How to troubleshoot Snapchat Spectacles 3

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

How to troubleshoot Snapchat Spectacles 3

2. Resolution

Location Data

Spectacles 3 are equipped with built-in GPS, GLONASS, and an accelerometer that allows them to capture location-based information whenever you take a photo or video (also known as a “Snap”). 

By default, location data will not be captured on Spectacles until you enable it in Snapchat. Enabling location data will allow you to add Geofilters and location tags to Snaps, and also allow Memories to automatically sort your Snaps based on where they were taken.

When you first set up and pair Spectacles to your Snapchat account, you’ll be asked whether you’d like to enable location data. If you opted to not enable it when pairing, you can always manually enable it later.

Here’s how to enable location data:

1. Open Snapchat and swipe up to Memories.
2. Tap the Spectacles button in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap on your Spectacles under the ‘MY SPECTACLES’ section.
4. Toggle ‘Enable Location’ to ON under the ‘DEVICE SETTINGS’ section. 

You can follow the same steps above to disable this feature if you ever change your mind. Location data will only be captured alongside Snaps captured with Spectacles when this is enabled — it won’t affect Snaps you capture with the Snapchat camera.

Spectacles do not require your phone to be near you when you capture photos and videos. The built-in GPS, from time to time, will automatically update its location through Snapchat. Make sure to enable location services for Snapchat on your phone to get the full benefit!

If your imported Snaps are showing incorrect Geofilters or location tags...

• The built-in GPS may have been unable to find your location while you captured those Snaps. When this happens, it will associate them with the next available location you captured Snaps in.
• Spectacles were not able to capture location data at all. When this happens, Snaps will be assigned the location data based on where you were when you imported them to your phone, instead of where they were captured.

Keep in mind that Location Data does not need to be enabled to use Spectacles 3.

Blink Notifications

With Spectacles 3, you can now use “Blink Notifications” — a new feature that can make a small LED inside the frame light up when a friend reaches out to you, like with a Snap or a Chat. With Blink Notifications, you can spend less time checking the screen in your pocket, and more time taking in the world around you.

Here’s how to enable Blink Notifications:

1. Open Snapchat and swipe up to Memories.
2. Tap the Spectacles button in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap on your Spectacles under the ‘MY SPECTACLES’ section.
4. Tap ‘Notifications’ under the ‘DEVICE SETTINGS’ section.
5. Toggle the ‘Enable’ switch to turn them on.
6. Follow the instructions on the screen!

While you follow these instructions, you should be prompted to connect Spectacles to Bluetooth once again. Spectacles 3 uses different kinds of Bluetooth to connect to your phone. You should see two different Spectacles connections in your Bluetooth Device List once this is all set up.

Once Blink Notifications have been enabled, you can customize the color of them! Tap ‘Indication Color’ and choose between the following colors:

• 💚Green
• 💙Blue
• 💜Purple
• 🧡Orange
• 💛Yellow

You can also personalize Blink Notifications so that they’ll only appear when select friends send you a Snap or Chat! Here’s how:

1. In your Spectacles Settings, tap on the Spectacles you’d like to configure Blink Notifications for.
2. Tap on ‘Only these Friends…’ under the ‘WHO DO I SEE NOTIFICATIONS FROM?’ section.
3. Tap on the friends you’d like to receive notifications from. (You can scroll through a list or type their name into a search bar to find them.)
4. Tap ‘Done’ when you’re good to go!

LED Messages

Spectacles 3 are equipped with dual inner and outer LEDs. They’ll blink in different patterns to let you know how Spectacles are doing!

The outer LEDs can... 

• Let others know when you’re taking photos or videos: 
• Photo: The outer LED opposite to the side of the pressed button will flash once (see below for more details).
  
• Video: The outer LED opposite to the side of the pressed button will light up in a spinning circle and rotate until the recording is complete (see below for more details).

• Display Spectacles’ charge level:
• Tap either side of the frame to check their battery life. The LED of the side you tapped will light up in a circle showing how much charge is left. If the battery is low, the bottom portion of the LED ring will blink three times.

• Let you know Spectacles’ software is updating:
• Both circular LEDs will loop with lights flowing up and down the sides of the circle.

• Alert you if your Spectacles are encountering an error (see below for more details).

The inner LEDs can...

• Let you know when you’ve taken a photo:
• The inner LED on the side of the pressed button will flash once. 

• Let you know when your recording is about to end:
• The inner LED on the side of the pressed button will blink twice. You can press either button on Spectacles to extend the recording.

• Alert you to a Blink Notification from Snapchat:

• Both LEDs will flash solid once, followed by four rapid flashes whenever you receive a certain type of notification from Snapchat. You can customize the color and context of Blink Notifications in your Spectacles Settings.

• Let you know when Spectacles are pairing to a phone:
• Both LEDs will display solid yellow until the pairing process is complete, errors out, or is canceled.

• Let you know when Spectacles’ battery is low:
• Both LEDs will flash red three times.

• Alert you of an error with Spectacles (see below for more details).

Spectacles Errors

When Spectacles encounter an error, both outer LEDs will light up in a staggered pattern, starting from the top-right and lower-left corners, then blink to the lower-right and top-left corners. 

The inner LEDs will display a “color code” to let you know what kind of error they’ve run into. They’ll flash red three times, followed by a single flash of another color. That last color will let you know what kind of error it is! Read below to learn which is which:

Software Error

Both inner LEDs will flash red three times, followed by a single flash of green.

This may occur if Spectacles’ software encounters an error. Wait a few seconds before trying to take another Snap. If you continue to see this message, try restarting Spectacles. 

No Storage Space

Both inner LEDs will flash red three times, followed by a single flash of blue.

This can occur if your Spectacles storage is full of Snaps, and you need to import them into Snapchat before you can capture any more. Spectacles 3 can hold up to 100 3D videos or 1,200 3D photos at a time. Import Snaps from your Spectacles as often as you can so you don’t run into this issue.

Low / High Temperature

Both inner LEDs will flash red three times, followed by a single flash of yellow.

This may occur if Spectacles are exposed to extreme heat or cold. Allow Spectacles to return to room temperature before trying to take another Snap.

If you’re not seeing any LEDs on Spectacles, place them in their Charging Case for at least an hour. To fully charge your Spectacles, let them charge in their Charging Case for 75 minutes.

If you’re still not seeing any LEDs light up on your Spectacles, try restarting them. 

Updating Spectacles software

Spectacles 3 uses Snapchat to update its built-in software. You’ll be notified when a new update is available! 
Before you update...

1. Make sure Spectacles are charging in their Charging Case or have more than 40% battery life.
2. Connect your phone to Wi-Fi. Updates can occur through your phone’s cellular data plan, but be sure your plan can allow for this. Update file size may vary.
3. Keep your phone and Spectacles near one another.

Software updates can take several minutes to complete. Be sure to update only whenever you have enough time. We suggest manually updating right before you go to bed!
Updating Spectacles software

Snapchat will notify you when a new update is available! To update, just tap the Memories button and follow the on-screen prompts.

To check for Spectacles updates manually, follow these steps: 

1. Swipe up to Memories and tap the Spectacles button in the upper-right corner.
2. Tap on your Spectacles under the ‘MY SPECTACLES’ section.
3. Tap ‘Check For Updates’ under the ‘UPDATES’ section.

After the update begins, you’ll be able to see its progress under the ‘MY SPECTACLES’ section. You’ll be notified when the update is complete!

The outer LEDs on your Spectacles will also light up in a unique pattern to let you know the software is currently being updated. (Both circular LEDs will loop with lights flowing up and down the sides of the circle. They’ll flash a solid circle as soon as the update is complete.)

Unable to update successfully?

If you’re having trouble updating your Spectacles software, it could be because...

• Your phone was disconnected from Wi-Fi or lost cellular connection
• Spectacles got out of range from your phone
• You attempted to capture a photo or video with Spectacles during an update

Double-check your network connection before trying to update Spectacles. Keep your phone and Spectacles near one another during an update, and try not to use Spectacles during an update.

You may receive an error notification on Snapchat if...

• Spectacles' battery life is under 40% and they’re not charging
• Your phone does not have enough storage space to accommodate the update
• Your Spectacles are either too hot or too cold
• No software update is currently available

For best results, place your Spectacles in their Charging Case before updating and make sure they’re in a room-temperature environment. If you’re running out of storage space on your phone, please reach out to your device’s manufacturer for assistance. 

If you do not receive an ‘Update Complete’ message, wait a few seconds. There may be some instances where you’ll need to repair your Spectacles to your phone.

Resetting Spectacles

If you run into errors or issues that you aren’t able to solve, power cycling or resetting your Spectacles can sometimes help!

Power cycling your Spectacles can help fix issues related to the following:

• Pairing Spectacles to your phone
• Importing Snaps
• Updating Spectacles’ software
• Charging Spectacles
• Spectacles’ software error

Here’s how to power cycle Spectacles 3:

1. Press and hold either button on your Spectacles 3 for 25 seconds.
2. You should see the LEDs flash, similar to when you pair Spectacles.
3. At the 25-second mark, release the button. You should see both LEDs flash once.

You may receive a software error LED message if you press and hold the button for longer than 25 seconds. If this happens, wait a minute before trying to power cycle again.

A reset may be necessary if Spectacles did not respond to a power cycle. Although it does not delete Snaps from Spectacles’ storage, this should only be performed as a last resort.

Here’s how to reset Spectacles 3:

1. Press and hold either button on Spectacles for 25 seconds.
2. You should see the LEDs flash, similar to when you pair Spectacles.
3. At the 25-second mark, release the button and immediately press and release the opposite button.
4. You should see the outer LEDs flash in a staggered pattern.

You’ll need to re-pair Spectacles to your phone after this has been completed. You may be prompted to update Spectacles’ software when you pair, as well. Do not attempt to import any Snaps until the software has been updated. 

If you still don’t see any LEDs light up while trying the steps above, charge your Spectacles for at least 30 minutes before retrying. If you’re still unsuccessful, please reach out to the Spectacles Support team.