How To Take Hands-Free Snapchat Video

Instagram built a “hands free” mode of recording right into its “Stories” platform, but Snapchat hasn’t quite caught up yet. But you may have noticed that some Snapchat users have found a way to record their videos seemingly without holding down the record button down anyway. That’s thanks to a work around.

Recording without having to continuously hold down the record button can be super helpful in some scenarios, like cooking or showing off a new makeup tutorial. If you’re a Snapchat fan and want to be able to record hands free in the app, there is a way.

Read: Snapchat Spectacles Now Available On Amazon For Same Price, Next-Day Delivery

How to record hands-free video on Snapchat:

If you have an iPhone you can record hands free video with the help of the “Assistive Touch” function. First open “Settings” on the home screen of your phone and scroll down to and select “General.” On the next screen select “Accessibility” and scroll down and select “Assistive Touch.” Select the toggle so that it’s green on your screen and the little assistive touch icon appears, it’s a small grey square. Next select “New Creative Gesture” at the bottom of the assistive touch menu.

Now create the “gesture” of holding down the Snapchat record button. Simply tap and hold down on the center of the assistive touch screen until the blue bar at the bottom of the screen fills completely. Once you do this, select “Save” from the upper right corner of the screen and name the gesture.

Read: How To Use Sarahah App On Snapchat: What Are The Risks?

Next, open Snapchat and tap the assistive touch icon on your screen and select the star icon that says “Custom” below it and select the gesture you created and named. Once you select the gesture a grey circle will appear on your screen, drag the circle over the capture button on Snapchat that sits at the bottom of the screen. Once you remove your finger from dropping the button on the capture button, it will activate the gesture and Snapchat will begin recording, hands free.

Android phones don’t have the assistive touch function meaning if you want to record any video hands free it might have to be on Instagram. Some people have come up with creative ways of doing it, like using a rubber band and wrapping it around the volume button to activate recording, or using a selfie stick or “lazy arm” device. But there is no reliable surefire way to get a good hands free video recording on Snapchat with an Android phone just quite yet.

If you’re really committed to getting hands-free video you could also consider investing in a pair of Snapchat Spectacles. The glasses have a button on them that allow wearers to record with the press of a button and record from the perspective of eye level. The glasses cost $129.99 and can be purchased on Amazon or the Spectacles website.