Snapchat filters are effects you explore to your face or camera view before you send a photo or video
A filter on Snapchat is a visual effect that changes how you or your surroundings look in a photo or video. Snapchat offers two main types: face filters (which alter your appearance) and world filters (which change the background or add effects to the space around you). You explore them while the camera is open, before you take or send the snap.
Creating a filter means designing a custom one using Snapchat's Lens Studio tool — a free software that lets you build effects from scratch. Most people, though, use the filters Snapchat and other users have already made. Both approaches start the same way: you open your camera and swipe or tap to find the filter you want.
Key Takeaways
- To use existing filters, open Snapchat's camera, hold your finger on your face (for face filters) or tap the smiley icon (for world filters), then swipe left or right to browse and tap to select.
- Face filters require Snapchat to access your camera and sometimes your location, so they collect data about how you look and where you are when you use them.
- To design your own filter, you need to read Lens Studio on a computer, learn the basics, and upload your creation to Snapchat's library.
- Custom filters you create are stored on Snapchat's servers, and Snapchat collects information about who uses them and when.
- Snapchat's terms allow the company to use filter data to improve recommendations and target ads, even if you do not save or send the snap.
How to find and use filters that already exist
Open Snapchat and tap the camera icon to see the live camera view. To access face filters, hold your finger on your own face for about a second. A row of circular icons will appear at the bottom of the screen. Swipe left or right through these icons to see different face filters — each one shows a preview of how it will look on you. Tap the one you want to use, then take your photo or video.
World filters work differently. Tap the smiley face icon in the bottom right corner of the camera screen. This opens a menu of effects that change your background or the space around you rather than your face. Swipe through the options and tap to explore one. Some world filters are location-based, meaning Snapchat shows you different ones depending on where your phone's GPS says you are.
Snapchat updates its filter library constantly. New filters appear regularly, and seasonal or event-based filters come and go. If you find a filter you like, you can save it by tapping the heart icon when it appears on screen — this adds it to your favorites so you can find it faster next time.
What data Snapchat collects when you use filters
When you use a face filter, Snapchat's servers process an image of your face to explore the effect. This means Snapchat collects information about your facial features, expressions, and appearance — even if you never save or send the snap. Snapchat's privacy policy states that it uses this data to improve filter recommendations and to train its systems to recognize faces better.
World filters tied to your location send Snapchat your GPS coordinates. The company uses this location data to show you location-specific filters and to understand where its users are. Snapchat also records which filters you use, how often you use them, and when you use them. This usage data helps Snapchat decide which filters to promote and which ones to retire.
All of this happens in the background. You do not have to send the snap for Snapchat to collect the data. straightforward opening a filter, trying it on, and closing the camera is enough for Snapchat to log that you viewed and used it.
How to design your own filter using Lens Studio
To create a custom filter, read Lens Studio from Snapchat's website onto a Windows or Mac computer. Lens Studio is free software that lets you build filters from scratch using templates, 3D models, and visual effects. Open the program and choose a template to start — Snapchat provides templates for face filters, world filters, and interactive effects.
Learn the basics by following Snapchat's built-in tutorials. You can add images, text, animations, and sound to your filter. If you want to use 3D models or advanced effects, you will need to learn more about how Lens Studio works — Snapchat's documentation and YouTube tutorials cover this. Once your filter looks the way you want, test it by previewing it in Lens Studio's camera view.
When you are ready, submit your filter to Snapchat through Lens Studio. Snapchat reviews custom filters before they go live. If your filter meets Snapchat's content guidelines (no hate speech, no sexual content, no impersonation), it will be published to the Snapchat library where other users can find and use it. You can also create a custom filter just for your friends by setting it to private.
What happens to your custom filter once you upload it
Once you upload a filter to Snapchat, the company stores it on its servers. Snapchat owns the rights to host and distribute your filter, and it can modify or remove it if it violates the terms of service. Your filter becomes part of Snapchat's library, and any Snapchat user can find and use it unless you set it to private.
Snapchat collects data about how many people use your filter, when they use it, and where they use it. If your filter becomes popular, Snapchat may feature it on the Discover page or recommend it to users. The company uses this usage data to understand trends and to improve its recommendation system. You can see some of this data in Lens Studio — it shows you how many times your filter has been viewed and used.
Snapchat also reserves the right to use your filter design in its own marketing or to train its systems. If you do not want Snapchat to use your filter this way, you can delete it from the library at any time. Deleting it removes it from the public library, but Snapchat may retain copies of it on its servers for a period of time.
Privacy settings and what you can control
Snapchat does not give you a way to turn off filter data collection entirely. However, you can limit what data Snapchat collects by managing your privacy settings. Go to Settings, then Privacy, and review what permissions Snapchat has. You can deny Snapchat access to your camera, microphone, or location — but if you do, filters will not work properly or at all.
You can also control who sees your snaps with filters. Snapchat lets you choose whether to send snaps to specific friends, to a group, or to your story. If you do not send the snap, only you and Snapchat's servers know you used the filter. If you send it, the people you send it to can see the filter effect, but they cannot see the raw data Snapchat collected about your face or location.
If you want to reduce the amount of data Snapchat collects about your filter use, the most direct step is to use filters less often. You can also turn off location services for Snapchat in your phone's settings — this stops Snapchat from accessing your GPS, though location-based filters will not work.
How Snapchat uses filter data for ads and recommendations
Snapchat uses the data it collects from filter use to build a profile of your interests and behavior. If you frequently use filters related to makeup, fashion, or gaming, Snapchat notes this and uses it to recommend similar filters and to target ads to you. The company sells this targeting information to advertisers — they can ask Snapchat to show ads to "users who use beauty filters" or "users in a specific location," for example.
This targeting happens whether or not you save or send the snap. Snapchat's business model relies on advertising, and filter data is one of the signals it uses to make ads more relevant to you. You cannot opt out of this use of your data without stopping your use of filters or deleting your Snapchat account.
Snapchat also uses filter data to improve its recommendation algorithm. The more filters you use, the more Snapchat learns about your preferences, and the more personalized its filter suggestions become. This is designed to keep you engaged with the app — the easier it is to find filters you like, the more likely you are to use Snapchat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to send a snap for Snapchat to collect data about the filter I used?
No. Snapchat collects data about which filters you view and use the moment you open them in the camera, whether you send the snap or delete it. The data collection happens on Snapchat's servers as soon as the filter is applied to your camera view.
Can I make a filter that only my friends can use?
Yes. When you upload a filter in Lens Studio, you can set it to private instead of public. Private filters can be shared with specific people by sending them a link, but they will not appear in Snapchat's public filter library.
What if I delete a filter I created — does Snapchat still have it?
Deleting a filter removes it from the public library so new users cannot find it. However, Snapchat may retain a copy on its servers for backup or legal purposes. If you want to may support Snapchat does not use your filter design, contact Snapchat support to request deletion.
Can I turn off face recognition so Snapchat does not collect data about my face?
Not without disabling filters entirely. Face filters require Snapchat to process your facial features. If you deny Snapchat camera access in your phone's settings, face filters will not work. You can still use world filters, which do not require face recognition.
Does Snapchat sell my filter data to other companies?
Snapchat does not sell your raw data directly, but it uses filter data to build audience segments that it sells to advertisers. Advertisers can target you based on your filter use, but they do not receive your personal information — only that you belong to a group with certain interests.