How to use Snap Camera? Is the question that many of us ask ourselves after the last absurd YouTube video that circulates. It’s about an attorney named Rod Ponton who accidentally attended a civil hearing on Zoom with a cat filter (and couldn’t figure out how to turn it off).
While we’re not absolutely sure where Mr. Ponton’s filter came from (according to a BBC article, it’s an old app called Live Cam Avatar that used to be pre-installed on some Dell computers), there is at least one app available called Snap Camera . This will allow you to become a variety of creatures on camera. While it does not provide the exact cat head that the lawyer found using, allows you to add a wide range of effects, backgrounds, and distortions ; some of which are downright nightmares. (My favorite is the one that places a restless cat on your head.)
Once installed on your PC with Windows or Mac, Snap Camera works with Zoom, Twitch, Skype, and a variety of other online services. In fact, according to the company, it can be used with most applications that use a webcam. For example, here’s how to add Snap Camera effects to your Zoom app:
- Download and install Snap Camera from its website (after signing the usual privacy policy, license agreement and terms of service). You will need a computer with Windows 10 or Mac 10.31 or later . During the installation, you will be asked for access to your PC’s camera and microphone.
- If you are running any active streaming or video applications, you will be prompted to close them.
- Starts Zoom. On a Mac, use the top menu to go to “Preferences”> “Video” . On a PC, click the gear icon in the upper right corner and select “Video” .
- Click on the drop-down menu labeled « Camera » and select « Adjust Camera ».
That is all! Now you can go to the Snap Camera app and choose your filter. There is a wide variety to choose from . A window at the top of the application shows you how each filter will affect your appearance. Also how your video feed will look the next time you start a Zoom meeting.
If you no longer want to use Snap Camera, just Follow the instructions above to return to the default Zoom camera app. And if you’re really ambitious, you can try playing with Snap’s Lens Studio app to create your own filters.
A tip: use the Snap Camera settings (found by clicking the gear icon in the upper right corner) to create a hotkey which will turn the app on and off quickly.
That way, if you ever do caught in a business meeting with their cat’s filter on, you can immediately turn it off without too much embarrassment.
🙂
