- Friends, followers and other Snapchatters: the difference
- Why other Snapchatters can see your Story at all
- How to see who your other Snapchatters are
- What the Viewers number means in Insights
- How to stop other Snapchatters seeing your Story
- Why other Snapchatters are good news for a business
- My take
- Frequently asked questions
Other Snapchatters are people who watched your public Story but aren't your friends or your followers. Snapchat's help says the friends, followers and other Snapchatters who viewed your public Story are all listed under Viewers, so other Snapchatters are simply the viewers who fall into neither group. You'll only see them on Stories posted to My Story, Public.
If you've just started posting public Stories, that line in your viewer list can be a bit of a surprise. Who are these people, and how did they find you? Here's what Snapchat's own help says about where public Stories show up and who can see them.
Friends, followers and other Snapchatters: the difference
| Viewer type | What it means on Snapchat |
|---|---|
| Friends | A two-way relationship: you've added each other |
| Followers | A one-way relationship: they follow your Public Profile, you haven't added them back |
| Other Snapchatters | Anyone who watched your public Story without being a friend or a follower |
The friends and followers definitions come straight from Snapchat's help on Public Profiles. A follower can follow you without being your friend, and you can follow people without being their friend either.
Why other Snapchatters can see your Story at all
Your regular Story for friends, My Story, Friends, is only visible to Snapchatters you're friends with. Other Snapchatters only turn up because you posted to your public Story, My Story, Public. Snapchat lists a few ways people who aren't friends or followers can reach it:
- Your Public Profile. Snapchat says anyone viewing your profile can see your active public Stories.
- Discover. If you're a creator aged 18 or over with a wide audience, Snapchat says your public Stories could be recommended in Discover.
- Mutual friends. If you're 16 or 17, Snapchat says your public Stories are only recommended to your friends and followers and to other Snapchatters you share mutual friends with, and they're not shown to the wider community in Discover.
So for a 16 or 17 year old, an other Snapchatter on the list will most likely be a friend of a friend, or someone who opened your Public Profile.
How to see who your other Snapchatters are
- Go to your Public Profile and tap your public Story Snap.
- Swipe up to view Insights and Replies.
- Look under Viewers, where Snapchat lists the friends, followers and other Snapchatters who watched.
Swipe or tap the thumbnails to move between Snaps. For your friends-only Story, the route is different: open My Account, tap My Story and swipe up. Snapchat says you'll see the names of up to 200 Snapchatters there, and after 200 views you'll see a number but no more names.
Curious about the subscription? See how to gift Snapchat Plus.
What the Viewers number means in Insights
If you check your Story Insights as a creator, Snapchat's glossary separates two numbers that are easy to mix up:
| Metric | Snapchat's definition |
|---|---|
| Snap Views | The sum of views across each Snap in your Story |
| Viewers | The number of unique viewers for your Story |
| Screenshots | The number of times a viewer screenshotted your Snap |
| Replies | The number of Story Replies, as text or a Bitmoji reaction |
Other Snapchatters count towards Viewers just like friends and followers do. For more on reading those numbers, see my guide on how to get insights on Snapchat.
How to stop other Snapchatters seeing your Story
If you'd rather keep your Stories to people you know, post to My Story, Friends instead of My Story, Public. Snapchat says the old Everyone option for My Story has gone, and your public Story is the replacement. For My Story, Friends you still have the My Friends and Custom options, so you can narrow it down further.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
You can't post to both at the same time. Snapchat notes that your friends will still see your public Story in the same place they'd see your friends-only one. If there's one particular person you want to keep out, my guide on how to hide your Snapchat Story from someone covers that, and you can block anyone, friend or not, to stop them seeing your Stories.
Why other Snapchatters are good news for a business
If you post on Snapchat for your business, other Snapchatters are the people you want. They're strangers who found your Story without already knowing you. Snapchatters can follow you from Spotlight, Discover or the Add button on your Public Profile, so every other Snapchatter is a potential follower. If you haven't set one up yet, here's how to make a public profile on Snapchat.
My take
Other Snapchatters isn't a glitch or a privacy leak. It's just the viewers on your public Story who aren't friends or followers yet. If that's what you want, make your Story worth following. If it isn't, switch to My Story, Friends and they'll stop appearing.
Want a tidier friends list? Read how to clear Recents on Snapchat.
Frequently asked questions
What does other Snapchatters mean on my Story?
It means people who viewed your public Story but aren't your friends or followers. Snapchat lists friends, followers and other Snapchatters under Viewers when you swipe up on a public Story Snap.
How did other Snapchatters see my Story?
They watched your public Story. Snapchat says anyone viewing your Public Profile can see your active public Stories, and creators 18 and over with a wide audience may be recommended in Discover.
Can I see the names of other Snapchatters who viewed my Story?
Yes. Tap your public Story Snap, swipe up to view Insights and Replies, and look under Viewers, where Snapchat lists friends, followers and other Snapchatters.
How do I stop other Snapchatters viewing my Story?
Post to My Story, Friends instead of My Story, Public. Snapchat says Snaps posted there are only visible to Snapchatters you're friends with.
