How to delete your Snapchat account (and what happens to your data)
Are you trying to delete your Snapchat account and can’t figure out how? Let’s walk you through the steps and explain what happens.
While seeing who viewed your photos and videos can be helpful for the creator, the lack of anonymity can be worrisome for the viewer. What if you don’t want your crush to know that you open every single Story they share? Can you view Snapchat Stories anonymously?
The answer: Not easily. While it’s possible to potentially view a Snapchat Story anonymously, the workarounds are fairly intense, requiring steps that include deleting the Snapchat app off your device when you are done or creating an anonymous second Snapchat account. Here’s what Snapchat users need to know about Story views and privacy.
Snapchat shows who viewed a Story
Unless it has more than 200 views
Snapchat allows content creators to see who has viewed the Stories that they post. To see who viewed a Story, you simply need to tap on your profile, tap on your Story, then tap the eye icon to see both the number of views and who viewed the photo or video. Or, when viewing your own Story, you may swipe up to see the views and other insights.
This viewer list can also apply to public Stories. Snapchat Support says that the list of viewers will include “friends, followers, and other Snapchatters who viewed your Story.” That means even if you are not friends with the creator, your username may show up on the list of views.
However, once a Story has more than 200 views, Snapchat will show the number of views instead of listing the username of each person who viewed the Story. That means the odds that your name will be on a list of viewers goes down for Snapchatters with a large following, though since Snapchat doesn’t indicate how many views a Story has to anyone besides the original Creator, it’s impossible to know for sure if you’re one of the first 200 views.
The hidden risks of sending private photos on Snapchat
Snapchat is not be as safe as you think it is for private photos
However, just like screenshots can affect a Snapchat message’s perceived privacy, users should be aware that some workarounds may leave a viewer’s name off the list.
Snapchat+ subscribers can see more data about you when you watch their Story
Pay for more features
Snapchat+ now has extra features for subscribers
Back in June Snapchat launched its paid subscription service to give users exclusive features and experimental add-ons. Now new features have arrived.
While Snapchat will include your username on a list of viewers, the app doesn’t disclose if you watched more than once.
How to view Snapchat Stories anonymously
There’s an Airplane mode hack
A common hack to stay off the list of viewers is to turn your smartphone to Airplane mode after the story loads, but before clicking on it. However, since Snapchat will simply upload the information once your device is back connected to the web, you actually have to uninstall the app when you are done for this hack to work.
To view a Story without Snapchat recording your name to the viewer list:
What is airplane mode?
It’s prominently featured on most phones, but what does airplane mode actually do?
The airplane mode workaround is complex enough that most won’t want to regularly follow the steps and continually delete and re-install the app. Another option is to create a second Snapchat account. However, you won’t see any friends-only Stories this way unless you connect with your new account as well.
Q: Does Snapchat show who viewed your Story even if you’re not friends?
Yes, Snapchat will list who viewed your Story, even if you are not friends. According to Snapchat Support, the list of views on a publicly shared Story will include “friends, followers, and other Snapchatters who viewed your Story.” This means your username will appear on the list, even if you don’t follow the account or are not friends with the original creator.
Q: Can I see who viewed my public Snapchat Story?
Yes, Snapchat has a tool that allows you to see who viewed a public Story, as well as the list of screenshots and replies. To view your Story insights, open Snapchat and tap on your profile picture. Under My Story, tap on the eye icon that indicates the number of views, then tap on the Story to see who viewed the content. A shortcut to view this data is to simply swipe up while viewing your own Story.
