15 Snapchat hacks you need to know if you want to elevate your Snap game

Snapchat is a fun way to send pictures and videos to friends, but it's not the most user friendly app. 

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A lot of its best features aren't totally obvious to the untrained eye.

Even if you've mastered the basics, there are many ways to hack the app to get the most out of your Snapchat experience. 

Want to take a screenshot without your friend finding out? There's a hack for that.

snapchat
Getty Images/Peter Macdiarmid

How about sending a video over ten seconds long? We've got you covered. 

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Keep reading to learn 15 hacks to help you master Snapchat and impress every friend on your list.

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To take a screenshot without your friend getting a notification, turn your phone on airplane mode. Take your screenshot and immediately log out of the app. Then, turn off airplane mode and log back into Snapchat.

Snapchat
Snapchat

Add friends on Snapchat using the app's built-in QR codes. It's way easier than typing in a username.

Snapchat
Snapchat

Click here for step-by-step instructions on how to add friends on Snapchat using just your camera.

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After taking a Snapchat picture, swipe left to see if there are any local geofilters you can add to your Snap.

snapchat
Snapchat

 

 

 

If you're familiar with Photoshop, you can even make your own location-based geofilters.

snapchat geofilter selfie
Madison Malone Kircher

Click here for instructions on submitting your designs to Snapchat.

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Use this hack to combine filters. Swipe one filter into place and hold it down with your finger. Then use your other hand to swipe and select an additional filter.

Snapchat
Snapchat

Click here for step-by-step instructions for combining Snapchat filters.

To get around the app's ten second video time-limit, double tap your iPhone home button after you start filming. When you're done, just tap the Snapchat ghost icon to return to the app.

Snapchat
Snapchat
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To draw on your snap, tap the pen icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and use the rainbow icon to select a color.

Snapchat
Snapchat

To access the color white, tap the pen icon and without lifting your finger from the screen, drag your finger to the upper left-hand corner of the screen.

Snapchat
Snapchat
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To draw in black, tap the pen icon and drag your finger to the lower left-hand corner of the screen.

Snapchat
Snapchat

You can also create lighter colors, like pink, by using the same method and dragging your finger up and down the left-hand side of the screen.

Snapchat
Snapchat
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Make your captions bigger by tapping the "T" icon in the upper right-hand corner of the screen after you've finished typing.

Snapchat
Snapchat

You can also change the color of your bolded text. Type your caption, press the "T" icon, and then select a color from the palette on the upper right-hand side of the screen.

Snapchat
Snapchat
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Snapchat limits the amount of text you can add per picture. To write longer captions, first manually type in a full line of text. Next, record the rest of your caption with the dictation feature on your iPhone and press the "T" when you're finished.

Snapchat
Snapchat

Thanks to the latest Snapchat update, you can now add as many emoji to your Snaps as you heart desires.

snapchat screenshot
Screenshot
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You can also change the size of each emoji. Insert an emoj and tap the "T" icon in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Then use two fingers to drag the emoji to your chosen size and position.

will snapchat screenshot
Will Haskell
Snapchat
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