You can send a photo you already saved on your phone as a Snapchat Snap. Snapchat lets you open your Camera Roll from the Snap creation screen, edit the image like a normal Snap, then send it to friends or post it to your Story.
This works on iPhone, Android phones, and Samsung phones. The main thing you need is permission for Snapchat to access your photos and videos. Once that permission is enabled, you can choose saved pictures instead of taking a new photo with the Snapchat camera.
Video Tutorial
Send a Camera Roll picture as a Snap
Start from the Snapchat screen where you would normally take a new Snap. You should see the camera preview and the filters along the bottom of the screen.
- Open Snapchat and go to the screen for creating a Snap with the camera.
- Look at the filters along the bottom of the screen.
- Swipe all the way to the left through the filters.
- Select the small Memories icon when it appears. The icon may be labeled Memories.
- If Snapchat asks for access to your photos and videos, select Allow. This lets the app display images stored on your phone.
- At the top of the Memories screen, select Camera Roll.
- Browse your saved photos and select the picture you want to turn into a Snap.
After you select the image, Snapchat opens it in the usual Snap editor. The photo is now ready to customize and share.
Edit the saved photo before sending it
A Camera Roll image can be edited the same way as a photo captured directly in Snapchat. This is useful when you want to add context to an older photo, label it, or make it fit the style of your other Snaps.
You can add text to the image, place stickers on it, or use the other editing options shown in the Snap editor. Make your changes before sending, since this is the point where Snapchat treats the selected Camera Roll picture as your current Snap.
If you only want to share the original image, you can skip the edits. Select the saved photo, check that it is the correct one, and continue to the sending screen.
Send the picture to friends or your Story
When your Snap looks right, select Send To. This opens the sharing choices for the Snap.
- Select Send To from the Snap editor.
- Choose the friend or friends you want to receive the Snap, or choose a Story destination.
- To share it publicly as shown in the video, select My Public Story.
- Confirm the send to post or send the Camera Roll image.
Your selected phone photo is now shared as a Snapchat Snap. You can repeat these steps any time you want to use an existing picture instead of taking one live in the app.
If Snapchat cannot show your Camera Roll
The first time you open Memories for this purpose, Snapchat may ask to access your photos and videos. Select Allow when that prompt appears. Without photo access, Snapchat cannot show the pictures stored in your gallery for you to select.
After access is allowed, return to the Snap creation screen, swipe left through the filters, open Memories, and select Camera Roll at the top. Your saved images should then be available to choose from.
If you are trying to share a photo but are still looking at the normal Snapchat camera, you have not opened the Camera Roll picker yet. The key step is swiping left through the filters and choosing the Memories icon. From there, Camera Roll is where you select a picture from your phone.
Quick recap
To send Camera Roll pictures as Snaps on Snapchat, open the Snap camera, swipe left through the filters, and select Memories. Allow access to photos and videos if Snapchat requests it. Then select Camera Roll, choose your picture, add text or stickers if you want, and use Send To to send it to friends or add it to My Public Story.
More Snapchat Tips & Tutorials:
Subscribe Now! 🙂
Discover more from Gauging Gadgets
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
