You can only pick a new Snapchat notification sound inside the app with Snapchat+, which lets you set a custom sound per friend or Group from Chat Settings, then Notification Sounds. Without it, you change the sound through your phone: Sounds in iPhone notification settings if the app supports it, or the notification category on Android.
Snapchat doesn't have a single "notification sound" menu that everyone can use. The custom sound picker is a Snapchat+ feature, and it works friend by friend, not for the whole app. On a standard account, the sound you hear comes from your phone, so that's where you change it or switch it off.
What you can change, and where
| What you want | Standard account | With Snapchat+ |
|---|---|---|
| A different sound for one friend or Group | Not available | Chat Settings, then Notification Sounds |
| A custom ringtone for calls from one person | Not available | Notification Settings, then Ringtone |
| Silence one friend's chats or calls | Mute Chats or Mute Calls | Same |
| Quieter Group notifications | Mentions Only or Silent | Same |
| Change or remove the sound for all of Snapchat | Phone settings | Phone settings |
Snapchat+: set a custom sound for a friend or Group
Snapchat's help centre gives two routes. The first is quickest when you're already looking at the chat:
- Go to the Chat screen and press and hold the conversation with that friend or Group.
- Tap Chat Settings.
- Tap Notification Sounds.
- Choose a sound, then tap the blue checkmark to save.
The second route is handy if you want to set up several people at once: open My Account, tap your Snapchat+ membership card, tap Custom Notification Sounds, then pick a friend or Group and choose their sound. The sound plays for Snaps, Chats and typing notifications from that person.
Calls have their own setting. Press and hold the friend or group, tap Chat and Notification Settings, then Notification Settings, then Ringtone.
Without Snapchat+: change the sound on your phone
iPhone
- Open the iPhone Settings app and tap Notifications.
- Scroll to Snapchat and tap it.
- Look for Sounds. Apple's guide says you can choose a notification sound here if the app supports it. If you only see an on and off switch, that's the limit for Snapchat on your phone.
Android
- Open your phone's Settings app and tap Notifications, then the app notifications list.
- Tap Snapchat. If it lists notification categories, tap the category you want to change.
- Choose Alerting to hear a sound, or Silent for no sound or vibration. On many phones the same screen lets you pick the sound itself.
Google's own Android help notes that settings vary by phone, so the names may differ slightly on a Samsung or Pixel. It also says that some apps put a sound picker inside their own settings, which is exactly what Snapchat does, but only for Snapchat+ members.
Turning the sounds down instead
Often what people want isn't a new sound, it's fewer of them. Snapchat gives you finer control here than most apps.
- One friend: press and hold their name on the Chat screen, tap Chat and Notification Settings, then Notification Settings, and toggle on Mute Chats or Mute Calls. Snapchat says muting is private, so they aren't told, and their Snaps and Chats still arrive without a push alert.
- A busy Group: press and hold the Group, tap Chat Settings, then Message Notifications, and choose Mentions Only or Silent. You stay in the conversation.
- Certain types of alert: in Snapchat, tap your profile icon, then the gear, then Notifications, and switch off the types you don't want.
One thing to watch on iPhone: Snapchat says you can only control Story notifications if notifications are switched on for Snapchat in your phone's settings. Turn the app off at phone level and the in-app switches stop working. If you're also trying to stay quiet in the other direction, my guide on turning off your active status on Snapchat covers what friends see.
What about the Snapchat camera sound?
I looked for a camera or shutter sound setting in Snapchat's help centre and there isn't one. The only official sound advice for the app on iPhone is about your phone's mute state: set the Silent/Ringer switch to Ringer, or tap the bell in Control Center on newer models, which Snapchat gives as the fix when you can't hear sound in the app on iOS 17.2. That tells you the app follows your phone's sound setting, so your phone's own volume and silent controls are the place to start.
If the sound bothers you most at night or in meetings, a Focus or Do Not Disturb mode on your phone will quieten Snapchat along with everything else, and you can still see the alerts when you pick the phone up.
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Other apps handle this differently. Discord, for example, lets you switch notification sounds off inside the app itself, which I cover in how to turn off the Discord notification sound.
My take
If you want one friend's messages to stand out from everything else, Snapchat+ is the only way to do it inside the app, and the per-friend sound works well for that. If you just want Snapchat to sound different or be quiet, don't go looking in the app: go to your phone's notification settings, and use Mute Chats or Mentions Only for the people and Groups that ping you the most.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the Snapchat notification sound without Snapchat+?
Not inside the app. You can change or silence it in your phone's notification settings, where iPhone shows Sounds if the app supports it and Android uses notification categories.
How do I set a custom sound for one friend on Snapchat?
With Snapchat+, press and hold the chat, tap Chat Settings, then Notification Sounds, choose a sound and tap the blue checkmark.
Will a friend know if I mute their notifications?
No. Snapchat says muting is private and the other person isn't notified.
How do I make a Snapchat Group quieter?
Press and hold the Group, tap Chat Settings, then Message Notifications, and choose Mentions Only or Silent.
How do I turn off the Snapchat camera sound?
Snapchat's help centre has no camera sound setting. Use your phone's silent or volume controls instead.
