How to Make Snapchat Private
The Snapchat app has been around for over a decade now. If you want to share content with the world, you can do so on this always-fun online social media platform.
Nonetheless, some people don’t want to talk to random users, and prefer to use Snapchat in a more private way.
So, you might want to make your Snapchat account private, which is perfectly fine if you want to prevent other users from messaging you, seeing your stories, and surfing through your profile page.
But how do you do it? The process is quite easy, which is why this article will enlighten you and give you the info you need about these topics:
- How to make Snapchat private;
- Things to know before you make your Snapchat account private;
- How do private Snapchat accounts work in reality?
Can You Make Your Snapchat Account Private?
Yes! Fortunately, Snapchat includes many different Snapchat’s privacy settings and options that everyone can make use of.
For instance, you can make a private story, hide your Snap score, enable two-factor authentication through SMS verification on your profile, prevent images and video Snaps from showing to the wrong people, and more.
There isn’t any “Private Account” switch per se as the one we can find on Instagram, though.
Instead, it is necessary to toggle on and off many specific private features so you can make your account as private as you want.
This means that you are the master of your privacy settings on the app. You can post a private Story on Snapchat even if your account is public, or you can let just anyone see your Snapchat stories.
But you can also share your content only with mutual friends - it is up to you.
At the end of the day, making little tweaks on your private settings is way better than if you decide to block specific friends, isn’t it?
How to Make Snapchat Private
Anyone can make Snapchat account private without major limitations. Nonetheless, as we just mentioned above, there is no single “toggle private account” button to make your Snapchat private.
Instead, you need to go through many different settings and change them all one by one, so they match your privacy needs.
Worry not - we will guide you through the entire process in this step-by-step guide, so let’s make your Snapchat account private in the blink of an eye!
Step 1: Open Snapchat Tap Your Bitmoji Icon
The first thing you must do is to open Snapchat on your mobile device. Right on the camera screen, you will see your profile icon at the top left corner of the screen.
Once you do so, you will be redirected to your profile screen on Snapchat.
Step 2: Open Settings at the Top Right Corner of the Screen
After you go to your Profile Snapchat Page, you need to look for the gear icon, which appears at the top right corner of the screen.
Simply tap on it, and your entire Settings will open.
Step 3: Scroll Down to Privacy Control
Now, scroll down until you find a tab that says “Privacy Controls.” Here, you will see all of your privacy settings.
These settings are set to public on your Snapchat account by default. Thus, if you want to make your Snapchat private, we will need to go through these settings one by one.
Step 4: Change “Contact Me” Settings to Only Your Friends
First of all, tap “Contact Me” option. Here, you will have three alternatives: Friends, Friends and Contacts, and Everyone.
Select Friends - this way, only people on your friend list will be able to contact you. If you select Friends and Contacts, then people on your contact list will be able to add your Snapchat account, which is not advisable if you want a truly private profile.
Step 5: Set Private Stories to Friends Only
Now, go to View My Story. We mentioned before that you could make a private story on Snapchat (learn more about Snapchat private stories here) even if your account is not private.
Either way, if you select Friends here, every time you tap Create Story, you will be automatically posting a private Story on your Snapchat account.
People can also leave your private story on Snapchat if they want. All in all, you can also tap “Custom” to create a custom list of friends that can see your story on the platform.
Step 6: Turn On Ghost Mode on “See My Location”
Now, select “See My Location.” Here, you will enable Ghost Mode. This way, no one will be able to see your location, not even people who sent you a friend request, which you have accepted.
This will make your Snapchat account as private as possible, so we suggest that you do not skip this step whatsoever.
Step 7: Turn Off “Show Me in Quick Add”
At last, go to the Quick Add section. Have you ever seen random people adding you on Snapchat? This happens because you don’t have a private Snapchat, and unrelated people can find you through this option.
Thus, turn off “Show me in Quick Add,” and no one will be able to quickly add you in the future.
And that’s how you get a private Snapchat profile! From now on, only your friends, or the people you decide to add as friends, will be able to check your stories, posts, profile, Snaps, and more.
Remember that you can always toggle off all these privacy settings if needed.
FAQ
What Happens with Snapchat Groups After Turning Account Private?
According to Snapchat, people that you have in common on Snapchat groups will still be able to talk to you through the group, even if you haven’t added them before.
Karen is a senior technical writer and copywriter at Hypegrowth. Her area of expertize are social media apps and new media.