchat has been available only on mobile devices. You could download the Snapchat app on your iPhone and Android device to send ephemeral messages, photos, and share Stories with friends. The company never launched a desktop app to enable users to connect with friends from their PCs. We had to rely on workarounds, like emulators, to use the Snapchat Android app on our laptop. However, you no longer need to do that, and it has become a thing of the past with the launch of Snapchat+. Yeah, the company launched its paid Snapchat Plus subscription recently, and its most useful perk will have to be Snapchat for Web. You can now start using Snapchat in your browser on a laptop with ease, which is exciting for its close to 350 million strong userbase. That said, if you are someone who has been looking for a reliable way to use Snapchat on a laptop, keep on reading.
In this article, we will first discuss the Snapchat Plus subscription and how it unlocks the ability to use the app on a laptop. So without further ado, let’s dive in.
Pre-Requisite for Using Snapchat Web
How to Get Snapchat+ SubscriptionHow to Use Snapchat on Your PC or Laptop
How Do I Install Snapchat on My PC or Laptop?Snapchat Web: Features & First Impressions
How to Get Snapchat+ Subscription
How Do I Install Snapchat on My PC or Laptop?
Pre-Requisite for Using Snapchat Web
As you might have already guessed, you will need a Snapchat+ subscription to get access to Snapchat Web and use the ephemeral messaging app in a browser on your laptop. The Snapchat+ subscription service is available in limited countries at the moment, and you can check out the list of supported 25 countries via the linked article.
Now, before we talk about how to use the Snapchat web app and all its features, let’s learn how to get the Snapchat+ subscription on your iPhone and Android device. We will show the process on an iPhone, but the steps look the same on Android as well.
On the profile screen, you will see a “Snapchat+” banner under your Bitmoji avatar. Tap on this banner. If you don’t see the banner, then tap on the “Settings” icon to find the Snapchat+ option under your email.
Select the subscription tenure on the next screen and tap on the “Start 7-Day Free Trial” button at the bottom. Now, you just need to complete the payment, and you will have successfully bought the Snapchat Plus subscription.
The paid subscription will get you access to a host of cool features like amn exlcusive badge, multiple app icons, ghost trails, story rewatch count, and more. The highlight, however, will have to be the Snapchat for Web experience as it enables you to use the messaging app using a browser on your laptop or desktop.
It’s time to learn how to log in and use Snapchat on a Mac or Windows computer with ease. Just follow the steps below:
Next, you will need to complete two-step verification and authenticate the web login request using your mobile phone. You will receive a notification on your phone saying, “Are you trying to access Snapchat from a browser?” Tap on this notification and select “Yes” to log into Snapchat on your laptop.
Here’s what the Snapchat Web experience looks like. You have your chat list on the left and the camera and Bitmoji avatar on the right.
How Do I Install Snapchat on My PC or Laptop?
Now, if you are wondering whether you can install the Snapchat app on your PC or not, well, the answer is yes. The company allows you to make a shortcut for the Snapchat Web PWA (Progressive Web App), so you use it whenever you want with ease. Here’s how you can install the Snapchat app on your laptop:
Then, select the “Create Desktop Shortcut” option in the drop-down menu that opens.
Now, you will see a pop-up in the right corner of the address bar at the top. Tap “Install” on this pop-up to get the Snapchat app on your laptop.
Once Snapchat is installed on your PC, you can choose to make a desktop shortcut and pin the app on the Taskbar or Start Menu. That’s all. You can now use the Snapchat app on your laptop at any time.
Snapchat Web: Features & First Impressions
After learning how to set up and use Snapchat Web on your laptop, it’s time to look at all the features you can and cannot access with this app. So let’s take it one step at a time:
In the conversation view, you can send messages to your friends or make audio and video calls to them from your laptop. I tested out this feature with my colleague Akshay, and it works flawlessly. So you can join group calls on Snapchat from your browser as well. Also, if you wish to keep track of your snap streaks on Snapchat or see Snapchat emojis that describe your friendship, birthday, and more, you can do that on the web app as well.
Now, many of you might be wondering – can you send Snaps using the Snapchat app on laptop? Yeah, you can, but the process is eerily confusing. Instead of showing a camera icon in each chat window, you get camera view only on the home screen. It allows you to click pictures, add overlay text, or download the snap before sharing it with others. Check out the screenshot above.
So, as you can see, the Snapchat web app currently focuses on text messages as opposed to photos and videos. Next up, let’s focus on the privacy features here. As you know, all your messages automatically disappear after 24 hours by default. But you can click on a person’s name to set the messages to delete after viewing.
Moreover, Snapchat claims that much like its mobile app, users will not be able to screenshots of the chats, which is great. However, we were able to refute this claim by taking a screenshot of the texts and photos in the chat without the sender being notified of the same. We used the Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts “Win + Prt Sc” and “Win + Shift + S” to capture a screenshot (proof attached). We do see a “Looks like you’re trying to take a screenshot” pop-up upon right-clicking anywhere in the web app.
The Snapchat privacy feature that will prevent users from snooping on your messages is called “Privacy screen“. It hides the chat and shows a message saying – “You are no longer present”, which is great. When you return to the Snapchat Web app, click anywhere on the screen to access the chat again.
So, if I were to sum up the feature set and my experience with the Snapchat app on laptop, it was a long-awaited release, and Snapchat is doing a decent job at offering the same ephemeral messaging features as its mobile app. However, the lack of essential features such as the ability to view snaps and post stories is disappointing. What other feature would you like to see in Snapchat Web on your laptop?
