Most Snapchat help starts in Settings, reached from the gear icon on your profile. Snapchat's support site says Chats delete by default 24 hours after everyone has viewed them, and Ghost Mode hides your location from friends on the Map. My guides below cover settings, Snaps, Streaks and account problems step by step.
Snapchat moves fast, and its help centre can be hard to search, so I've pulled the answers people look for most into one page. Everything here comes from Snapchat's own support articles. Below that you'll find my guides, grouped by the kind of problem you've got.
Snapchat contact and location controls
Two settings decide most of your Snapchat privacy: who can contact you and who can see your location. Snapchat says non-friends can only message you if they're at least 18, and the Contact Me setting lets you choose Friends and Contacts or just Friends. If you limit it to Friends, Snapchat says you won't see Snaps from people who aren't your friends, only a notification that they added you.
Location is handled on the Snap Map. Snapchat says your location won't be shared on the Map until you open it for the first time. After that, Ghost Mode in Map Settings hides you from everyone else on the Map, with a timer of 3 hours, 24 hours or Until Turned Off. There's a catch most people miss: Snapchat says Snaps you submit to Snap Map can still show up on the Map, no matter what location setting you choose.
If you'd rather not be suggested to strangers, Snapchat says Quick Add has been renamed Find Friends, and anyone can turn off showing up in Find Friends in Settings.
When Snapchat deletes Snaps and Chats
This is the question behind a lot of Snapchat help searches. According to Snapchat, Chats are deleted by default 24 hours after everyone in the conversation has viewed them, or 31 days after they were sent, whichever is sooner. You can change that per conversation to After Viewing, 7 Days After Viewing or Never, but anyone in the chat can change it, and everyone sees a message when they do.
Snaps work differently. Snapchat says one-on-one and group Snaps are deleted after all recipients view them, and unopened Snaps are deleted after 31 days. If you delete a Chat message yourself, Snapchat warns that friends can see a message was deleted and may already have screenshotted it.
| What you sent | When Snapchat says it's deleted |
|---|---|
| A Chat, default setting | 24 hours after everyone views it, or 31 days after sending |
| A Snap | After all recipients view it |
| An unopened Snap | After 31 days |
| A Story | Friends can view it for 24 hours |
Snapchat Streaks, usernames and birthdays
Streaks have simple rules on paper. Snapchat says you're on a Streak when you and a friend Snap back and forth at least once a day, every day, and an hourglass emoji means it's about to expire. If you lose one, look for a Restore button next to the Chat. Snapchat says that if there's no Restore button, the Streak can't be restored, usually because it ended too long ago.
Account details have limits too. Snapchat says you can change your username once a year, while your Display Name can change any time. Birthdays can only be changed a limited number of times, and if Snapchat shows you're under 18 based on your current birthday, you can't change it at all.
Keeping your Snapchat account safe
Snapchat's own safety advice is short and worth following. Work through it in this order:
- Use a password you don't use anywhere else.
- Review the Session Management Center for devices you don't recognise.
- Add a passkey and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Ignore anyone who offers to get a locked account back for you. Snapchat says the only legitimate routes are its own self-service option and appealing in the app.
- If you deactivate your account, remember Snapchat gives you 30 days to log back in before it's permanently deleted.
- If the app misbehaves, try clearing the cache. Snapchat says this won't delete your Memories, Snaps or Chats.
Snapchat guides, grouped by the problem you've got
Find the group that matches your question. Each guide follows Snapchat's support articles and notes where iPhone and Android differ.
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Account and settings
Passwords, logins, birthdays, names, dark mode, cache and deleting your account. Start here if you can't get in or want to change your details.
- How to Change Your Snapchat Birthday (and Why It Won't Let You)
- How to Recover a Snapchat Account (Password, Lock and Hack Fixes)
- How to Turn On Dark Mode on Snapchat (iPhone and Android)
- How to Cancel Snapchat+
- How to Change Your Name on Snapchat
- How to Change Your Snapchat Password in the App or on the Web
- How to Clear Snapchat Cache on iPhone and Android
- How to Delete Messages on Snapchat (and What Friends See)
- How to Delete Snapchat Account
- How to Log Out of Snapchat (and Remove Your Saved Login)
- How to Recover Deleted Snapchat Messages (What's Possible)
- Snapchat Insights
Friends, privacy and safety
Adding, removing, blocking and reporting people, sharing your location, private Stories and what the icons and emojis mean. It's the biggest group and the one I'd read first if you're worried about who can reach you.
- Snapchat Emojis Meaning
- Snapchat Symbols Meaning on Stories
- Snapchat Views List
- What Does Opened Mean on Snapchat? Delivered and Opened Explained
- What Does SB Mean on Snapchat? Meaning and How to Reply
- What Does the Green Dot Mean on Snapchat?
- What Does the Hourglass Mean on Snapchat? Streak Warning Explained
- Why Can't I Add Someone on Snapchat? Every Cause and Fix
- Does Snapchat Notify When You Replay a Snap?
- Does Snapchat Notify When You Screenshot a Chat?
- How Do You Block People on Snapchat? Step-by-Step
- How to Add a Link to a Snapchat Story (Swipe Up Steps)
- How to Find Someone on Snapchat
- How to Know if Someone Removed You on Snapchat
- How to Make a Private Story on Snapchat (and Who Sees It)
- How to Mention Someone in a Snapchat Story, Step by Step
- How to Pin Someone on Snapchat
- How to Remove a Friend on Snapchat (and What They See)
- How to Report Someone on Snapchat (Accounts, Snaps, Chats)
- How to See Who Added You on Snapchat (Added Me Guide)
- How to Share Location on Snapchat
Snaps, streaks and stories
Help with sending Snaps, voice messages, filters, timers, group chats and Stories, plus getting a lost Streak back.
- Getting the Temperature on Snapchat
- How to Check If You Have an Active Snapchat Story
- How to Delete a Snapchat Story
- How to Do a Boomerang on Snapchat, Plus Reverse Videos
- How to Edit Pictures on Snapchat
- How to Get Portrait Mode on Snapchat (and What to Do If It's Missing)
- How to Get a Snapchat Streak Back
- How to Make a Group Chat on Snapchat
- How to Send Voice Message on Snapchat
- How to Set a Timer on Snapchat, Both Kinds Explained
- How to Use Snapchat Filters and Lenses (Simple Steps)
- Snapchat Payouts in Ghana
- What Does a Snap Streak Mean on Snapchat?
- Why Is Snapchat Not Sending Snaps?
Where I'd start with Snapchat
If you're new to Snapchat or setting it up for a family member, check Contact Me and Ghost Mode first, then turn on two-factor authentication. Those three settings cover who can reach you, who can see your location and who can get into the account. Be wary of anyone promising to recover an account or restore a Streak for you outside the app: Snapchat's own routes are the safe ones.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get help on Snapchat?
Snapchat's support site covers most problems, and most fixes start in Settings, reached from the gear icon on your profile. My guides above follow those support articles step by step.
When does Snapchat delete Chats?
Snapchat says Chats are deleted by default 24 hours after everyone has viewed them, or 31 days after sending, whichever is sooner. You can change this per conversation.
Can strangers message me on Snapchat?
Snapchat says non-friends can only message you if they're at least 18, and the Contact Me setting lets you limit contact to Friends or to Friends and Contacts.
Does Ghost Mode hide everything on Snap Map?
No. Ghost Mode hides your location from others on the Map, but Snapchat says Snaps you submit to Snap Map can still show up there.
How often can I change my Snapchat username?
Snapchat says you can change your username once a year, and your Display Name can be changed any time.
