How to Allow Camera on Snapchat

Find out how to use your camera within the app

By
Kayla Dube
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Kayla Dube
Writer and Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
  • J. Everette Light Career Center
Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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Updated on May 17, 2021
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
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Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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What to Know

  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Snapchat > toggle on Camera.
  • On Android, go to Settings > Applications > Snapchat > Permissions > Camera.
  • Snapchat app: Tap your profile picture > gear icon > Manage > Permissions > Camera.

This article explains how to enable camera access for Snapchat on iOS and Android.

How to Allow Camera Access in Snapchat For iOS

If you're an iPhone Snapchat user, you'll want to follow these instructions to allow the app camera access.

  1. Open the Settings app.

  2. Scroll down and tap on Snapchat.

  3. Toggle the Camera option to on (green means the feature is on/allowed).

    Allowing Snapchat to have access to the camera on iOS.

  4. Open Snapchat and you'll be able to use your camera.

How to Allow Camera Access in Snapchat For Android Users

To use your Snapchat camera on an Android device, the process is a little different.

  1. Open the Settings app.

  2. Tap Apps or Apps & notifications.

  3. Scroll down and tap Snapchat.

    On some versions of Android, you may need to first tap See all <#> apps.

  4. Tap Permissions (not pictured)

  5. Tap Camera to allow Snapchat to access the camera.

    Allow Camera access for Snapchat.

  6. Then choose a permission for the camera. Some versions of Android provide two 'On' options: Allow only while using the app or Ask every time.

How to Allow Camera Access Within Snapchat

You can also go into your Snapchat settings to change your camera access if you want. This way, it will take you directly to the settings in your phone to enable your Camera.

  1. In Snapchat, tap on your profile picture.

  2. In the top right corner, tap on the gear icon to open Snapchat's settings.

  3. Scroll down to Additional Services and tap Manage.

  4. Tap Permissions.

  5. You'll see all the permissions listed that Snapchat uses. If one isn't currently enabled, you'll see a red Tap to Enable button. Tap this to go into your phone's settings and enable it. We highlighted Camera since we're talking about camera access permissions.

    Accessing camera permissions from inside Snapchat.

What to Do If Your Camera Still Isn't Working

If these methods don't fix your camera access in Snapchat, there may be another reason it's not working. Here are some other things you can try to do in order to fix your camera in Snapchat.

  1. Restart the app. Sometimes, you might just need to do a simple restart of the app itself. To do this, fully close the app and make sure it's not running in the background as well.

  2. Clear your Snapchat cache. You can do this by going to your Snapchat Settings > Clear Cache > Clear or Continue.

    Cache settings in Snapchat.

  3. Update Snapchat. You may be running an out-of-date version of the app, causing your camera access to work incorrectly. To update in iOS, go to the App Store and tap on Apps, then your profile in the top right. Scroll down the list of your apps until you find Snapchat, and tap the Update button if an update is available.

    On Android, open the Google Play Store app, tap Menu and go to My apps & games. Scroll the list and find Snapchat and tap Update.

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