How to Add Face Filters to a Video on Mac & Windows (Tutorial)
Want to add Snapchat-style face filters to a video you’ve already recorded? Whether it’s a funny dog-ear filter for a birthday montage, a beauty filter for a talking-head video, or a cinematic color grade for your latest project — this guide walks you through exactly how to do it on Mac or Windows.
Most face filter apps only work with live camera feeds. Applying AR face filters to a pre-recorded video is a different challenge entirely, and until recently there weren’t many good options. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to do it in under five minutes using a free desktop app called Filterbloom.
What Are Face Filters for Video?
Face filters — sometimes called AR filters, lenses, or effects — are real-time augmented reality overlays that track facial features and apply transformations on top of them. You’ve probably used them on Snapchat, Instagram, or TikTok.
The difference here is applying those same kinds of filters to a video file that already exists on your computer. That means:
- Videos you recorded on your phone and transferred to your laptop
- Screen recordings or webcam clips
- Footage from a DSLR or mirrorless camera
- Downloaded clips you want to remix or enhance
Face filters for video can include:
- Beauty filters — smooth skin, brighten eyes, slim face
- Fun effects — dog ears, flower crowns, sunglasses, hats
- Makeup overlays — virtual lipstick, eyeliner, blush
- Color grades — cinematic looks, vintage film effects
- Background effects — blurred or replaced backgrounds
- Aging & gender swap — novelty effects for entertainment
Why Can’t You Just Use Snapchat or Instagram Filters?
Snapchat and Instagram filters are designed for live camera use only. They process your webcam or phone camera feed in real-time and don’t support importing video files. There is no “upload a video and apply a filter” option in those apps.
Some workarounds people try:
- Playing the video on one screen and recording it with another phone — low quality, terrible sync
- Screen recording while playing back with a filter — only works with some apps, often laggy
- Using Snap Camera (discontinued) — Snap Camera was a popular desktop app that let you use Snapchat lenses on your webcam. It was shut down in 2023 and no longer works.
The right solution is a dedicated app that can read a video file, track faces frame by frame, and render AR filters on top of each frame before exporting the result.
How to Add Face Filters to a Video (Step-by-Step)
Here’s how to add face filters to any video file using Filterbloom. It works on both Mac (Intel and Apple Silicon) and Windows.
Step 1: Download and Install Filterbloom
Head to filterbloom.com and download the app for your platform. Installation takes under a minute:
- Mac: Open the
.dmgfile and drag Filterbloom to your Applications folder - Windows: Run the
.exeinstaller and follow the prompts
Filterbloom is free to use with a watermark. The Pro plan ($4.92/month billed annually) removes the watermark and unlocks full-resolution exports.
Step 2: Open Your Video
Launch Filterbloom and click the upload area or drag and drop your video file into the app window. Filterbloom supports most common video formats including MP4, MOV, and WebM.
Your video will load with a side-by-side preview: the original on the left, and the filtered version on the right. This lets you compare the effect in real-time as you browse filters.
Step 3: Browse and Apply a Face Filter
Filterbloom gives you access to 300+ AR filters powered by Snap’s Camera Kit — the same engine behind Snapchat lenses. You can browse filters by category:
- Trending — the most popular effects right now
- Beauty — skin smoothing, face reshaping, glow effects
- Fun — animal ears, hats, 3D objects, face distortion
- Color — LUTs, film looks, mood grades
- Background — blur, replacement, stylization
Click on any filter to instantly preview it on your video. The filter applies in real-time as you scrub through the timeline. Switch between filters as many times as you want — nothing is permanent until you export.
Step 4: Preview and Adjust
Use the playback controls to scrub through your video and see how the filter looks across different frames. The side-by-side view makes it easy to evaluate the effect.
A few things to check:
- Does the filter track your face correctly throughout the video?
- Does it look good during motion (turning head, talking, etc.)?
- Are you happy with the intensity of the effect?
Step 5: Export Your Filtered Video
Once you’re happy with the result, click the Export button. Filterbloom will process every frame of your video with the selected filter and output a new MP4 file with audio preserved.
The export time depends on the length and resolution of your video. A typical 30-second 1080p clip processes in about a minute.
That’s it — you now have a video with a professional AR face filter applied, ready to share on social media, use in a project, or send to friends.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
Here are some tips to get the most out of face filters on your videos:
Lighting matters
Face tracking works best with even, front-facing lighting. Harsh shadows or very dark footage can make it harder for the AR engine to detect and track facial features. If your video was shot in low light, consider bumping up the brightness before applying a filter.
Keep faces visible
The AR engine needs to see facial features to apply the filter. Videos where faces are partially obscured (hands covering the face, extreme angles, very fast movement) may have inconsistent tracking. Front-facing, well-lit footage gives the best results.
Try multiple filters
Don’t settle on the first filter you try. Filterbloom has hundreds of options, and a filter that looks amazing on one face may look different on another. Spend a minute browsing different categories — you might find something unexpected that works perfectly.
Use the side-by-side preview
The dual-pane preview is there for a reason. Scrub through the entire video to check for any frames where the filter doesn’t track well, especially during fast head movements or when the face goes partially out of frame.
Common Use Cases
People use face filters on recorded video for all kinds of reasons:
- Content creators — adding trendy effects to YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram Reels content
- Wedding & event videographers — adding fun filters to photo booth-style video compilations
- Educators & presenters — applying beauty filters to talking-head videos and online course recordings
- Social media managers — creating eye-catching filtered video content for brands
- Personal projects — adding fun effects to birthday videos, travel montages, or family clips
- Meme creators — applying novelty filters for comedic effect
Filterbloom vs. Other Options
| Feature | Filterbloom | Snapchat/IG | Video editors (Premiere, DaVinci) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AR face filters on recorded video | Yes | No (live camera only) | Limited (manual masking) |
| Number of AR filters | 300+ | Thousands (live only) | Few/none built-in |
| Ease of use | One-click apply | N/A for video files | Complex, requires skill |
| Face tracking | Automatic | Automatic (live) | Manual keyframing |
| Audio preserved | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| Side-by-side preview | Yes | No | No |
| Platforms | Mac & Windows | Mobile | Mac & Windows |
| Price | Free (with watermark) | Free | $0–$300+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add face filters to a video on iPhone or Android?
Filterbloom is currently a desktop app for Mac and Windows. For mobile, you’re limited to apps that apply filters during recording (like Snapchat or Instagram), not to pre-recorded videos. If you transfer your video to a Mac or Windows computer, you can use Filterbloom to apply filters and then transfer it back to your phone.
What video formats does Filterbloom support?
Filterbloom supports MP4, MOV, WebM, and most common video formats. If your video was recorded on a phone, DSLR, or screen recorder, it will almost certainly work.
Do the filters work on videos with multiple people?
Yes — the AR engine can detect and track multiple faces in a single video. Filters will be applied to all detected faces.
Is my video uploaded to the cloud?
No. Filterbloom processes everything locally on your computer. Your video files never leave your device, making it a privacy-friendly choice for sensitive or personal content.
Can I use this for commercial projects?
Yes. With a Filterbloom Pro subscription, you can use exported videos for any commercial purpose including social media content, client work, and published videos.
Get Started
Adding face filters to a recorded video doesn’t have to be complicated. With Filterbloom, it’s a three-step process: open your video, pick a filter, and export. No video editing experience required.
Download Filterbloom free and try it on your first video today. It works on both Mac (Intel & Apple Silicon) and Windows.