Tired of boring video calls? Snap Camera is here to help! It lets you use fun filters during your video chats, even if the app doesn’t have built-in filter options. It works by creating a virtual webcam on your computer, which you can then select in Chrome based video conferencing applications. Let’s dive into how to set it up and start having some fun.
Snap Camera essentially creates a virtual camera on your system. This virtual camera captures your video feed, complete with any filters you’ve chosen, and allows any video conferencing application, including Chrome-based ones, to use it as a source.
Get Snap Camera
First things first, you need to download and install the Snap Camera software.
- Head over to the official Snap Camera download page: snapcamera.snapchat.com/download. Before you proceed, you’ll need to agree to the Privacy Policy and License Agreement. Make sure to read through everything, then tick the box next to “I have read the Privacy Policy…”
2. Once you’ve agreed, the ‘Download’ button will become active. Go ahead and click on it to start downloading the installer for the software.
3. Find the downloaded installer (it’s usually a “.exe” file) in your Downloads folder. Run the installer and follow the instructions on your screen. This will get Snap Camera installed on your computer.
Setting Up Snap Camera
Once installed, you’ll need to configure the app and then select it in your browser based application.
How to Configure Snap Camera
Here’s how to set up the Snap Camera application itself:
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Open the Snap Camera app on your computer. You should now see a live preview of your webcam. If you see a blank screen, it could be that the app doesn’t have access to your camera or if you have multiple cameras connected.
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To choose the right camera, click on the Settings icon (it’s shaped like a gear) in the upper right corner of the Snap Camera window.
- In the settings menu, locate the dropdown menu labeled “Choose your camera” and select the webcam you want to use from the list. Then go back to the main window. Now your video should be showing in the preview.
4. Now you can scroll through the filters located beneath the preview window. Select a filter that you would like to use for your video calls. Snap Camera has tons of filters, similar to the ones you’ve seen on Snapchat.
5. After you’ve chosen a filter, you can close or minimize the Snap Camera window. Just make sure the application is still running in the system tray. If you close it completely, the virtual camera will stop working.
Choosing Snap Camera as the Video Source
Now that Snap Camera is ready, let’s choose it as the video source in your browser based video call application in Chrome. Since it acts as a virtual webcam, you need to change the video settings in your conferencing app.
Example: Google Meet
Here’s how to do it in Google Meet, but the process should be similar for other applications as well.
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Go to meet.google.com in your Chrome browser.
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Click on the Settings icon (the gear symbol) located at the top-right on the Google Meet homepage.
3. In settings, go to the Video tab. Find the “Camera” dropdown and select Snap Camera from the list.
4. Close the settings menu. When you start or join a meeting, Google Meet will now use Snap Camera as the video input, and your chosen filter will appear on your video. You can easily switch filters whenever you want using the Snap Camera application.
Generally, you should be able to find a video or camera settings menu within most browser based conferencing applications. Then just choose “Snap Camera” as the source. It’s a great way to make your online meetings a little bit more lively.