What you need to know before you start

Snapchat offers two ways to make filters: Snapchat Filters (which you design yourself and share with friends) and Geofilters (which are tied to a specific location and cost money to publish). Most people start with regular filters because they are free to make and share. You will need the Snapchat app on your phone, a smartphone camera to take photos, and either the Snapchat app's built-in design tools or a separate design program like Photoshop, Canva, or GIMP.

Before you design anything, understand what data you are sharing. When you create a filter in Snapchat, you are uploading an image file to Snapchat's servers. Snapchat collects information about who uses your filter, how many times it gets used, and when. If you make a Geofilter, Snapchat also stores the location data you provide. Read Snapchat's privacy policy to see how long they keep this information and whether they use it for advertising or other purposes.

Key Takeaways

  • Regular Snapchat filters are free to make and share with friends, but Geofilters (location-based filters) require payment and go through Snapchat's approval process.
  • You can design filters using Snapchat's in-app tools, or create them in Photoshop, Canva, or GIMP and upload the file to Snapchat.
  • Snapchat stores data about who uses your filter, how often, and when — information you should review in their privacy policy before publishing.
  • Regular filters have no size or format restrictions, but Geofilters must meet specific dimensions (1080 x 1920 pixels) and file size limits (300 KB).

Making a filter using Snapchat's built-in tools

Open Snapchat and tap the camera icon to take a photo or video. Tap the smiley face icon in the bottom right corner to open the effects menu. Scroll through the available filters until you see a blank template or the option to create a new filter. Tap the plus sign or "Create" button. You can now draw, add text, stickers, or shapes directly onto your photo.

Once you have finished designing, save the filter. Snapchat will ask whether you want to share it with a specific friend, a group, or make it available to all your friends. Choose your audience. The filter will then be stored in your Snapchat account and available to anyone you selected. They can use it by opening Snapchat, taking a photo, and swiping through the filter options until they find yours.

Designing a filter in a separate program and uploading it

If you want more control over your design, create the filter in Photoshop, Canva, or GIMP. Start with a blank canvas that is 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels tall (portrait orientation). This matches Snapchat's standard phone screen size. Design your filter on a transparent background so it overlays cleanly on photos without blocking the entire image.

Save your file as a PNG (which preserves transparency) with a file size under 300 KB. Open Snapchat, go to your profile icon in the top left, and select "Filters & Lenses." Tap the plus sign to create a new filter. Upload your PNG file. Snapchat will show you a preview of how it looks on a photo. If it looks right, name your filter, choose who can use it, and save it.

Understanding Geofilters and location-based publishing

A Geofilter is a filter tied to a specific location — a restaurant, event venue, or neighborhood. When someone opens Snapchat at that location, the filter appears automatically in their filter options. Creating a Geofilter requires you to submit it through Snapchat's Geofilter submission tool, pay a fee (which varies by location size and duration), and wait for Snapchat to approve it.

The cost depends on how large an area you want to cover and how long you want it active. A small neighborhood might cost $5 to $10 per day, while a larger area or longer duration costs more. Snapchat reviews all Geofilters before publishing to check that they meet community guidelines and do not contain offensive content. Approval usually takes 24 to 48 hours. Once approved, Snapchat tracks how many people use your filter and shows you those numbers in your account dashboard.

What happens to your filter data

When you publish a filter, Snapchat collects usage data: how many people used it, when they used it, and (for Geofilters) where they were when they used it. Snapchat stores this data on its servers. According to Snapchat's privacy policy, they use this data to improve their service, show you analytics about your filter's performance, and may use it for advertising purposes or share it with third parties under certain conditions.

If you delete a filter, Snapchat removes it from circulation, but the historical usage data may remain in their systems for a period of time. If your filter contains images of other people, those people have not consented to having their image in a Snapchat filter unless you asked them first. Snapchat's terms of service require that you own or have permission to use all content in your filters.

Filters that violate Snapchat's rules

Snapchat will reject or remove filters that contain hate speech, graphic violence, sexual content, or images of real people without their permission. They also reject filters that impersonate brands or public figures, or that encourage illegal activity. If your filter is rejected, Snapchat sends a notification explaining why. You can edit the filter and resubmit it.

If you repeatedly violate Snapchat's community guidelines, your account may be suspended or permanently banned. This means you lose access to your Snapchat account and cannot create or share filters anymore. Before publishing, review Snapchat's community guidelines to make sure your filter complies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can other people see filters I make for just my friends?

No. If you set a filter to share only with specific friends or a group, only those people can see it in their filter options. Other Snapchat users will not be able to find or use it. You control the audience every time you create a filter.

What if someone uses my filter and I do not want them to?

If you shared the filter with a specific group and someone outside that group is using it, they may have gotten the filter from someone in the group who screenshotted it or shared it another way. Snapchat does not have a way to revoke a filter once it is shared. If you want to stop people from using it, you can delete the filter from your account, which removes it from circulation.

Do I own the images people create with my filter?

No. When someone uses your filter to take a photo or video, they own that photo or video. You do not have rights to it unless they share it with you directly. Snapchat may use snaps created with your filter for analytics or other purposes under their terms of service.

Can I make money from a filter I create?

Snapchat does not pay creators for filters. You can create Geofilters and charge a fee to publish them (the fee goes to Snapchat, not to you), but you cannot earn revenue from regular filters. Some creators use filters as part of a larger brand or marketing strategy, but Snapchat itself does not offer payment for filter creation.

What file formats does Snapchat accept?

For regular filters, Snapchat accepts PNG and JPG files. For Geofilters, you must use PNG with a transparent background. File size must be under 300 KB. If your file is too large, compress it using an online tool or your design program's export settings.