How to Use Snapchat Spectacles
Buy them from Snap., Buy them from a reseller., Rent Spectacles., Enable Bluetooth on your device., Open Snapchat., Swipe down., Tap ⚙️., Tap Spectacles., Tap Pair Spectacles., Put on your Spectacles., Look at the Snapcode., Tap the button on the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy them from Snap.
As of February 2017, the cheapest way to buy Spectacles is through a Bot, which is Snap's pop-up vending machine, or in a pop-up store.
Bots are placed in a new location every 48 hours or so.
A countdown begins on the Spectacles site 24 hours before a Bot is dropped, with no other clues to its location.
Snap opened a pop-up store in Manhattan, called the Bot House,for a limited time.
It's possible that the company may do so again.
Spectacles retail for $130. -
Step 2: Buy them from a reseller.
Spectacles can also be found on resale sites like Amazon or eBay for considerably more than the retail price., As of February 2017, you can rent Spectacles from two companies:
Lumoid and Joymode.
Check with the vendor for pricing and availability., Spectacles communicates wirelessly with your device over Bluetooth.
On your iPhone or iPad:
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap the Bluetooth button (it's a runic "B") at the top of the Command Center.
On your Android device:
Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Bluetooth button (the runic "B") near the top of the window. , It's the yellow app with a ghost logo., This opens your profile screen., It's in the upper-right corner of the screen and takes you to the Settings menu., It's near the bottom of the "My Account" section., Doing so generates a Snapcode on your screen.
If you haven't enabled Bluetooth on your device, you'll be prompted to turn it on. , Spectacles are designed to record video from your perspective.
You could technically hold them in your hand and record video, but you'll get the best results from wearing them., While wearing the Spectacles, look at the Snapcode on your device., While looking at the Snapcode, tap the button on the top-left lens of your Spectacles once.
The devices are now paired., Enter a custom name for your Spectacles in the first selection on the screen or stick with the default name that Snapchat generates.
The Spectacles screen displays the name, connection status, and battery level when connected over Bluetooth. , Tapping it once starts a 10-second video Snap., This will be broken into two separate 10-second Snaps., This will be divided into three separate 10-second Snaps.
As of February 2017, you can only take video with Spectacles:
Photos are unsupported. , For the duration of the recording, Spectacles will record what you see.
An LED light will appear on the inside of Spectacles to alert you that you're in record mode.
It will begin blinking when you only have 3 seconds of recording time left.
A ring of LED lights will swirl around the lens to let others know you're taking a Snap.
Videos taken with Spectacles are circular, rather than square or rectangular. ,, Doing so takes you to the Memories screen., It's at the top-center of the screen.
This opens the gallery of videos you took with Spectacles., Spectacles uses Bluetooth to automatically upload videos to Memories, Snapchat's cloud-based gallery, as they are taken.
If there is a progress bar on your video, it means the transfer is in progress.
Spectacles can only store about 10 videos at a time, so it's recommended to keep them paired while using them.
To clear Spectacles' memory, swipe down on Snapchat's camera screen, tap ⚙️, tap Spectacles, tap Manage, and then tap Clear Spectacles Storage and Ok. , It's below a caret (^) at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the blue send button to share on Snapchat.
It's in the lower-right corner.
Tap individual recipients and/or My Story to include your Spectacles video in your Story.
Tap Send in the lower right corner.
Your video will be sent. , It's in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Add an effect.
Swipe left on your completed video to see the available effects, which can include fast forward, slow motion, different tints, and filters with the name of your current location.
Make a sticker.
Tap the scissors icon at the top of the screen, then use your finger to outline any part of the video, such as a person's face.
Now you've created a sticker that you can move to any place on the screen or save for use in another video.
Add a sticker.
Tap the square icon with the folded corner at the top of the screen.
Scroll left through the available stickers and Bitmojis to find a sticker.
Tap on a selection then use your finger to position it on the screen.
Add a caption.
Tap the T icon at the top of the screen.
Type a caption and tap Done.
Use your finger to position the caption on the screen.
Draw on your video.
Tap the crayon icon at the top of the screen, select a color from the spectrum that appears, and write or draw on the screen with your finger.
Tap the back arrow icon next to the crayon to erase any mistakes. , It's the square with an upward-pointing arrow in the lower-left corner.
Tap an app.
Apps like Facebook, Twitter, and your default messaging app appear here.
Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the sharing process.
Tap the Save button.
Do so if you want to save the video to your device. , It's in the lower left corner of the screen., Doing so reveals the charging connectors where the bow connects to the frame, near the button., The charging connectors are shipped with a plastic protector.
Remove this before charging.
Spectacles may need an initial charge before you use them the first time. , The case is a battery pack and holds around four complete charges.
Charge the case using the included USB cable. , Doing so reveals the battery pack's charge status., This will display an LED indicator on the front of the glasses that shows the battery level.
One charge is good for around 30 Snaps.
Spectacles will not attempt to transfer videos if the battery is at 5 percent or less.
Put them in their case to resume transfers. -
Step 3: Rent Spectacles.
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Step 4: Enable Bluetooth on your device.
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Step 5: Open Snapchat.
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Step 6: Swipe down.
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Step 7: Tap ⚙️.
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Step 8: Tap Spectacles.
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Step 9: Tap Pair Spectacles.
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Step 10: Put on your Spectacles.
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Step 11: Look at the Snapcode.
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Step 12: Tap the button on the top-left lens.
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Step 13: Choose a name.
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Step 14: Tap the button on the top-left lens.
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Step 15: Double-tap the button for a 20-second video.
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Step 16: Tap the button three times for a 30-second video.
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Step 17: Look around.
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Step 18: Open Snapchat.
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Step 19: Swipe up.
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Step 20: Tap Specs.
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Step 21: Tap your video.
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Step 22: Tap Edit & Send.
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Step 23: Tap the pencil icon to edit your video.
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Step 24: Tap the Share button to share or save your video.
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Step 25: Tap the trashcan to discard your video.
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Step 26: Fold your Spectacles.
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Step 27: Remove the plastic.
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Step 28: Put Spectacles in their case.
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Step 29: Push the button on the side of the case.
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Step 30: Double tap the side of Spectacles.
Detailed Guide
As of February 2017, the cheapest way to buy Spectacles is through a Bot, which is Snap's pop-up vending machine, or in a pop-up store.
Bots are placed in a new location every 48 hours or so.
A countdown begins on the Spectacles site 24 hours before a Bot is dropped, with no other clues to its location.
Snap opened a pop-up store in Manhattan, called the Bot House,for a limited time.
It's possible that the company may do so again.
Spectacles retail for $130.
Spectacles can also be found on resale sites like Amazon or eBay for considerably more than the retail price., As of February 2017, you can rent Spectacles from two companies:
Lumoid and Joymode.
Check with the vendor for pricing and availability., Spectacles communicates wirelessly with your device over Bluetooth.
On your iPhone or iPad:
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap the Bluetooth button (it's a runic "B") at the top of the Command Center.
On your Android device:
Swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Bluetooth button (the runic "B") near the top of the window. , It's the yellow app with a ghost logo., This opens your profile screen., It's in the upper-right corner of the screen and takes you to the Settings menu., It's near the bottom of the "My Account" section., Doing so generates a Snapcode on your screen.
If you haven't enabled Bluetooth on your device, you'll be prompted to turn it on. , Spectacles are designed to record video from your perspective.
You could technically hold them in your hand and record video, but you'll get the best results from wearing them., While wearing the Spectacles, look at the Snapcode on your device., While looking at the Snapcode, tap the button on the top-left lens of your Spectacles once.
The devices are now paired., Enter a custom name for your Spectacles in the first selection on the screen or stick with the default name that Snapchat generates.
The Spectacles screen displays the name, connection status, and battery level when connected over Bluetooth. , Tapping it once starts a 10-second video Snap., This will be broken into two separate 10-second Snaps., This will be divided into three separate 10-second Snaps.
As of February 2017, you can only take video with Spectacles:
Photos are unsupported. , For the duration of the recording, Spectacles will record what you see.
An LED light will appear on the inside of Spectacles to alert you that you're in record mode.
It will begin blinking when you only have 3 seconds of recording time left.
A ring of LED lights will swirl around the lens to let others know you're taking a Snap.
Videos taken with Spectacles are circular, rather than square or rectangular. ,, Doing so takes you to the Memories screen., It's at the top-center of the screen.
This opens the gallery of videos you took with Spectacles., Spectacles uses Bluetooth to automatically upload videos to Memories, Snapchat's cloud-based gallery, as they are taken.
If there is a progress bar on your video, it means the transfer is in progress.
Spectacles can only store about 10 videos at a time, so it's recommended to keep them paired while using them.
To clear Spectacles' memory, swipe down on Snapchat's camera screen, tap ⚙️, tap Spectacles, tap Manage, and then tap Clear Spectacles Storage and Ok. , It's below a caret (^) at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the blue send button to share on Snapchat.
It's in the lower-right corner.
Tap individual recipients and/or My Story to include your Spectacles video in your Story.
Tap Send in the lower right corner.
Your video will be sent. , It's in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Add an effect.
Swipe left on your completed video to see the available effects, which can include fast forward, slow motion, different tints, and filters with the name of your current location.
Make a sticker.
Tap the scissors icon at the top of the screen, then use your finger to outline any part of the video, such as a person's face.
Now you've created a sticker that you can move to any place on the screen or save for use in another video.
Add a sticker.
Tap the square icon with the folded corner at the top of the screen.
Scroll left through the available stickers and Bitmojis to find a sticker.
Tap on a selection then use your finger to position it on the screen.
Add a caption.
Tap the T icon at the top of the screen.
Type a caption and tap Done.
Use your finger to position the caption on the screen.
Draw on your video.
Tap the crayon icon at the top of the screen, select a color from the spectrum that appears, and write or draw on the screen with your finger.
Tap the back arrow icon next to the crayon to erase any mistakes. , It's the square with an upward-pointing arrow in the lower-left corner.
Tap an app.
Apps like Facebook, Twitter, and your default messaging app appear here.
Follow the onscreen prompts to complete the sharing process.
Tap the Save button.
Do so if you want to save the video to your device. , It's in the lower left corner of the screen., Doing so reveals the charging connectors where the bow connects to the frame, near the button., The charging connectors are shipped with a plastic protector.
Remove this before charging.
Spectacles may need an initial charge before you use them the first time. , The case is a battery pack and holds around four complete charges.
Charge the case using the included USB cable. , Doing so reveals the battery pack's charge status., This will display an LED indicator on the front of the glasses that shows the battery level.
One charge is good for around 30 Snaps.
Spectacles will not attempt to transfer videos if the battery is at 5 percent or less.
Put them in their case to resume transfers.
About the Author
Lauren Clark
Brings years of experience writing about lifestyle and related subjects.
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