# How to do slow motion on Snapchat > The speed modifiers, where they moved to in recent versions, and how to slow footage down before importing when the in-app option is missing. **Source:** https://evez.online/guides/snapchat-slow-motion/ **Topic:** Camera and video **Published:** 2026-07-29 · **Last checked:** 2026-08-29 **Author:** Mical Robert (Evez) --- ## The short answer Record, then swipe left through the filters on the preview screen until you reach the speed modifiers. The snail is slow motion, the rabbit is fast. Newer versions use a Camera Speed control instead. ## Key takeaways - Slow motion is a filter applied after recording, not a recording mode. - Swipe left on the preview screen to reach the snail, rabbit and reverse modifiers. - Newer versions moved this to a Camera Speed control chosen before you record. - If neither exists in your build, slow the clip in your phone's editor and import it. ## The classic method: swipe on the preview People go looking for a slow-motion mode on the camera, find nothing, and give up. For most of Snapchat's history speed has been one of the filters you swipe through after recording, rather than something you choose before you start. **Swiping to the speed modifiers** 1. **Record a video** — Press and hold the capture button. Speed modifiers apply to video only, never to photos. 2. **Stay on the preview screen** — Do not send yet. 3. **Swipe left across the screen** — You will pass through colour filters, the time, the temperature and so on. 4. **Keep going to the speed icons** — The snail is slow motion, the rabbit is fast forward, and the reverse arrows play the clip backwards. 5. **Stop on the snail** — The preview immediately plays at reduced speed. Send or save from there. *The three speed modifiers* | Icon | Effect | Best for | | --- | --- | --- | | Snail | Slow motion | Movement, reactions, anything fast | | Rabbit | Fast forward | Long, dull sequences you want to compress | | Reverse arrows | Plays backwards | Pouring, jumping, anything with an obvious direction | ## If the swipe does not find them Recent versions moved speed out of the filter carousel into a dedicated Camera Speed control, chosen before recording rather than after. This is genuinely better — the app captures at the right frame rate rather than interpolating afterwards, but it means every guide describing the swipe is wrong for those builds. 1. Look on the Camera screen for a speed control in the right-hand toolbar, before you record. 2. Select the slow speed option, then record as normal. 3. The clip is captured at that speed rather than adjusted after the fact. > **Why guides disagree about this** > Both mechanisms have existed, and Snapchat rolls changes out gradually. Depending on your app version and device you may have the swipe, the Camera Speed control, or neither. Check for both before concluding the feature is gone. ## The fallback that always works If your build has neither, slow the video down outside Snapchat and bring the result in. It is a couple of extra steps and it works on every device. **Slowing down before importing** 1. **Record with your phone's own camera** — Both iOS and Android have a dedicated slow-motion mode that records at high frame rate — genuinely better quality than any post-hoc slowdown. 2. **Or slow an existing clip** — iOS: Photos → Edit. Android: Google Photos or your manufacturer's gallery editor. 3. **Save it to your camera roll** — 4. **Import it into Snapchat** — From Memories → Camera Roll, or the gallery button on the Camera screen. The route is in sending a snap from your camera roll. **Which route gives the best result** | Item | Value | Note | | --- | --- | --- | | Phone slow-mo, then import | 1 | Best quality; shows imported marker | | Camera Speed before recording | 2 | Native, no marker | | Snail filter after recording | 3 | Convenient; can look choppy | | Slowing an old clip in an editor | 4 | Worst — no extra frames to use | *Native high-frame-rate capture beats any method that slows down footage recorded at normal speed, because the extra frames genuinely exist.* > **Editor's note** > The quality difference is not subtle. A phone recording slow motion captures many more frames per second and plays them back at normal rate, so the result is smooth. Slowing an ordinary clip afterwards has to stretch or duplicate frames, and fast movement looks visibly stuttered. ## What slow motion works well on - Anything genuinely fast — a jump, a pour, a pet doing something sudden. Slowing something already slow just makes it dull. - Reactions, where the interesting part lasts a fraction of a second. - Short clips. Slowing a 10-second clip stretches it well past what a viewer will sit through. - Well-lit scenes. High frame rates need light; slow motion indoors at night is noisy and grainy. > **Trim before you slow** > Slowing a clip makes it longer, and the length cap still applies. Trim to the moment that matters first — the scissors tool is covered in editing a video on Snapchat. ## Common problems *Why slow motion is not working* | Symptom | Cause | | --- | --- | | No speed icons when swiping | Your version uses the Camera Speed control instead | | Filters swipe but no speed ones appear | Filters may be disabled in settings | | Works on photos but not video | Speed modifiers are video-only by design | | Result looks choppy | Post-hoc slowdown with no extra frames — record in native slow motion | | Clip is now too long to send | Slowing extends duration past the per-snap cap; trim first | | Very dark and grainy | Not enough light for a high frame rate | If filters are not appearing at all, check Settings → Manage → Filters is enabled. And if the underlying problem is that recording itself is awkward, hands-free recording makes framing a slow-motion shot considerably easier. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do you make a video slow motion on Snapchat? Record the video, then swipe left on the preview screen until you reach the snail icon. In newer versions, use the Camera Speed control on the Camera screen before recording instead. ### Why can't I find the slow motion filter on Snapchat? Recent versions replaced the swipe-to-filter speed modifiers with a dedicated Camera Speed control chosen before recording. Check for both, and make sure filters are enabled in Settings → Manage. ### Can you slow down a video you already recorded on Snapchat? Only with the speed modifier on the preview screen, before you send. Once sent, nothing can be changed. For an older clip, slow it in your phone's editor and import the result. ### Why does my slow motion look choppy? Because slowing footage recorded at normal speed has no extra frames to work with, so frames get stretched or duplicated. Recording in your phone's native slow-motion mode captures at a high frame rate and looks smooth. ## Sources 1. [How do I use Camera Speed on Snapchat?](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/8132926294932-How-do-I-use-Camera-Speed-on-Snapchat) — Snapchat Support Supports: The dedicated Camera Speed control that replaced the swipe-to-filter speed modifiers. 2. [How do I send photos or videos from my Camera Roll?](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7047503341204-How-do-I-send-photos-or-videos-from-my-Camera-Roll) — Snapchat Support Supports: The import route used by the fallback method. 3. [What devices does Snapchat support?](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012377684756-What-devices-does-Snapchat-support) — Snapchat Support Supports: That feature availability varies by device and version, explaining why the controls differ. ## Related guides - https://evez.online/guides/how-to-edit-video-on-snapchat/ - https://evez.online/guides/send-snap-from-camera-roll/ - https://evez.online/guides/record-snapchat-without-holding-button/ --- © Evez. Independent guide; not affiliated with Snap Inc.