How to Go Live on Snapchat (What Snapchat's Help Says, 2026)

If you've searched for how to go live on Snapchat, you've probably found a pile of guides that all tell you to tap a big Live button. I went looking for that button in Snapchat's own help centre, and I'd rather tell you what I found than repeat a confident step that might not match your screen.

Here's the honest picture. Snapchat's help pages describe several real-time options, and I'll go through each, but I couldn't find a help article that describes a public broadcast button for everyday accounts. Menus vary by app version, so check your own camera screen too.

What Snapchat's help centre says about going live

I searched Snapchat's help centre, its video chat page, its Snap Star pages and its camera pages. None of them describe a Go Live button that broadcasts to the public. Third-party guides disagree with one another, and some say the feature is limited to certain creators. Since I can't confirm that from Snapchat itself, I won't tell you it works one way or the other.

What I can do is show you what Snapchat documents, because those are the real-time tools you can count on today.

Video chatting on Snapchat is the real-time option the help centre documents

Video Chat is private, not a broadcast, but it's live and it works. Snapchat's help gives these steps:

1. Open a Chat or Group Chat.
2. Tap the movie camera icon to request a Video Chat.
3. Swipe down if you want to minimise the call, and tap it to return to fullscreen.

The same help page says you can video chat with a group of up to 15 friends at once, and that you can use Face Lenses during the chat. It also carries a warning worth passing on: your friends may be able to view your video before they answer your call. Check your camera before you tap.

Using Snapchat Lenses on live video in other apps

If what you really want is to stream somewhere else and look good doing it, Snapchat has another route. Its Snapchat Camera for Chrome extension, described in the help centre as a public preview, brings Lenses to your computer's webcam feed. Here's the set-up Snapchat gives:

1. Install the Snapchat Camera extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Sign in with your Snapchat account.
3. In the camera settings of the web app you're using, choose Snapchat Camera as your camera.
4. Click the Snapchat Camera icon in Chrome's extension menu to open the pane.
5. Pick a Lens.

Snapchat's article lists live streaming as one use, alongside work meetings and catching up with friends. It doesn't name a particular streaming service, and the app you use has to let you choose a camera in its settings. So treat it as a way to add Lenses to a stream you start elsewhere, not a way to broadcast from Snapchat itself.

One more note if you used the old desktop app. Snapchat says Snap Camera is no longer available as a standalone app, and points to the Chrome extension or Snapchat for Web instead.

Snap Stars and who Snapchat features

A lot of live-stream guides mention Snap Stars, so it's worth knowing what Snapchat's own definition says. Snap Stars are well-known people or creators who bring some of the best and most entertaining content to Snapchat. Snap says verification isn't something you can buy, and that nobody acts on its behalf to sell it.

Snapchat's help doesn't connect Snap Star status to a Live button, so I wouldn't chase verification just to go live. If you want to build an audience for your business, a steady rhythm of Stories will do more for you.

What you want	What Snapchat's help describes
Talk face to face with a friend	Video Chat from a Chat or Group Chat
Group call	Video Chat with up to 15 friends
Lenses on a webcam stream elsewhere	Snapchat Camera for Chrome extension
Public broadcast button	Not described in the help pages I found

What to do on Snapchat if you want an audience without a live stream

For small business owners and creators, the goal usually isn't the stream itself. It's being seen by people who might buy from you, hire you or follow you. Snapchat's Stories do that job well, and you can control who sees them.

• Post a short Story most days, so people see you often.
• Check who's watching, as my guide to seeing who viewed your Snapchat Story explains.
• Tidy up with my notes on deleting a Snapchat Story if something goes out by mistake.
• Read how brands plan their presence in my breakdown of Snapchat marketing strategy.

If you can't find a Go Live button on Snapchat

If a guide told you to look for one, you're not doing anything wrong. Here's what I'd check:

• Update Snapchat from your app store and look at your camera screen again.
• Open a Chat and look for the movie camera icon, which is the documented route for live video.
• Check Snapchat's support site for the newest wording, since features change between versions.
• For a public stream, use the streaming service you already trust and add Lenses with the Chrome extension.

If you think a feature is missing from your account, Snapchat's support site is the place to ask, because it can see your account details and I can't.

Frequently asked questions

How do I go live on Snapchat?

Snapchat's help centre doesn't describe a public Go Live button in anything I found. It does document Video Chat from a Chat or Group Chat, and Lenses for live video in other apps through a Chrome extension.

Can I video chat with a group on Snapchat?

Yes. Snapchat's help says you can video chat with a group of up to 15 friends at once, and use Face Lenses during the chat.

Can I use Snapchat Lenses on a live stream?

Snapchat's help describes a Camera for Chrome extension, in public preview, that adds Lenses to web apps that let you choose a camera. Live streaming is listed as one use.

Do I need to be a Snap Star to go live?

Snapchat's help defines Snap Stars as well-known people or creators whose content it features, but I found nothing linking that status to a Live button.

Is Snap Camera still available?

No. Snapchat says Snap Camera is no longer available as a standalone app, and points to the Chrome extension or Snapchat for Web.