How to ruin your Zoom meetings with Snap Camera

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 30 March 2020

Zoom has replaced face-to-face meetings for many of us, and while it's a workable substitute, it comes with its own for challenges. For me, it's strategically cropping out my empty whiskey glasses and burgeoning stockpile of UberEats bags.

Zoom also has its advantages. There's a cute little background replacement tool which makes it easy to solve the aforementioned problem by swapping out the visual of my cluttered apartment for whatever imagery I've got on my computer. I went with a Telstra 5G coverage map, because I like to keep on brand.

But if you want to get even weirder, you can integrate it with an app called "Snap Camera", which lets you apply Snapchat "lenses" (also known as filters) to your very important video meetings. Yes, those Snapchat filters. The ones that give you dog ears, devil horns, or a pizza crown. They sure are cursed, but absolutely perfect for when you start to slowly lose your mind as you enter your third week of working from home.

Getting this setup is a two part process. First, you'll need to install Snap Camera on your PC or Mac. You can download it here. Once you've got it up and running, you'll see a preview of your web cam, where you'll be able to pick a lens from featured results, or search by keyword. You don't even need a Snapchat account.

You'll need to keep Snap Camera open to use it during a Zoom call. When you're starting or joining a meeting, you'll need to select Snap Camera as your video source. If you're already in a call, you'll find this option by clicking the ^ button next to the camera icon. Alternatively, you can find the Camera option under Video in the Settings menu.

It is however worth noting that using Snap Camera as your primary video source means you'll no longer be able to use custom backgrounds in Zoom. You've got to pick between replacing your head with a computer monitor or replacing your background with a shot of Bondi Beach.

Snap Camera can also integrate with Skype, for those using lesser video calling software.

It's far from the most professional decision, but presenting a monthly figures update while wearing an augmented reality Viking helmet sure is a way to pass the time as you slowly become untethered from reality. Just please don't blame me for any repercussions.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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