Snapchat locked? See Why & How to Unlock It

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Heads up! If your Snapchat account has been temporarily locked, before any attempts of unlocking your account and logging back to Snapchat again, make sure to investigate all possible causes described in this article to understand why your account might have been locked, otherwise you could get your Snapchat account locked permanently.

Got recently your Snapchat account locked and looking for ways to unlock it?

The error message will say: “Oh no! Your account has been temporarily locked. For details on why this might’ve happened, visit https://snapchat.com/locked".

It’s possible that something specific caused it, but in certain situations, you might get your Snapchat account locked for no reason.

Worry not, my goal is to help you get your account unlocked.

In this article I will help you understand:

what happened and why your Snapchat account has been locked
a solution how to unlock your Snapchat account
how to prevent your Snapchat account getting locked in the future

Follow along to get back on track with your snaps!

Table Of Contents

What causes Snapchat account locked?

Let’s go over some common reasons that cause locked Snapchat account.

Important: Read through all possible causes in this article before continuing as there could be more than one reason and solution for each issue.

Using third party apps & plugins

If you have been using third party apps and plugins (especially unauthorized 3rd party applications eg. Snap Crack, Casper, Phantom etc.), you might get your account locked.

Using unauthorized, non-verified, Snapchat tweaks and plugins is against Snapchat’s Terms of Service.

You will end up seeing “We are sorry, we were unable to process your request.” message on Snapchat.

If Snapchat detects that you are using 3rd party plug in or app, it will send you a message via chat from Team Snapchat and notify you about it.

Mind that, you won’t be able to see this message if you have Team Snapchat blocked.

Spam, unsolicited messages & other abuse

If the account owner spam or abuse the platform with unwanted behaviour that goes against Snapchat Community Guidelines and Terms of Service, the account can be temporarily locked or in some extreme situations - even banned.

This includes adult content, unsolicited messages and other types of app abuse.

Suspicious activity

Locked Snapchat account might be a result of activity considered as suspicious - for example, if you add a lot of people in short period of time or send mass direct messages.

This include usage of third party bots & tweaks designed to make actions in automated manner on user behalf.

To keep your account secure, apps often keep record of the device and location and if there is any unusual login attempt from a new device or location, they will flag the account.

So if that wasn’t you, this means that someone else tried to login to your Snapchat and that could lead to locking your account.

This could be a case especially if you did not verify your email.

Heads up: If none of these seem to explain the lock and you believe your Snapchat is locked for no reason, it could be simply an error on Snapchat end and it’s worth it to check it with their customer support.

How to prevent Snapchat account lock

Before we explain how to unlock your Snapchat account, its important to understand some common ways to prevent getting the Snapchat lock again.

Verify your email address and phone number

By verifying your email and phone number, you show that you are a real, genuine user.

Since abusive and suspicious behaviour often comes from non-verified Snapchat accounts, this help your account look more trustworthy and avoid potential issues and locks.

Uninstall any third party apps and plug ins

If you believe you locked your account because of an app or tweak you have been using recently - delete them immediately.

Any apps that interact with Snapchat by asking you for your Snapchat login credentials: username, email address and password, are likely unauthorized and against Snapchat’s terms of service. Use only official Snapchat plugins.

Abide Snapchat ToS & Community Guidelines

Avoid mass-messaging people or other abusive behavior that goes against Community Guidelines.

Snapchat algorithm monitors unusual activity so if you continue to break the rules, your account will be permanently locked - situation difficult to solve as appeals to reinstate account are rare.

Keep your password random & secure

It goes without saying but many people still use simple passwords to access their social media accounts or keep them in easy-to-access places.

We highly recommend to use passphrase instead of passwords.

Anything that is a combination of random characters will be superior to dictionary words that can be guessed.

How to Unlock Your Locked Snapchat Account

Heads up: Before unlocking your account, make sure to eliminate all possible causes, otherwise if you attempt to unlock your account and the issue is still there, you are risking getting your account permanently locked.

The steps below work both on any mobile devices (iPhone & Android) and web browser so even if you are reading this guide on your desktop computer or laptop, you can follow along.

To unlock your locked Snapchat account, visit Snapchat’s official “My account is locked” page and then click “unlock your account” link, log in with your email and from the menu select “Unlock” button.

Need a detailed step-by-step description?

Step 1: Go to “ My Account Is Locked” page and click unlock your account link.

Step 2: Login to your Snapchat account using your email and password. If you are lost, you can use this direct login link.

Step 3: In the menu, locate “Unlock” button & tap it.

Selecting “Unlock” button will unlock your account and you should be able to log in and use your account normally, including snap upload and sending friend requests.

If you still experience “Your account has been temporarily locked” account message, it would be worth to contact Snapchat customer support agent.

Conclusion

Many Snapchat users experience issue with locked app and there is a lot outdated articles on the web about this issue.

If you got your Snapchat app locked, this guide is definitely something that you need to check out.

And remember - solutions are good but prevention is always better!

Make sure to check our other articles, including guide to Snapchat streaks!

Snapchat unlock FAQ

What happens when your Snapchat account is locked?

When your Snapchat account is locked, you won’t be able to login to your account and post snaps.

Can I unlock permanently locked Snapchat account?

No, you can’t unlock permanently locked Snapchat account. At least this is not possible within Snapchat’s customer support. According to Snapchat, they won’t be able to unlock permamently locked accounts.

How do I know who signed into my Snapchat account?

When you receive the above mentioned message, you should immediately look at the last activity on your Snapchat account.

There will usually be a small icon showing the name and number of the user who accessed your account.

In most cases, this will be enough to figure out who did it.

This article is part of How To Use Snapchat Guide where you can learn everything about Snapchat app and all its features.

About the author

Karen

Karen is a senior technical writer and copywriter at Hypegrowth. Her area of expertize are social media apps and new media.