How to Use the Snapchat Time Limit Feature on Your Photos

Control when your sent Snaps will expire

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 16, 2024 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to control the amount of time a photo you send on Snapchat can be viewed before it diaappears.

Quick Guide: Setting the Photo Timer in Snapchat

Take a photo.
Tap the clock icon at the bottom.
Select how long you want the photo to appear.
Tap anywhere on the photo.
Tap Send to and choose where to share your photo.

Steps

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1
Open Snapchat. It's a yellow app that contains a ghost logo.
- Enter your username and password if you're not automatically logged in.
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2
Snap a photo. Tap the larger, open circle at the bottom center of the screen to do so.
- The length of videos are controlled by how long you hold down the button. Snapchat videos can be up to 10 seconds long.
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It's in the lower-left corner of the screen.
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4
Select a duration. Scroll through the selections, choosing a time between 1 and 10 seconds.
- The duration you choose is the length of time your photo will appear on screen to the recipient of your Snap or viewers of your Story.
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5
Tap anywhere on your photo. Your chosen duration will appear in the center of the timer icon.
- Tap the editing tools in the upper right corner to add text, pictures, and other features to your image.
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6
Tap the "Send to" button. It's in the lower-right corner of the screen. Now, whoever you send the picture to, whether it's a friend or your Story, will see it for the number of seconds you indicated on the timer.
- A Snap, the picture or short video you just took, can be sent to individuals, and will disappear after it's opened, or added to your Story.
- Your Story is a collection of the Snaps that you've taken and added to your Story over the last 24 hours.
- Snaps added to your Story disappear after 24 hours.

Community Q&A

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Question

There is no timer button in the lower-left corner after taking a Snap.

Community Answer

The timer does not appear when you take a video Snap. Instead, the time limit will be the same as the video's length. The timer only appears when you take a photo Snap.

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Question

Why are all Snapchats sent to me suddenly only lasting for 3 seconds?

Community Answer

This could be a glitch. Try to refresh the app by closing it.

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Question

I'm receiving Snaps that have timers longer than 10 seconds, how can I do that?

Community Answer

The Snaps you are receiving are actually not longer than 10 seconds. Snapchat plays all unviewed Snaps from a user back-to-back and combines each Snap's timer. Individual Snaps cannot be longer than 10 seconds.

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How to Use the Snapchat Time Limit Feature on Your Photos

Quick Guide: Setting the Photo Timer in Snapchat

Steps

Community Q&A

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