How to Record a 30-Second Snap Story with Spectacles

BY George Tinari

Published 1 Apr 2017

Snapchat usually only allows for 10 seconds of video at a time. This is true for both sending personal snaps or adding them to a story. While it’s still technically the case that 10 seconds is the maximum for a single video, the new Snap Spectacles provide a workaround.

Spectacles let you record up to 30 seconds of continuous video to then post on Snapchat. It still defaults to 10 seconds, but there’s a simple trick that lets you extend the recording time so you get the full footage for your Snapchat friends.

Record 30 Seconds of Video with Spectacles

To start recording a video on your Spectacles, press the single hardware button on the glasses located on the top left toward the frame. The camera will begin recording video.

Image credit: Snap

While it might be instinctual to press the button again to stop recording, this is not the case. Once you start filming with Spectacles, you have to shoot for the duration of all 10 seconds. No stops.

However, if you do press the button again while Spectacles are already recording, you unlock the ability to record for longer. Pressing again extends the recording session by another 10 seconds. Finally, pressing the button a third time extends recording again by another 10 seconds for a grand total of 30.

Posting 30 Seconds of Video to Snapchat

Videos from Spectacles don’t automatically post to your Snapchat story or anywhere else for that matter. Instead, they save to your Memories, accessible by swiping up in Snapchat’s camera view.

The 30-second video you recorded will automatically begin importing. It imports into a single collection. When you attempt to post, Snapchat lets you know that they’re going to appear as three separate snaps. If you only recorded 20 seconds, the entirety of the “collection” splits into two videos.

To Snapchat’s credit, the transition between clips is pretty seamless though. The separation feels like only a minuscule hiccup. At this point, it is a bit odd that Snapchat doesn’t just allow for longer video. That’d make everything easier. But alas, this is the reality for now.

While 30 seconds of video is useful to have on some occasions, it’s not always necessary to capture a fleeting moment. What’s one instance when you went over the 10-second mark with your Spectacles? Tell your story in the comments!