Live Slideshow for birthdays
Use Snapr live slideshow for your birthday. Simple, free, and no app — perfect for collecting guest photos and displaying them live on the big screen.
- 200 photos free — no registration
- QR code guests scan with their phones
- Live slideshow on the big screen in real-time
- Works on all devices without an app
No registration required
How to get started
Three steps, no app and no sign-up.
- 1
Create event
Name your event and get a unique QR code in seconds.
- 2
Share QR code
Display the QR code or print it. Guests scan with their phones.
- 3
Watch photos live
Photos appear on the big screen in real-time as guests upload.
How live slideshow works for birthdays
Snapr makes live slideshow for your birthday simple and effortless. Create an event in seconds, get a unique QR code, and share it with your guests. They scan the code and upload photos directly — no app download needed.
A full-screen browser page at snapr.no/<language>/event/<event-id>/display that listens for new uploads and shows them as they arrive. It runs on whatever drives the screen — laptop, TV browser, Chromecast or AirPlay — and needs no software installed.
Everything is included in the free tier: up to 200 photos, live slideshow, QR code, and 14-day storage. Need more? Premium keeps the photos a full year, with original-quality downloads and unlimited uploads, for a one-time payment.
Setting up Live Slideshow
- 1Open the display link on the machine that drives the screen and press F for fullscreen. The controls fade out after three seconds without mouse movement, so the picture is clean.
- 2Pick the mode: 1 for one photo at a time, 2 for a grid of up to six. Grid suits a mingling crowd; single mode suits a dinner where people actually look up.
- 3Set the pace with + and −: 1 to 30 seconds per photo, 5 by default. Videos always play to the end and then advance on their own.
- 4Connect the screen — HDMI cable, Chrome's Cast for a Chromecast, or AirPlay mirroring from a Mac or iPad — then leave the QR overlay on (Q) so latecomers can join straight off the screen.
Live Slideshow — the specifics
- Time from upload to screen
- Seconds. The photo is downloaded in the background first, then slotted in right after the current slide in single mode, or about six places ahead in grid mode — so it appears within a slide or two, never mid-transition.
- Display modes
- Single (one photo or video filling the screen) and grid (up to six in an asymmetric layout, one large plus five smaller). Key 1 and 2.
- Speed
- 1–30 seconds per photo in one-second steps, 5 seconds by default. Videos ignore the setting and play to the end, muted.
- Getting it onto a TV
- HDMI cable from a laptop, tab casting from Chrome or Edge to a Chromecast, AirPlay mirroring from Mac/iPhone/iPad, or the smart TV's own browser. HDMI is the only one that cannot drop out.
- Network
- The screen needs a steady internet connection, not a fast one — new photos are a few MB each. Casting and AirPlay additionally require the screen and the sending device to be on the same wifi.
- Controls
- Arrow keys step through photos, space or K pauses, F is fullscreen, Q hides the QR code, 1/2 switch mode, +/− change speed, ? lists the shortcuts. On-screen buttons hide after three still seconds.
When something goes wrong
The screen goes black an hour into the party.
It is the laptop sleeping, not the slideshow. Fullscreen does not stop sleep — set the machine to never sleep on mains power, keep it plugged in, and close the lid only if it is set to stay awake with the lid shut.
New photos stop appearing and the wifi icon in the corner turns red.
The display lost its connection, usually to venue wifi that expects a login page every few hours. Reload the page — the whole gallery comes back — and if it keeps happening, tether the machine to a phone for the evening.
Casting shows the wrong thing: a blank screen, or the slideshow with browser tabs around it.
Cast the tab, not the desktop, from Chrome's ⋮ menu, and press F for fullscreen after casting rather than before. On AirPlay, mirror first, then go fullscreen on the Mac.
What it is not good for
It shows every upload the moment it lands, with no approval step, and the display link is public to anyone who has it — so it is a poor fit for a screen in a room where an unwanted photo would be a problem.
Why Snapr for birthdays?
No app needed
Guests don't need to download anything — everything works in the browser.
Free to start
200 photos free per event. Upgrade if you need more.
Live on big screen
Connect to TV or projector and watch photos arrive in real-time.
Secure & private
Only those with the link have access. Your photos stay private.
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See how guest upload works for your birthday.Frequently Asked Questions
What guests and hosts ask about most.
Can Snapr help capture the surprise moment if it's a surprise party?
Do older or younger guests need to install anything to join in?
Can we keep the photos as a keepsake after the party?
All Events
Find the Snapr guide for your event.
Live Slideshow for birthdays
Create a free event in 30 seconds. Guests scan the QR code — no app required.
Create a free eventNo registration required