How to Use Snapchat Without iPhone or Android App 1

How to Use Snapchat Without iPhone or Android App

The other day I was asked if it is possible to use Snapchat without installing the app on a phone. At first I said no, but then after doing some research I discovered that he could do it, sort of. You can also use Snapchat without the mobile app if you install it on your Windows PC or Mac.

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Snapchat is a standalone social network controlled by the app, so it is not possible to use that app without installing it one way or another. If for some reason you cannot install Snapchat on your phone, you can use it on PC or Mac instead. It’s kind of like, although not fully using the application without installing it.

Snapchat needs no introduction and if you’re reading this, you already know how cool the app is and you want it in your life. While it is designed to run natively on phones, it can also run on a PC with a little configuration.

Can You Use Snapchat Without The App?

There is no Windows or Mac app for Snapchat. Instead, we need to install an emulator. If you’re not familiar with emulators, we’re talking about software that lets your computer do something that any other technical device can do. In this case, an emulator will emulate the app store that lets you download Snapchat.

I use Nox because it’s free and works very well. It also has both a Windows and a Mac version, so it works perfectly in this case. You will need your Google account to log in to Snapchat and download the only other requirement to do all this.

Other emulators are also available, so if you want to use something else that’s fine.

How to Use Snapchat Without iPhone or Android App 3

Install the Nox emulator

Nox is an Android emulator that simulates the local environment in which the application will run. It essentially tricks Android apps into thinking they’re running on a phone while actually running inside a phone simulator. Most apps run smoothly and without issue. Sometimes a game or app can have problems with the emulator, but that’s not the case with Snapchat.

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Snapchat works flawlessly on Nox and as long as you have a built-in webcam or camera on your computer, everything will be fine.

  1. Download Nox for Windows or Mac here.
  2. Install Nox and login with your Google account.
  3. Set up your computer camera to take pictures.

The installation process is very simple and works like any other application’s installation. You need to sign in with a legitimate Google account to get the Google Play Store working so that it can download apps. Apart from that, you can use Nox as you wish.

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Install Snapchat on Nox

Installing an Android app on a Mac when an iOS version is available may seem counterintuitive, but the best emulators right now are Android ones. There are iPadian that can simulate an iPad, but not as good as Nox. If you wish, you can use it as an alternative and install Snapchat from the App Store.

  1. Run Nox and login to your Google account.
  2. Open Google Play Store from within Nox.
  3. Search for Snapchat and select Install.

Installation takes a few seconds if you have a good network connection. You can then open Snapchat from the app drawer or the icon if it appears on the Home screen. When I first installed Snapchat on Nox, the icon wasn’t showing up at first, I had to install it twice for it to show up. Once it did, it stayed in place normally.

Snapchat via Nox works exactly the same as on an Android phone. Navigation is done with the mouse and keyboard, and you use your webcam or computer camera instead of the phone. Otherwise, using it is the same experience you’re used to.

Using other emulators for Snapchat

Most Android emulators work the same way and work on the phone as well as with Snapchat and other apps. I use Nox because it’s stable, free, and doesn’t install anything other than what it should work. There are loads of other emulators on the market, so you definitely don’t need to use Nox if you don’t want to.

Bluestacks is a very stable Android emulator that works on Windows, Mac and Linux, but it costs money. It’s about $5 a month for it to work properly. If you’re a developer or regularly use phone apps on your desktop, this might be worth the investment. Otherwise, Nox or others like it will work fine.

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Snapchat hasn’t mentioned anything about desktop apps or phone expansion plans, and probably never will. There are plans to add a camera app for Windows and Mac but I don’t know anything about it yet. Snapchat is a mobile experience that works perfectly as it is. If you want to play with it on your desktop, now you know how!

What Can You Do With Snapchat On A Computer?

Besides downloading an emulator to get the full functionality of Snapchat in a web browser, you can log into Snapchat via your favorite web browser to manage your account. Visit Snapchat’s website and click ‘Sign in’. From here you can manage multiple options including your passwords, Ads or unlock your account.

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You can delete your account or remove signed-in devices that you no longer use. Interestingly, you can download all your Snapchat data from the web browser and save it to a file on your computer. You can access your entire Snapchat history using the website, including blocked friends, deleted accounts, and login history.

What makes it even more fun? You can create and submit your own filters by logging in and clicking ‘GeoFilters On Demand’. If the filters and lenses offered in the app are not enough for you, this is a feature you should definitely try.