Snap Camera: What Happened and What to Use Now
Snap Camera shut down on January 25, 2023. Why old downloads won't help, how to remove it and fix your webcam, and Snap's official ways to use Lenses now.
Snap Camera is gone. Snap's desktop app for putting Snapchat Lenses on your webcam stopped working on January 25, 2023. Snap's notice at the time said it would "no longer be available to use or download." Its help now says it's "no longer available as a standalone app" and points to two replacements: the Snapchat Camera for Chrome extension and Snapchat for Web.
We read Snapchat Support's two articles on Snap Camera and its replacement, two dated news reports on the shutdown and Snap's Lens Studio page on October 24, 2026.
People still search for it a lot. "Snap camera" gets about 90,500 searches a month, and "snap camera download" another 27,100.
What was Snap Camera?
A desktop app for Mac and Windows. It added Snapchat Lenses to your webcam, so you could wear cat ears or a pirate hat on a video call or a stream. It worked with apps like Zoom, Skype, YouTube and Google Hangouts, DT Next reported.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2018 | Snap Camera launched for Mac and Windows |
| The pandemic years | It got popular as video calls took off, TechRadar noted |
| Early January 2023 | Snap posted that the app would end |
| January 25, 2023 | Snap Camera stopped working and left download |
| 2025 | Snap's help points users to Snapchat Camera for Chrome and Snapchat for Web |
TechRadar (January 6, 2023), DT Next (January 8, 2023) and Snapchat Support (edited August 5 and October 17, 2025), read October 24, 2026.
Why did Snap shut down Snap Camera?
Snap didn't give a full reason. In a reply on social media that DT Next quoted, it said it was "adjusting our web-based investments for the AR creator & developer community to focus on expanding access to Camera Kit for Web."
Camera Kit is Snap's tool that lets other apps add Lenses. Snap's Lens Studio page describes it as "Snap's AR SDK that lets you bring Lenses into your iOS, Android, and web apps."
Can you still download Snap Camera?
Not from Snap. The app's been out of download since January 25, 2023, and Snap says it's no longer available as an app. Sites still offering a "Snap Camera download" are passing around old installers that aren't Snap's. Skip them. The official replacements below do the same job.
What replaced Snap Camera?
Snapchat Camera for Chrome. This browser extension brings "Snap AR Lenses directly to your webcam," for "professional meetings, catching up with friends, or live streaming," Snap says. You can use your own Lenses with it, too. To set it up:
- Install Snapchat Camera from the Chrome Web Store.
- Sign in with your Snapchat account.
- In your video app's camera settings, pick Snapchat Camera as your camera.
- Open the extension pane from Chrome's extension menu and choose a Lens.
Snap calls it a "public preview," so expect changes. Snap describes it for web apps, so join your call in the browser.
Snapchat for Web. Snapchat itself runs in Chrome, Edge and Safari, with chat, calls and Snaps from your computer. Our Snapchat Web guide covers how to log in and what it can do.
How do you uninstall Snap Camera?
If it's still on your computer, Snap's help gives the steps.
On a Mac: open Applications in Finder, right-click Snap Camera, choose Move to Trash, then restart.
On Windows: run "Uninstall Snap Camera" from the Start menu, follow the steps, then restart.
Says it's still running? Quit it first. On a Mac, click its icon in the menu bar and choose Quit. On Windows, find it behind the arrow at the bottom right of the screen, right-click it and choose Quit.
Why is my camera black after Snap Camera?
Your video app is probably still set to the old Snap Camera feed. Snap's fix: "switch the camera source from 'Snap Camera' to your default camera" in the app's video settings.
In Chrome, check Settings, then Site settings, then Camera. Make sure your built-in camera is the one selected.
How do you make your own Lenses now?
With Lens Studio, which Snap calls its "free AR development platform." There's also Easy Lens, which Snap says lets you "Make Snapchat Lenses for your friends in minutes." Our guide to Snapchat filters and Lenses walks through using and making them.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to Snap Camera?
Snap shut it down on January 25, 2023. It's no longer available to download or use.
Can I still download Snap Camera?
Not from Snap. Old installers on other sites aren't Snap's, and Snap says the app is no longer available to use.
What replaced Snap Camera?
Snap's Snapchat Camera for Chrome extension, which puts Lenses on your webcam in web apps, and Snapchat for Web.
How do I use Snapchat filters on Zoom or Teams now?
Use them in the browser version of the call with the Snapchat Camera for Chrome extension, and pick Snapchat Camera as your camera.
How do I uninstall Snap Camera?
On a Mac, move it to the Trash from Applications. On Windows, run Uninstall Snap Camera from the Start menu. Quit it first if it's running.
Why is my camera black after Snap Camera?
Your app's camera is still set to Snap Camera. Switch it back to your built-in camera in the video settings.
Hclout sells Snapchat followers and likes on its Snapchat page, so weigh our advice the way you'd weigh any seller's.
Sources
- Snapchat Support, "Snap Camera" (edited August 5, 2025) and "How do I install the Snapchat Camera for Chrome extension?" (edited October 17, 2025), read October 24, 2026
- TechRadar, "Snap is closing its Zoom video filter tool" (January 6, 2023), read October 24, 2026
- DT Next, "Snapchat to abandon its filter-laden desktop camera app" (January 8, 2023), read October 24, 2026
- Snap AR, "Lens Studio," read October 24, 2026
- A web search for coverage of the Snap Camera shutdown, October 24, 2026
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, worldwide, read October 24, 2026
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