How to Get Portrait Mode on Snapchat (iPhone & Android Guide)

If you use Snapchat daily, you’ve probably noticed how a great selfie can lose its charm because of a messy or distracting background. This happens a lot, especially when you’re clicking quick snaps without thinking much about what’s behind you. That’s where Portrait Mode makes a real difference by keeping the focus on your face and softly blurring everything else.

Many people still don’t know that this feature is available inside the app on supported phones. If you’re wondering how to get Portrait Mode on Snapchat, it’s much simpler than it sounds and doesn’t require any extra tools or editing skills.

If you’ve ever had photos taken with a DSLR camera, you have probably noticed how soft and blurry the background looks while the subject is in focus. Snapchat portrait is meant to mimic this. It is a background-blur effect that keeps your face clear and turns an otherwise ordinary Snap into something more polished and focused. 

On iPhones, this feature works best with the front camera and uses the phone’s depth-sensing technology to separate you from the background. If you have an iPhone model with Face ID, such as the iPhone X or newer, portrait mode will most likely be on by default. Other people may have to enable portrait mode manually in the camera controls. Unfortunately, Snapchat does not currently have proper portrait mode on Android devices, but you can still achieve a similar blur effect with specific custom lenses in Snap.

• Portrait Mode Effect: Snapchat uses artificial intelligence to portrait the subject (in this case, a single person), while the background is blurred in its professional-effect style.
• Highlight Effect Snapchat: Snapchat’s Portrait Mode is known to have a clear focus towards the person’s face while blurring the rest of the background so that the clearest subject of the photo stands out.

• Open Snapchat. Go to Snapchat and open the camera.
• Access Controls. To open the control center, swipe down from the top right corner.
• Toggle Portrait. Click the ‘Portrait/Focus’ button to turn the Portrait Mode effect on.
• Adjust. After activating Portrait Mode, if you want to switch the focus mode or increase the image blur, click the focus icon on the side.

To put it simply, Portrait mode on iPhone allows you to take pictures where your face is in focus while the background is blurry, so that your pictures look professional. Here’s how to enable it in the Camera app and on Snapchat through the Control Centre.

• Open the Camera app: Open the app and make sure you’re on the main camera screen.
• Select Portrait: Swipe left and right above the shutter button until Portrait comes up.
• Follow on-screen tips: The camera will guide you to make sure you’re not too close or too far, and that it’s not too dark.
• Check your lighting: The lighting effect will turn yellow, for example, Natural Light, which shows that it’s active.
• Tap the shutter button to take the photo.

• Model Compatibility: Portrait mode is available on iPhone 7 Plus, 8 Plus, X and later, and iPhone SE (2nd generation) and newer.
• Subject Detection: Older models require some type of face for detection, while newer models, the camera can focus on any person, pet, or object.
• Front Camera: On iPhone X and newer, you can switch to the front camera to use Portrait mode for selfies.

Getting Portrait Mode to work on Snapchat can be a great way to make your photos and videos more professional-looking. With just a few easy steps, you can keep the subject of your photos and videos in focus while blurring the background.

• Launch Snapchat: Open the app and point the camera at your subject.
• Access Controls: For an iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to open the Control Center while inside of Snapchat.
• Find the Portrait Icon: Look for the small silhouette of a person. Taping this icon of a person will enable the depth effect.
• Adjust Focus: Tap your subject on the screen to add a focus and blur to the background.
• Start Snapping: Once the portrait effect is activated, you can take photos or videos, and the effect will be on.

Because some iPhone models ship from the factory with Portrait Mode enabled, you may not need to enable it yourself.

If Snap isn’t letting you focus with your front camera, try exiting Snap and restarting your phone. This interrupts the camera’s operation and may let you concentrate.

Both models, Android and iPhone, enable you to give your images the look of a DSLR camera. Pictures can look exceptionally professional by letting you keep your subject sharp while blurring the background. To initiate, just select Portrait Mode, organize your subject appropriately, then fine-tune the blur on the background by using the depth control shown by the ‘f’ icon. Even after you’ve taken the picture, you can adjust the effects and focus.

• Open the Camera & Select Portrait: Open your camera app and swipe through the options until you find and select Portrait.
• Frame Your Shot: Align your subject in the frame (people or pets preferred) and position them a few feet away to avoid a cluttered background.
• Check Subject Detection: Your phone alerts you when the subject is detected, by either outlining the subject or sending a notification.
• Adjust Background Blur: Tap on the f-number icon to adjust the blur. Using a lower f-number applies more blur, while a higher f-number makes the background more defined.
• Add Effects (Optional): Change the lighting to add a different effect to the picture.
• Taking a Portrait: Tap the shutter button to take a portrait and save the picture

• Focus and Blur: To adjust the background blur, open your photo and click “Edit”. Then slide the depth or f-stop bar either way. On some phones, you can actually adjust the focus after the picture has already been taken.
• Adjusting Your Photo’s Light: To get a more natural or enhanced look after the picture has already been taken, you can edit, switch, or remove any lighting effects.

• Choose The Right Lens: Telephoto lenses (2x or 3x) give a more natural background blur compared to wide-angle lenses.
• Lighting: Even, natural light goes a long way toward helping the camera distinguish the subject from the background.
• Establish Contrast: Achieving clear colour or light separation and contrast between the subject and the background improves overall results.
• Have Fun While Experimenting: Make sure to try all sorts of different angles and compositions. You can always edit and fine-tune the photo later.

• iPhone: Most iPhones use a combination of software, dual cameras, or LiDAR (on Pro versions) to get accurate depth, capturing different ranges of zoom.
• Android: Android devices, like Samsung and Google Pixel, use advanced depth and AI algorithms; Pixel is often recognized to produce great portraits, albeit from a single camera.

Both Android and iPhones have advanced portrait functionality, making it simple to create high-quality images from the comfort of your own smartphone.

Snapchat lets you control the amount of blur you want in the background for some lenses and effects. With the use of an on-screen slider, it is easy to control the blur.

• Launch Snapchat, which will take you to the main camera screen.
• The screen and capture button have a smiley face icon, which will prompt the display of lenses and filters.
• Choose an effect based on a blur, such as built-in snap’s Focus and Portrait Modes, if supported, or a community lens, such as a soft blur filter.
• After selecting the lens, look for a blur slider on the left or right of your display.
• To reduce blur, drag the left side of the slider, and vice versa.
• Once you have achieved an effect you like, take the video or photo.

• If your mobile device supports built-in Portrait mode, you can use it directly to blur the background in Snapchat as well.
• iOS Devices: Open Control Centre. To do this, swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen.
• Click on the Snapchat camera controls icon and enable Portrait mode.
• Be aware that Apple’s software handles the blur level, which is usually why manual control cannot be done within Snapchat.

If you’re wondering how to turn off portrait mode on Snapchat iPhone, it’s usually because you don’t want the background blur in your photos. Apple makes this easy by giving you more than one way to disable the effect. You can remove Portrait Mode from an existing photo, prevent it from turning on for future photos, or switch it off directly from the Control Center if it’s already enabled.

• To open the Control Center on your iPhone, swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen.
• Find the camera controls or the Portrait/Depth setting (it should pop up if you have the camera or Snapchat open).
• To deactivate it, tap on the Portrait or Depth rectangle icon that is there.
• You can close Control Center and go back to your Camera or Snapchat — there won’t be a blurred background in your pictures now.

Using Portrait Mode in Snapchat shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes. Here’s what you need to do on your iPhone to get it up and running:  

• Open Your Snapchat App: Launch Snapchat and access the camera screen.
• Open your iPhone Control Center: Swipe down from the top-right corner (where the battery and time are) to access it.
• Access Control Center Snapchat Controls: Tap the Snapchat Control Center at the top.
• How to turn on portrait mode on Snapchat: Tap the Portrait Mode icon to make it white. Your camera will make the background blurry, and the text will only be in focus.
• Modify the Background Blur: Tap the arrow icon and see the slider. Move it to customize the background blur.
• Additional Controls: You can enable features such as Centre Stage, Reactions, and Studio Lights.

If Snapchat has Portrait Mode enabled by default, you can take that off very easily. Here is how to do that:

• Step 1: Open Snapchat’s Camera: Open the Snapchat app and open the camera screen.
• Step 2: Open Control Center: Pull down the Control Center by swiping down from the upper right corner of the screen.
• Step 3: Access Snapchat Controls: From the Control Center at the top, tap Snapchat Controls.
• Step 4: Shut Off Portrait Mode: Tap Portrait to disable the mode.

Now the Snapchat camera will stop applying a blur to your photos.

I often use the blur effect on Snapchat streaks to accentuate a selfie. But if you want a better background and prefer to have the effect off, that is super easy to do as well. This guide has made it easier for you to use and manage the Portrait Mode on Snapchat.

Even when using Portrait Mode, the background blur effect may still appear to be incorrect. Below are  Tips for Perfect Portrait Mode Snaps and resolving common problems.

• Poor Lighting: Portrait Mode functions best when there is soft and consistent lighting. Low or uneven lighting can confuse the effect and make the background blur look wrong.
• Busy Backgrounds: Backgrounds with many items, strong color, or complex elements around your subject can create a patchy background blur that looks poor.
• Subject Too Close or Far: Position your subject approximately 2 to 6 feet away for the best distance effect to ensure depth.
• Shaky Camera: Blurry photos are a problem that can and will occur when you have a shaky hand. This will eliminate the sharp, crisp look that Portrait Mode is supposed to provide and 
• will increase the likelihood that the photo will be taken in focus.

How to Fix These Issues: Unmessy nature or consistently soft indoor lighting is ideal. Remember to adjust for the empty space that outlines your subject’s background, and be steady with the device you are using. If the background blur still misbehaves, try fully closing Snapchat and restarting it to reset the camera.

To get the best portraits from your photos and make them stand out. Think about lighting and backgrounds.

• Golden Hour Glow: A good time to take photos is in the early morning or late afternoon. This time is best for warm, flattering sunlight. This warm lighting is best to enhance depth in the pictures.
• Soft Diffused Light: If you are taking pictures on an overcast day, you could place a thin curtain between your pictures and the sunlight. This will make shadows less harsh.
• Plain Backgrounds: A solid wall or simple backdrop can also keep the main focus on the subject.
• Interesting Bokeh: Twinkling lights or foliage can create an artistic blur behind the subject.

Don’t be afraid to try different angles than you are used to. Moving back a little or adjusting the phone’s position can greatly improve Portrait Mode.

Depth and focus have the most significant impact on Portrait Mode. To do it best:

• Tap to Focus: Always focus on the subject’s eyes, as they are the most essential emotional element of any portrait.
• Use the Rear Camera: Use the rear camera of the phone, as it creates more depth with more advanced hardware.
• Keep the Lens Clean: Use microfiber cloths to clean the lenses so they remain clear and free of softness or haze.
• Manual Adjustments: Adjust the settings manually instead of using the autofocus so you have more control in photography apps other than Snapchat.
• Portrait Mode really isn’t just a simple filter. Keep that in mind whenever you set up, and make extra efforts with the subject, lighting, and lens care to really make a professional shot.

When should I use Portrait Mode on Snapchat? Here are the best times to use the mode.

• Selfies: The front camera will blur all the messy backgrounds, whether that be a dirty room or a crowd of people, so they won’t even be in the picture.
• Group shots: You can highlight one person or a couple of people, and the rest of the picture will get a fancy blur in the background.
• Product/Food Photos: This mode lets the subject stand out and will help make the photo look very professional.
• Low-light scenes: Portrait mode can be tricky in the dark, so make sure to have a good light source.

Snapchat users can use Portrait Mode to make their snaps stand out and look more polished, so make sure to use it next time and elevate your snaps.

Snapchat Portrait Mode photos can stand out from others with some interesting edits after snapping the photo.

• Use the Built-in Filters: Some filters enhance the depth of your portrait or add subtle lighting effects without taking away from the photo.
• Adjust the Focus Blur: Increase or soften the background blur using Snapchat’s photo-editing tools after the photo is taken.
• Text and Stickers: Small details like text and stickers can turn a fascinating portrait into something more memorable.
• Use the Retouch Tools: To add a subtle, polished glow to your photo, you can smooth the skin and brighten the eyes.

Editing photos and Snapchat’s portrait mode do not need to be too complex to be interesting. Keeping things simple is best, especially with a good initial portrait photo.

There might be instances when Portrait Mode on Snapchat fails: the camera freezes, it does not focus, or the blur effect does not appear. This is how to fix these most common problems:

• Restart the App: Reset the camera functions by closing the app in the app manager and then restarting Snapchat.
• Update Snapchat: Is your Snapchat app up to date? Updates fix bugs and issues with Portrait Mode.
• Clear Cache/Data: Sometimes, camera glitches can be fixed by clearing the Snapchat app data or cache from the system settings on Android devices.
• Check Your Camera: If the Portrait Mode problems are common across other software and apps, the issue might be the physical hardware.
• Disable other apps: Other camera or social apps might be the cause and should be uninstalled to stop interfering with Snapchat’s camera functions.
• Reset the app settings: As discussed in GetAssist forums, stuck focus or blur problems could be fixed by toggling camera settings off and on, or by reinstalling Snapchat.

Usually, you will be able to How to Get Portrait Mode on Snapchat working again by following these guidelines.

Snapchat offers a variety of options for adding background blur to your snaps. Portrait Mode can be used if you want to blur the background directly from Snapchat using your phone’s camera; otherwise, you can scroll in-app for plenty of creative options in different lenses or background-adding filters.

Letting you use what depth-sensing tech your phone has, Portrait Mode, or Focus Mode, in some cases, can separate backgrounds from your subjects, which, in most cases, is a face.

• Function: Achieve a natural, professional look containing your subject in focus while the background becomes a diffused blur.
• Result: Gets you a realistic blur level where the focus gets heightened, but the other background features aren’t dragged or distorted.
• Availability: It is an option enabled in the camera settings in the Control Center on iPhones and will be applied to any other app requesting camera access.
• Goal: Achieve a polished effect so that the subject is the most important point in the photograph.

You can also have Snapchat use Augmented Reality (AR) Effects to create a blur with some of the app’s available lenses and filters.

• Function: Even phones without Portrait’s hardware can apply the blur effect, along with other real-time custom effects.
• Result: The effect smooths the skin and makes the colors pop a bit more.
• Availability: These can be found in the Lens carousel of the Snapchat app and used right in the app.
• Goal: The main reason these filters/lenses exist is to enhance creative expression and give a very stylized impact.

To make it easier to understand, here’s a quick comparison of Snapchat’s native Portrait Mode versus its other blur effects. The table below highlights the key differences in technology, aesthetics, and how each option affects your photos..

Features	Portrait Mode (Device Feature)	Snapchat Lenses/Filters
Technology	Hardware + software depth-sensing	Software-based AR filter
Aesthetic	Realistic, professional blur	Stylized, creative, sometimes less natural
Subject Alteration	Minimal, focuses on blur	May include skin smoothing, face reshaping, and color tweaks
Activation	Via system settings, Control Center, or “Focus” button in the app	Selected from Snapchat’s Lens carousel