So how does snapchat work

You can turn this off or use it in Ghost Mode, which allows you to see the map but not be seen by others. Snap Map also features news and events from around the world—for example, a political rally in Nicaragua, which displays as an icon on a map of the world. The biggest risk with Snap Map is a teen having their location seen by all their friends—since some of their Snapchat contacts may not be real friends. Unless there's a specific event and it makes it easier for friends to know each other's location, it's best to leave Snap Maps off or use it in Ghost Mode.

A story is a collection of moments in the form of pictures and videos that, taken together, create a narrative. After Snapchat popularized the format, other social media services, including Facebook and Instagram, offered story-creation tools, too. On Snapchat, stories appear as circles, and when you tap them, they autoplay the pictures or videos the user collected. You can create personal stories that your friends can view for a hour period.

Or, if you think your Snap is particularly interesting or newsworthy, you can send it to Our Story. Our Stories are kind of like mini-documentaries of events, holidays, game championships or other things happening in the world on a particular day.

Snaps are curated and compiled by the company. While it's cool to have your story added to Our Story, it's also very public, so kids should think carefully before submitting one. When you sign up, Snapchat gives you your own unique QR code. When you meet a fellow Snapchat user and want to friend each other, you can just take a snap of the other person's code, and they're automatically added to your friends list. Because it's so easy to find friends on Snapchat depending on your settings or exchange codes, teens may end up with virtual strangers on their friends list.

For a variety of reasons, that can be risky, so it's best to talk to your teen about when it's safe to add people. Discover offers content created by celebrities, news and entertainment outlets, and other users. You can subscribe to specific Discover sources to receive their feeds. While Discover offers some legitimate news from publishers including the New York Times and Vice Media, the offerings can be promotional and are frequently mature.

But if your kid has signed up with their correct birth date, they'll miss the alcohol ads and other adult content that Snapchat filters out for underage users. Discover stories often feature promos prompting kids to "swipe up" to learn more which usually leads to ads or take a quiz which is usually a marketing tool.

This section runs the gamut from harmless to shocking, so it's good to look around and get a sense of what your kids are seeing. Snapchat is waaaay more than cute photos. The more you use the app, the more points you get and the higher your Snapchat score goes. Snapchat awards high scorers with trophies and other perks. Here are a few other Snapchat features:. Face lenses and world lenses: If you've seen photos of people with cartoon cat ears and whiskers on their faces, those are face lenses.

World lenses are augmented reality elements, such as rainbows, that you can add to a snap so it looks like it's part of the photo. Technically, lenses are "overlays—and they cost money on Snapchat. Geo-filters: These are location-specific elements that can only be unlocked by visiting a specific place. Businesses use geo-filters as a way for customers to check in and advertise them. A kid could create a special geo-filter for their sweet party for attendees to add to their photos.

Most kids use Snapchat to goof around and stay in contact with their friends—end of story. Yes, there's some mature content, but it's appropriate for most teens 16 and up. That said, there are three key risky areas:. The myth of disappearing messages. When Snapchat first started, it was labeled "the sexting app" because people sent intimate photos, assuming they'd self-destruct. Any app can be misused, but a lot of kids mistakenly believe that Snapchat has a built-in Get Out of Jail Free card.

Teens really need to understand that the content they share can be saved and shared and may never go away. It's best to have this conversation before they download Snapchat, but it's never too late. So how exactly does Snapchat work? Filter : Swipe left or right on your photo for filters that can denote the outside temperature, your speed, the time, geographical locations and more.

Draw : Tap the pencil at the top-right of your screen to draw over your photo or video. With the color spectrum, you can turn an average selfie into a cool piece of art.

It will first appear in a black box, but keep tapping to see your options for left- or center-aligned white text. Tip: Regret adding someone to your friends list? Snapchat actually includes messaging features similar to apps like Facebook Messenger :. Tip: Your conversations will disappear once you leave a chat. Tip: You can snap Discover stories to your friends by holding down your finger and tapping the arrow that will appear in the bottom-right of your screen.

The above content is provided for information purposes only. Flick between your Snaps, Stories, Camera Roll, and private Snaps along the main menu at the top of the screen. You can save any Snap to Memories by tapping the Save button. You can also choose to save all Snaps to Memories by default. Open the Snapchat app and swipe up or tap the small circle below the capture button to view your Memories.

Want to know more about what you can do with Snapchat Memories? Possibly the coolest feature on Snapchat is the Snap Map. On this screen, there are a few things you can do:. Bitmoji is all about showing the world your personality.

The Map will come to life and show you popular spots near your location. Click on a location to access details, such as opening times, popular times to visit, and contact information. You can even send place recommendations to your friend list. Tap the Friends icon on the Snap Map to locate your friends. Swipe down on the camera screen or tap the magnifying glass in the top left corner to access the Search screen.

This screen is the place to find and interact with short viral videos from across the platform. Hold the capture button down to take a video, and a red marker will appear to indicate that that app is recording. You can capture up to 10 seconds of video in one Snap. If you keep holding the button down, it will record multiple Snaps up to 60 seconds of video. To take a selfie, flip the camera on your screen by tapping the square arrows icon in the top right corner or double-tapping anywhere on the screen.

You can dress up your Snap with innovative tools and filters. Once your Snap is ready to go, click the yellow Send To arrow icon on the bottom right of the screen. You can also add your Snap to your Story and your Snap Map.

To send multiple Snaps, repeat the process above. Your friend will receive your Snaps in the order you sent them. You now know how to create and send a Snapchat. But, do you know how to view Snaps? Note: You can also set up push notifications on your phone for new Snaps.

A Snapchat Story is a collection of Snaps captured within the past 24 hours. By default, your Story is visible to all of your friends, and they can view the Snaps in your story as many times as they like. You can limit who sees your Story by changing your privacy settings. Finally, tap Add , and the Snap will become part of your Story. From the camera screen, tap the circular icon in the very top left of the screen you should see your most recent Snap there.

Then tap My Story. By default, only those on your Friends list will see your Snaps, and only then if you send a Snap to them or add it to your Story. You can allow your Story to be visible to everyone, or block certain friends or contacts from seeing it. Yes, you can edit and send any image or video stored on your phone's camera roll on Snapchat.

Once you're ready, you can share your Snaps as normal, via the blue arrow button. You can also edit and share Snaps previously-stored in Memories. The Memories screen can also be accessed by tapping the smaller circle under the shutter button on the capture screen. This will save your Snap to Memories. You can then save a Snap to your phone's camera roll by selecting it, swiping up, tapping the upward arrow button, and selecting 'Save Image'.

You can also save your entire Story by tapping the downward arrow icon. Remember, if you don't, your Snaps will disappear after 24 hours. After starting out working for a local paper in Yorkshire, her journalism career took her to Bristol where she hunted out stories for national papers and magazines at Medavia news agency, before landing a job in London working as a lifestyle assistant.

Lauren loves helping people share their stories, bringing experiences to life online, honing her interview techniques with everyone from authors to celebrities, headteachers to local heroes. As well as having a good nose for a story, Lauren has a passion for the English language and years of experience optimizing digital content to reach the widest audience possible.

In addition to her journalism career, Lauren also has a background in copywriting for prestigious brands such as Inhabit Hotel, eco-development K'in in Tulum, social enterprise The Goldfinger Factory and leading London architect Holland Harvey, using language in all its glorious forms, from detailed guidebooks to snappy social content. A big fan of adventure, Lauren is also a keen travel writer and loves sharing tips on where to find the best places to eat, drink, and be merry off the beaten track.

Lauren has written a series of travel guides for London hotels and loves sharing her insights into a destination's cultural and culinary offerings. If you need a recommendation on any UK destination, she's more than happy to help. At the weekend, you'll usually find her hanging out with her pet cat or anyone else's pet she can get her hands on , escaping to the countryside, or devouring a good book.

Follow her adventures laurenkatehughes. Twitter: laurenkhughes. LinkedIn: Lauren Kate Hughes. Spoiler alert! Here's the details if you missed the eighth episode. When is the Strictly Come Dancing final?

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