Can I Use Snapchat on My Laptop? Snapchat for Web Steps

A lot of people ask me this because they work at a laptop all day and don't want to keep picking up a phone. If you run a small business or a creator account, being able to answer Snapchat messages from your desk is a real convenience, and it saves you juggling devices.

Everything here comes from Snapchat's help centre articles about Snapchat for Web. Snapchat updates it, so if a button looks different, follow what's on your screen.

Getting to Snapchat on your laptop

1. Open Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Safari on your laptop.
2. Go to web.snapchat.com.
3. Follow the sign-in prompts for your Snapchat account.

Snapchat's help centre says to make sure you're using the latest version of one of those three browsers, and to have the latest Snapchat on your phone, logged in to the same account you're trying to reach from the web.

What you can do with Snapchat for Web

Snapchat describes it as a way to chat and call friends from your desktop. Its help article lists these things:

• Start a video chat: click a friend's name in the Chat feed, then click the video camera icon.
• Start a call: click a friend's name, then click the phone icon.
• Take a Snap: click the Camera, then click the lens icon at the bottom of the screen for a photo, or hold it down for a video.

Snapchat's help centre also covers posting to your Story from the web and sharing your screen on a call. The detail differs by article, so check the help centre for the current steps. Chats you read on the web follow the same deletion rules as the app, since Snapchat's rules say Chats are deleted after they've been viewed on the mobile or web app. If you want to know what a deleted message looks like to a friend, my guide to deleting messages on Snapchat explains.

Using Snapchat on a laptop with only one login at a time

This is the catch people trip over. Snapchat says you can only be logged into Snapchat for Web on one computer at a time. If you log in on a second computer, you'll be logged out of the first. So if you share a work laptop or switch between a home and office machine, expect to sign in again.

Installing Snapchat for Web on your desktop

You don't have to open the browser each time. Snapchat says you can install Snapchat for Web to your desktop, start menu or dock on Chrome or Edge. There are two ways:

• Click the link to install the desktop app at the top of your feed.
• Click your Bitmoji at the top right, then click Create Desktop Shortcut.

To uninstall it, open Snapchat for Web, click the three-dot menu icon at the top right, click Uninstall Snapchat, then click Remove.

Camera, microphone and notification permissions on a laptop

Calls and Snaps need your browser to allow the camera and microphone. Snapchat's help centre gives these steps:

1. In Chrome or Edge, click the lock icon in the address bar.
2. Toggle on Camera, Microphone and Notifications as you need them.
3. Refresh the page.

If you don't see the toggles, click Site settings in Chrome, or Permissions for this site in Edge, then enable them there. In Safari, click Safari at the top, then Settings for web.snapchat.com, and choose Allow for Camera and Microphone. For notifications in Safari, open Settings, choose Websites, then Notifications, and set web.snapchat.com to Allow.

Fixing sound and video problems on Snapchat for Web

Snapchat's help article gives short checklists. If others can't hear you:

• Check the volume of your microphone on your computer.
• Make sure you've granted microphone permission.
• Switch microphone sources with the up arrow next to the microphone icon during a call.
• Disconnect headphones and disable bluetooth.

If you can't hear anything, make sure your computer and the browser tab aren't muted, select a different audio source and check sound is enabled in your browser permissions. If others can't see you, check camera permission, try the camera in other apps, switch camera sources with the up arrow on a call, and disconnect other cameras.

If Snapchat for Web won't open on your laptop

1. Check you're on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Safari, updated to the newest version.
2. Update Snapchat on your phone and check you're using the same account.
3. Refresh the page after changing any permission.
4. Make sure you're only logged in on one computer.
5. Visit Snapchat's help centre for its sign-in and locked-account articles, which cover problems that stop you logging in at all.

What to remember about privacy on a laptop

Snapchat's help article reminds you that, as in the app, a Snapchatter can still take a screenshot or a picture of their screen with another device. If you're working in a shared space, log out when you finish. And if you want to post links on your Story afterwards, my guide to adding a link to a Snapchat story is the next step.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Snapchat on my laptop?

Yes. Snapchat's help centre says to go to web.snapchat.com to chat, call friends and more from a computer.

Which browsers work with Snapchat for Web?

Snapchat says to use Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Safari, on the latest version.

Can I be logged in on two computers?

No. Snapchat says you can only be logged in to Snapchat for Web on one computer at a time.

Can I install Snapchat on my laptop?

On Chrome or Edge you can install Snapchat for Web to your desktop using the link in your feed or Create Desktop Shortcut under your Bitmoji.

Why can't people hear me on a Snapchat call?

Check microphone permission and volume, switch microphone source with the up arrow, and disconnect headphones and disable bluetooth.