How to Use Snapchat on Your PC
Snapchat has rolled out a web version of its platform, but it currently comes with a catch: It’s not currently available on all browsers; you can only use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. To access Snapchat in a browser, navigate to https://web.snapchat.com and sign in with the email address and password you use to sign in to the mobile app.
What Can I Do With Snapchat on the Web?
Snapchat’s web version focuses on the app’s chat features, so may want to stick with your phone to post pictures to your Story or send them to your friends. But, you can still continue conversations using the larger keyboard and make voice and video calls. You can also watch other people’s Stories and see pictures they send you directly. The web version of chats on Snapchat includes several of the same features as the app version. For example, you can use reactions and reply to specific messages. Lenses are also available in the browser. Snapchat’s web interface gives more space to the chat window and also lets you see every conversation you have going, so you can easily click between them. The larger screen makes this possible, so if you primarily use Snapchat for direct messaging, group chats, and calls, you’ll probably appreciate not having to take out your phone as often. The web version also syncs conversations with the app, so you won’t miss anything if you switch between platforms.
How Snapchat on a Computer Used to Work
The only way users could previously access Snapchat on a PC was by downloading an Android emulator. An Android emulator is a piece of software that mimics the platform so you can download and use mobile apps from the Google Play Store. With this emulator installed on your computer, you could download the official Snapchat app. One of the most popular and widely used Android emulators is called BlueStacks. This process is no longer necessary, however, and it already wasn’t working well. For whatever reason, Snapchat worked hard to stop people from using Android emulators to access its services. It’s likely some security and privacy risks came along with using the emulator, or the company didn’t want people using a version that may not work as well.
