- Steps to hide your Story from one person
- Your Story privacy options
- The catch with Snaps you've already posted
- Why muting won't hide your Story
- If you have a Public Profile
- Other ways to keep your Snaps from someone
- Will they know you've hidden it?
- Other privacy settings worth checking
- Receiving Snaps from people who aren't friends
- My advice
- Frequently asked questions
To hide your Snapchat Story from someone, open Settings, tap My Privacy and Data, go to View My Story under Who Can See and choose Custom, then pick the friends you don't want to see it. They won't be told, and you stay friends. Snaps you posted before the change keep the old setting, so delete those if they matter.
Plenty of people try muting first and assume that's done it. It hasn't. Muting changes what you see, not what they see. The Custom setting is the one that keeps your Story away from a particular person.
Here are the steps, what each option does, and the small print from Snapchat's support pages that decides whether it works.
Steps to hide your Story from one person
- Open your Profile and tap the gear icon to open Settings.
- Scroll down to App and Privacy and tap My Privacy and Data.
- Scroll to Who Can See and tap View My Story.
- Choose Custom.
- Select the friends you want to block from seeing your Story, then go back to save.
Snapchat describes Custom as the way to block specific friends from seeing your Story, which is exactly what you're after. It doesn't remove them, block them from chatting or notify them.
Your Story privacy options
| Setting | Who sees your Story | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| My Friends | Everyone on your friends list | The default for most people |
| Custom | Your friends, minus anyone you exclude | Hiding it from one or two people |
| My Story Public | Friends, followers and anyone on Snapchat | Creators and businesses |
| Everyone (older setting) | Any Snapchatter | Some accounts still have it |
The default is My Friends, meaning only people you've added can view your Story. Snapchat notes that some accounts may still have the older Everyone setting, so check yours rather than assuming.
The catch with Snaps you've already posted
This is the bit that makes people think the setting's broken. Snapchat says the privacy setting you have when you post a Snap stays with that Snap, even if you change your settings later.
So if you post at lunchtime with My Friends, then switch to Custom at teatime to hide it from someone, they can still see the lunchtime Snap. The new setting only covers what you post next.
If you need it gone from them right now, delete the Snaps already on your Story and post them again after you've changed the setting. My guide to deleting a Snapchat Story walks through removing them.
Why muting won't hide your Story
Muting is the option people reach for because it feels gentle. But Snapchat is clear about what it does: when you mute someone, they aren't notified, and they can still view your Stories and send you Snaps and Chats as normal.
Muting a friend's Story only stops their Story appearing near the top when you're watching Stories. It's for you, not for them. Use Custom if your goal is to keep your Story away from someone.
If you have a Public Profile
Public Profiles work a little differently. Snapchat says that if you have one, you'll need to go to your profile to adjust your My Story privacy settings, rather than only using the Settings menu.
Remember that anything posted to My Story Public can be viewed by your friends, followers and anyone on Snapchat. Custom only applies to your friends-only Story, so don't post something to your public Story that you're trying to keep from one person.
Other ways to keep your Snaps from someone
- Send Snaps directly to chosen friends instead of posting to your Story.
- Remove them as a friend, which takes them off your My Friends audience.
- Block them, the heaviest option, if you don't want any contact at all.
- Change Who Can Contact Me so only friends can reach you directly.
Blocking is the heavy option. If it comes to that, here's how to block someone on Snapchat and what they'll notice.
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Will they know you've hidden it?
Snapchat doesn't send any notification when you add someone to your Custom list. They simply won't see new Snaps you post to your Story. If they're watching closely, they might notice you've gone quiet, but the app doesn't tell them anything.
Other privacy settings worth checking
While you're in My Privacy and Data, a few nearby settings change who can find or reach you:
| Setting | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Who Can Contact Me | Who can send you Snaps, Chats and calls directly |
| Who Can See My Location | Who can see you on the Snap Map |
| Who Can See Me In Find Friends | Whether you're suggested to others. Changes can take up to 72 hours |
| Activity Indicator | Whether others can see you've been active recently |
One thing to remember about contact settings: even if only friends can contact you, anyone you're in a group with can still talk to you in that Group Chat.
Receiving Snaps from people who aren't friends
If you set Who Can Contact Me to friends only, Snaps from people you haven't added won't show. You'll just get a notification that they added you, and if you add them back you'll see the Snap they sent. Choose Everyone and anyone can send you Snaps and Chats, even people you haven't added.
My advice
Set Custom before you post, not after. If you've already posted something you'd rather a particular person didn't see, delete it, change the setting, then post again. And skip muting for this job, because it won't hide anything from them.
Frequently asked questions
Can you hide your Snapchat Story from one person?
Yes. Go to Settings, My Privacy and Data, View My Story, choose Custom and select the friends you don't want to see it.
Does muting someone on Snapchat hide my Story from them?
No. Snapchat says the person you mute isn't notified and can still view your Stories and send you Snaps or Chats as usual.
Why can someone still see my Story after I hid it?
The privacy setting you had when you posted a Snap stays with that Snap. Snaps posted before you changed the setting keep the old audience.
Will someone know if I hide my Snapchat Story from them?
Snapchat doesn't notify them. They just won't see Snaps you post to your Story after you've changed the setting.
What is the default Story setting on Snapchat?
The default is that only your friends, people you've added, can view your Story. Some accounts may still have the older Everyone setting.
