Snapchat update lets you swap faces with any photo on your phone

By Saqib Shah April 21, 2016

snapchat face swapping update shouts — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Snapchat updates are coming thick and fast of late, and the latest takes its face-swapping feature to dizzying new heights.

With the update installed, you can now face-swap with any image stored in your phone’s photo library. In the past, the app’s popular face-swapping function could only be applied to images and videos taken via its camera, meaning you had to convince a friend (or an unruly pet) to pose for a photo.

Snapchat_update — A screenshot of me as Ziggy Stardust taken with the updated face-swap lens feature. Image used with permission by copyright holder

Not anymore! Now you can face-swap with absolutely any image you desire. No need to drag your poor cat into the frame anymore, just take a photo separately and use the new filter to swap faces once you’re done. I’m sure you can imagine the boundless possibilities, as pretty much any image from the web can be saved to your phone you have the option to go — well, absolutely nuts.

If you’re already accustomed to the original face-swapping feature, then getting the hang of the new update should be a breeze. Just in case you’re not, here’s how the update works: Open Snapchat and start by switching to the front-facing camera in order to focus on that beautiful mug of yours. Next hold the focus on your face to bring up the selfie lens options, and then swipe along until you reach the new face-swap from camera option. Tap the capture button and you will see your camera roll images appear above it, which you can scroll through to pick your desired pic to swap faces with. Now you can swap faces with any image on your phone, including screenshots, images of others, and even pics you’ve created using other drawing apps. Let the insanity begin.

Additionally, with the new update, Snapchat is leveling the playing field when it comes to its replay option. As usual, everyone is allowed one replay of a snap they have received, only now, the more affluent users of the app can’t pay to rewatch snaps multiple times. Like the lens filter store before it, the 99-cent replay fee has officially been scrapped — another indication that Snapchat no longer requires alternative monetization options thanks to a surge in advertising revenue.

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Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…

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