How to Get Ring Light on Snapchat for Picture-Perfect Selfies
Taking the perfect selfie on Snapchat can be a challenge, especially when you’re working with less-than-ideal lighting conditions. Fortunately, Snapchat has introduced a handy ring light feature that helps enhance lighting and make your selfies look stunning.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get and use the ring light on Snapchat.
What is the Snapchat Ring Light?
The Snapchat ring light is a feature that illuminates your face with a soft, diffused ring of light when taking selfies. It mimics the effect of a ring light used in photography studios and helps enhance your facial features by reducing shadows.
When enabled, the ring light adds a bright halo around the front-facing camera as you capture selfies. This creates a flattering, studio-quality glow on your face, making your features pop and skin appear smooth and radiant.
The effect is subtle yet transformative. Unlike the harsh flash, the diffused ring light doesn’t overpower your photo or create unflattering shadows. Instead, it subtly brings out the best version of you in every Snapchat selfie.
How to Turn on Ring Light
Enabling the ring light feature is quick and easy. Just follow these simple steps:
On iPhone
- Open the Snapchat app and switch to the front-facing, selfie camera
- Tap the icon that looks like a lightning bolt in the upper right corner of your camera screen
- Select the “Ring” option
You’ll now see a halo ring light effect around your front-facing camera whenever you take Snapchat selfies.
On Android
- Open the Snapchat app and switch to the front-facing selfie camera
- Tap the flash icon at the top left of your camera screen
- Select the “On” option next to “Ring Light”
Like magic, your camera will now be encircled with a flattering ring light for the perfect selfies!
Using Ring Light for Great Snapchat Selfies
The ring light feature works exceptionally well for taking stunning solo selfies and close-up videos. The diffused lighting is designed specifically to make faces look great.
Tips for taking solo selfies:
- Frame your face in the center of the display
- Experiment with different angles until you find the most flattering one
- Zoom in to focus the attention on your face
- Pose and smile naturally for candid shots
- Use Portrait Mode for an artfully blurred background
Tips for selfie videos:
- Film in a quiet, stationary setting
- Check your angle and framing in the viewfinder before recording
- Keep a stable hand to avoid shaky footage
- Speak clearly and make eye contact with the camera periodically
- Edit clips in the app to trim footage or add captions, emojis, filters, or music
Use the ring light liberally any time you want to look your best in Snapchat photos and videos. The soft illumination creates very complimentary selfies every time.
Adjusting Ring Light Brightness
You can adjust the ring light brightness level to your preference for the ideal illumination. Here’s how:
On iPhone
- Tap and hold the lightning icon to bring up the brightness slider
- Drag left to dim the ring light or drag right to increase the brightness
- Release your finger when the desired brightness is reached
On Android
- Tap the lightning icon
- Use the slider below the “Ring Light” option to adjust brightness up or down
Test different brightness settings to discover what looks best. Many people opt for 75-100% brightness for a naturally brightened, confident look. But you can always tone it down for more subtle enhancement too.
Tweaking Ring Light Color
Along with adjustable brightness, Snapchat also lets you change the ring light to different colors to match the mood you want to convey with your selfie.
To change the color effect:
- Tap and hold the lightning icon in your Snapchat selfie mode
- Swipe left or right over the color palette options
- Release when your preferred color tone appears around the ring light
Snapchat offers a spectrum ranging from cool blues to warm ambers. For fun, test them all out to discover which hue you think presents you in the most positive light!
Using Ring Light & Filters Together
Need your selfies to truly pop? Use the Snapchat ring light in tandem with fun filters! The ring light boosts your face, then the filters add artistic flair.
After turning on the ring light:
- Swipe horizontally to browse the available filters
- Select a filter that intrigues you by tapping on it
- Gaze into your camera with confidence as you snap that selfie!
Some combinations that look especially great include the ring light plus:
- Black & white filter – high contrast dramatization
- Valencia filter – saturated, golden glow
- Sky filter – dreamy, etherial effect
- Flower crown filter – playful juxtaposition
The creative possibilities are endless when you utilize both ring light and filters in your Snapchat selfie shots!
Selfie Shooting Tips
Basking in flattering ring light and applying artsy filters are great starts to taking phenomenal selfies. But don’t forget these additional selfie photography tips for next-level snaps:
Prep Your Canvas
Put effort into your appearance before shooting selfies. Wear an outfit that flatters your body type and makes you feel confident. Style your hair neatly and groom facial hair. If you wear makeup, apply it freshly before photos. Feeling attractive translates through the camera!
Perfect Your Pose
Stand, sit or angle your body in a way you find most pleasing. Elongate your neck, lift your chin, relax your shoulders down and back. Align your posture to exude grace and confidence through the lens.
Bring your face slightly forward toward the camera for a flattering perspective that doesn’t distort or minimize features. Angle your head at a subtle tilt rather than straight on.
Frame your face centrally, allowing some space around the top of your head and sides. Zoom in moderately to keep the focus just on your face.
Smile With Your Eyes
Genuine smiles reach the eyes and convey authentic joy. So smile big and bright! Squint ever so slightly while grinning to sparkle your eyes with crinkly happiness.
A slight parting of the lips can also help showcase teeth in a natural, cheerful expression. Avoid tight-lipped smirks that seem forced or uncomfortable in selfies. Radiate delight!
Snap With Stable Hands
The steadier your grip, the crisper your selfie clarity will be. If possible, brace forearms on a solid surface when capturing photos. Otherwise, tuck elbows inward against your torso for more stability. Gently exhale while snapping shots to avoid hand shake.
If photos still come out blurry from unsteady hands, consider using a tripod phone mount for sharply focused selfies every time.
Shoot Multiple Shots
Digital photography allows the freedom to snap endless shots without added film costs. Seize this advantage! Capture multiple selfies in each pose so you can later review and select only your very best ones.
Vary angles and expressions slightly between each photo burst. Check results after every few snaps and adjust anything not looking quite right. Repeat this process until you land some big selfie wins worth posting!
FAQs About Snapchat Ring Light
Still have some lingering questions about harnessing Snapchat’s flattering ring light for your selfies? Here are answers to some frequently asked questions.
Does the ring light use my battery?
Yes, using any flash or lighting feature within photo apps like Snapchat will utilize some battery charge. However, occasional reasonable usage shouldn’t rapidly drain modern phone batteries.
If capturing many selfies over an extended timeframe, having your phone plugged into a charger can help offset battery drainage. Also, be sure to quit the Snapchat app fully when you’re finished using the ring light to prevent battery depletion in the background.
Why don’t some Android phones have the feature?
The Snapchat ring light capability relies on newer phone models with advanced camera and flash specifications. Many modern Android devices contain the necessary hardware, but some lower-end or older Android models may not.
Unfortunately not all Androids can harness a ring flash effect within the Snapchat app. But external ring light accessories can often help compensate when a phone lacks built-in software support.
Can other people tell I’m using a ring light?
In most cases, no. When used subtly, the Snapchat ring light looks very natural. It simply seems as if you have great lighting or are standing near a window on a bright day.
However, if you max out the ring light’s brightness, it can start to appear more obvious that a lighting effect is enhancing the scene. Just use a moderate brightness level for beautifully enhanced, yet believable selfies.
Does the ring light heat up my phone?
Not substantially. The Snapchat ring light relies on low-powered LED flash bulbs rather than intense halogen or incandescent lighting. This prevents excessive heating.
However, using any flash function for very prolonged periods can contribute incremental warmth to a phone’s hardware. If capturing many selfies consecutively, give your phone short breaks periodically to prevent any risk of overheating issues.
Enhance Selfies Like an Influencer
Once you get the hang of using Snapchat’s ring light to artistically illuminate your selfies, you’ll wonder how you ever took great snaps without it! Use the tips in this guide to channel your inner influencer.
Amp up brightness, change colors, layer on filters, finesse every setting until you land gorgeous selfies worth sharing online or just cherishing for yourself. Snap on!
