What is different on Mac?
| Question | Answer on Mac |
|---|---|
| Browser | Safari or Chrome |
| Where the file lands | Chrome on Mac saves to /Users/<username>/Downloads by default; Safari saves to the folder set in Safari › Settings › General › File download location. |
| How to see it | Click Safari's downloads button near the top-right of the window; in Chrome, use the download icon next to the address bar. |
| Opens with | QuickTime Player |
| Change the folder | Safari › Settings › General › File download location. Chrome: Settings › Downloads › Change. |
What can you view on Mac?
- View Snapchat Stories on Mac: Each snap of the public Story, newest last, with its date and whether it is a photo or a video. Videos play in the page with sound; photos open in full.
- View Snapchat Profiles on Mac: The public profile card: display name, @username, subscriber count, category, bio, website and profile picture, plus tabs for the public Story, Spotlight and Highlights.
- View Snapchat Highlights on Mac: Every saved Highlight of the profile, with its title and cover. Pick one to see its snaps in order and play them in the page.
- View Snapchat Spotlight on Mac: The profile's recent Spotlight videos with view count, length and upload date. Paste a single Spotlight link to open just that video.
What can you save on Mac?
| Type | File | Extension | Size in our tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stories | the MP4 video or JPG photo of each Story snap | .mp4 / .jpg | the file Snapchat serves for the public Story: in our tests a 1242×2208 photo and a 480×270 video |
| Spotlight | the MP4 file of the Spotlight snap | .mp4 | the MP4 Snapchat serves for Spotlight, 540×960 in our tests |
| Videos | an MP4 file (H.264 video with AAC sound) | .mp4 | the size Snapchat serves (540×960 for Spotlight in our tests); nothing is upscaled |
| Highlights | the MP4 or JPG of each saved Highlight snap | .mp4 / .jpg | the file Snapchat serves for the Highlight, 479×852 for a video in our tests |
| Profile Photos | the profile picture as a JPG in its stored size | .jpg | the stored size of the picture, up to 1080×1080 in our tests (it varies by account; the profile page itself shows a 90-pixel copy) |
| Bitmoji | the Bitmoji image as PNG or WebP | .png / .webp | the full Bitmoji render, 1050×1400 in our tests |
One thing to watch on Mac
Preview does not play animated GIFs; use Quick Look or a browser.
Drag the file from Downloads to the folder you want in Finder; select it and press Space to preview it with Quick Look.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a SnapViewer app for Mac?
No. It is a web page that works in Safari or Chrome; nothing to install.
Where do saved files go on Mac?
Chrome on Mac saves to /Users/<username>/Downloads by default; Safari saves to the folder set in Safari › Settings › General › File download location.
Which app plays a saved Snapchat video on Mac?
QuickTime Player.
Can I view private accounts on Mac?
No. Only public profiles and public Stories can be shown, on every device.
Guides
Story viewer — Type a username to watch a public profile's Stories, Spotlight and Highlights.