in

How to Change Your Cameo Selfie on Snapchat – A Complete 2023 Guide

default image

Hey there! Have you been using Snapchat‘s awesome Cameos feature to make your selfies way more fun? Cameos allow you to replace your face with a hilarious animated character that copies your facial expressions using some really cool technology. It‘s one of the standout features that makes Snapchat unique!

But over time, you may get bored of your Cameo selfie and want to change it up. Don‘t worry – you can easily change or reset your Cameo selfie on Snapchat whenever you feel like it. I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know to delete your old Cameo, take an amazing new selfie, and control who can see it.

Changing your Cameo is quick and simple if you follow this guide. Let‘s get started!

What Exactly is a Snapchat Cameo Selfie?

Before we get into editing your Cameo, let‘s do a quick overview of what a Cameo selfie is and how it works its magic.

A Cameo selfie is a photo of your face that you take within the Snapchat app. After enabling Cameos from your Snapchat profile, the app will instruct you to take a selfie looking directly into your phone‘s front-facing camera.

Once you take the selfie, Snapchat uses advanced facial recognition technology to map out the unique features and expressions of your face. This creates a 3D model of your face that allows Snapchat to realistically apply animations onto you!

Here are some key facts about Snapchat Cameo selfies:

  • The photo must clearly show your entire face looking straight ahead. Hats/sunglasses should be avoided.

  • Good lighting is really important so that Snapchat can accurately track all your facial movements.

  • You control whether your selfie is visible to Friends, Everyone or Only yourself. More on that later!

  • Snapchat likely stores biometric data extracted from your Cameo photo to improve their facial tracking algorithms over time.

  • Your Cameo selfie fuels the entire Cameos experience – so you want it to be a high-quality shot!

Overall, the Cameo selfie gives Snapchat the detailed facial data it needs to replace your look with a live animated character. Pretty cool tech!

Now let‘s get into editing your Cameo selfie…

How to Change Your Cameo Selfie in Snapchat

Once you‘re ready for a Cameo makeover, changing your selfie is simple. You have a couple different options:

Option 1: Change Selfie Directly from Chat

If you want to quickly swap your existing Cameo selfie for a new one, you can easily do it directly from a Chat screen:

  1. Open any Chat in Snapchat and tap the smiley face on the right.

  2. Select the "Cameo" option at the bottom of the menu.

  3. Long press any Cameo tile until a pop-up menu appears.

  4. Tap "New Selfie" to delete your old selfie.

  5. Snapchat will now prompt you to take a new Cameo photo.

  6. Center your face, ensure good lighting, and take the new selfie!

  7. Give Snapchat a minute or two to update your Cameos with your fresh look.

Think of this method like taking a new profile picture. You delete the old one and immediately replace it with a new selfie. It‘s super quick and easy!

Option 2: Fully Reset Your Cameo

If you want a completely fresh start, you can delete your Cameo and retake a new selfie from scratch:

  1. Open Snapchat and tap your profile picture.

  2. Go to Settings > Cameos.

  3. Tap "Clear My Cameo Selfie" to delete your current selfie.

  4. Return to your profile and select "Take Cameo Selfie."

  5. Carefully take a brand new Cameo selfie. Remember to center your face and smile!

  6. Give Snapchat a few minutes to recreate your Cameos library from the ground up.

This method completely resets your Cameo with a shiny new selfie. All of your old Cameos in Chats will be wiped out too.

Pro Tip: Use Snapchat‘s Lenses Before Taking Your Selfie!

Here‘s a fun way to take your Cameo selfie to the next level. Right before snapping your selfie, make sure to browse Snapchat‘s Lenses.

Lenses allow you to add animated effects, filters, and distortions to your face. Try taking your Cameo photo with a warped lens or cool animation applied. It makes for a way more interesting result!

Adjusting Your Cameo Selfie Privacy Settings

In addition to changing the actual photo, you can also update your Cameo‘s privacy settings to control who can use and view your selfie.

Here‘s how to update your Cameo‘s visibility:

  1. Open Settings > Cameos.

  2. Tap "Who Can Use My Cameo Selfie?"

  3. Choose from:

    • Only Me – Your selfie is private.

    • My Friends – Your Snapchat friends can use it.

    • Everyone – Your selfie is public.

  4. Tap "Back" to save changes.

I recommend keeping your Cameo on the "My Friends" setting if you want to maximize fun cameo chats while maintaining some privacy. But you can tailor based on your preferences!

7 Tips for Taking the Perfect Cameo Selfie

The key to awesome Snapchat Cameos is capturing the perfect selfie photo. Here are my top tips for nailing that ideal Cameo shot:

1. Get Great Lighting

Bright, even lighting is so important. Natural light near a window is perfect. Avoid shadows on your face.

2. Face the Camera Head-On

Look straight into the center of the frame. Avoid tilted angles.

3. Maintain a Neutral Expression

A calm, natural-looking face tracks best. Big smiles can confuse the facial recognition.

4. Frame Your Face Properly

Keep your entire face visible in the center of the shot. Don‘t cut off your forehead/chin.

5. Pick a Clean Background

Plain backgrounds work best. Busy patterns may interfere with the tracking algorithms.

6. Get Close to the Camera

Don‘t be too far back. Your facial features should be clearly defined.

7. Take Multiple Shots

Capture a few different selfies and select the best one!

Follow these tips, and your Cameo game will instantly level up.

Troubleshooting: Fixing Cameo Selfie Issues

Changing your Cameo selfie is usually quick and painless, but occasionally issues can popup. Here‘s how to troubleshoot common problems:

Cameo Reverts to Old Selfie

If your Cameo reverts back to your old selfie, try deleting it fully and re-taking a brand new one. This resets the cache.

Can‘t Access Camera for Selfie

Make sure Snapchat has camera/microphone access enabled in your device settings and app permissions.

Cameos Not Generating

Check your internet connection. Slow/unstable connections disrupt Snapchat‘s facial tracking tech.

Facial Tracking Problems

Ensure your new selfie is well-lit, centered, and neutral. You may need to retake it.

Other General Issues

Updating Snapchat, rebooting your phone, and reporting issues to Snapchat Support can help.

With some minor troubleshooting, you should be able to fix any hiccups that arise and keep your Cameo selfies fresh.

Fun Facts and Stats About Snapchat Cameos

Before we wrap up, here are some interesting stats about the Cameos phenomenon:

  • Over 200 million Snapchat users have access to Cameos after launching worldwide in 2019.

  • There are thousands of individual Cameos scenes and animations available.

  • Snapchat adds new Cameos daily to keep the content fresh.

  • Cameos use advanced neural networks and 50+ facial tracking points to mimic expressions.

  • Snapchat reportedly spent over $100 million acquiring the Ukraine-based Cameo app that powers the feature.

  • Cameos seamlessly overlay CGI animations onto people‘s faces in real-time.

  • Each Cameo scene has an average of 15-20 different animations to reflect different facial movements.

Clearly, Snapchat has invested heavily in making Cameos an integral part of the app experience. Changing up your selfie ensures you get the most out of this fun feature!

Let‘s Recap How to Change Your Snapchat Cameo

OK, let‘s do a super quick recap of everything we learned today:

  • Your Cameo selfie provides the facial data for Snapchat‘s animations.

  • You can update your selfie directly from Chat or fully reset it.

  • Adjust your Cameo‘s privacy settings to control visibility.

  • Follow the tips to take an ideal cameo photo.

  • Troubleshoot issues like glitchy facial tracking.

  • Have fun with your new Cameo selfie!

And that‘s a wrap! You now have all the tools to delete, change, and take the perfect Snapchat Cameo selfie.

I hope this guide gave you some great ideas for customizing your Cameos experience. Switching up your selfie once in a while keeps things fresh and fun. Thanks for reading…now get snapping those new Cameos!

AlexisKestler

Written by Alexis Kestler

A female web designer and programmer - Now is a 36-year IT professional with over 15 years of experience living in NorCal. I enjoy keeping my feet wet in the world of technology through reading, working, and researching topics that pique my interest.