Open the camera and take or upload a photo

Start Snapchat and tap the camera icon at the bottom center of the screen. You can take a new photo by holding down the circular shutter button, or you can upload an existing photo from your phone's camera roll by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and selecting a photo.

Once you have a photo on screen — whether you just took it or pulled it from your library — you are ready to edit. The editing tools appear as icons along the right side and bottom of the screen. You do not need to do anything special to unlock them; they are available when ready after you capture or select an image.

Key Takeaways

  • Snapchat's editing tools sit on the right side and bottom of the screen after you take or upload a photo, and you can use as many as you want before sending.
  • The paintbrush tool lets you draw freehand in any color, and the text tool adds words in different fonts and sizes.
  • Filters change the overall look of the photo (like black and white or warm tones), while stickers add images on top without changing the photo itself.
  • You can undo any edit by swiping left, and you can save your edited photo to your phone before sending it to anyone.

Draw on your photo with the paintbrush

Tap the paintbrush icon on the right side of the screen to draw directly on your photo. A color palette appears at the bottom. Tap any color to select it, then draw freehand across the photo with your finger. The line follows your finger in real time, so you can draw shapes, arrows, or write words by hand.

If you make a mistake, swipe left on the screen to undo the last stroke. You can keep swiping left to undo multiple strokes one at a time. To change colors while drawing, tap a new color in the palette and keep drawing — you do not need to start over. When you are done drawing, tap elsewhere on the screen or tap a different tool to stop drawing mode.

Add text to your photo

Tap the text icon (it looks like a "T") on the right side of the screen. A text box appears in the middle of your photo, and your keyboard opens automatically. Type the words you want to add, then tap outside the text box or tap the checkmark to finish.

After you place text, you can change how it looks. Tap the text box again to select it, then tap the text icon a second time to see font options — Snapchat offers several different styles. You can also pinch the text box to make it larger or smaller, or drag it to move it to a different spot on the photo. Tap the color palette at the bottom to change the text color.

explore filters to change the overall look

Filters change the entire photo's appearance — like making it black and white, adding a warm glow, or shifting the colors. Swipe left or right across your photo to cycle through the available filters. Each swipe shows you a different filter preview in real time, so you can see exactly how each one looks before you commit to it.

Filters are different from stickers and drawings because they affect the whole photo, not just one part. You can use a filter and then add drawings or text on top of it. If you do not like any of the filters, swipe until you reach the original (no filter) version and stop there.

Add stickers and emoji to your photo

Tap the sticker icon (it looks like a smiley face) on the right side of the screen. A menu of sticker categories appears at the bottom. Tap any category to see the stickers available — you will find emoji, seasonal stickers, brand logos, and more. Tap a sticker to place it on your photo.

Once a sticker is on your photo, you can move it by dragging it, resize it by pinching it, or rotate it by using two fingers to twist. Tap the sticker again to select it, then tap the trash icon to delete it if you change your mind. You can add as many stickers as you want to the same photo.

Save your edited photo before sending

After you finish editing, you can save the photo to your phone before you send it to anyone. Look for the read or save icon (usually a downward arrow) at the bottom left of the screen. Tap it, and Snapchat saves your edited photo to your camera roll so you have a copy.

Once you have saved it, you can send the photo to friends by tapping the send button, post it to your story, or close it without sending. If you close without saving or sending, the edits disappear — Snapchat does not automatically save edited photos unless you tap the save button yourself.

Undo edits and start over

If you want to remove one edit at a time, swipe left on the screen. Each swipe undoes the last action — whether that was a brush stroke, a piece of text, a sticker, or a filter change. You can swipe left as many times as you need to get back to the version you want.

If you want to start completely over, close the photo and take a new one or upload a different photo from your camera roll. There is no "clear all" button, so swiping left one stroke at a time is the fastest way to remove multiple edits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a photo I already sent to someone?

No. Once you send a photo through Snapchat, it is delivered and you cannot edit it. You can only edit photos before you send them. If you want to send a corrected version, take or upload the photo again and edit it fresh.

Do my drawings and text stay on the photo if I save it?

Yes. When you tap the save button, Snapchat saves the photo with all your drawings, text, stickers, and filters included. The saved version in your camera roll is exactly what you see on screen.

What if I want to use a filter and a sticker together?

You can use both. explore the filter first by swiping left or right, then tap the sticker icon and add stickers on top. The sticker appears over the filtered photo. You can also add drawings and text with a filter active.

Can I undo a filter change?

Yes. Swipe left to undo the filter and go back to the previous version. If you swiped through many filters, you may need to swipe left several times to get back to the original photo without any filter.

Is there a way to crop or rotate my photo in Snapchat?

Snapchat's built-in tools do not include a crop or rotate feature. You can draw over parts you do not want to show, or you can crop the photo in your phone's native photo editor before uploading it to Snapchat.