Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. One of Snapchat’s key features is that by default, snaps, chats, and stories are automatically deleted shortly after they are viewed.
However, Snapchat does give users the option to save certain messages, which are then accessible in the chat history until manually deleted. Here are some tips on how to clear and remove your Snapchat chat history.
Table of Contents
Viewing Saved Chat History
To view your currently saved Snapchat messages:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap on the chat icon in the bottom toolbar
- Scroll through your message threads to locate saved chats
- Saved chats have a grey background compared to the white background of unsaved messages
You can view text and media content of saved messages here. However, once deleted, the saved messages cannot be retrieved again.
Clearing Entire Chat Threads
To delete an entire chat thread with a Snapchat friend:
- Open the chat thread you want to delete
- Tap on the username at the top of the screen
- Tap “Clear Conversation” from the menu
- Confirm clearing the conversation
This will delete the entire chat history with that friend, including any saved messages. The friend will not be notified if you clear the conversation.
Deleting Single Saved Chats
To remove a single saved chat:
- Press and hold on the grey saved chat in your message history
- Tap “Delete” from the pop-up menu
- The message will be removed from both yours and your friend’s chat history
You can also “Unsave” a chat which removes it from saved messages but doesn’t delete it from the history.
Clearing All Saved Chats
To bulk delete all your saved Snapchat messages:
- Go to your profile page and tap the Settings (gear) icon
- Scroll down and tap “Clear Conversations” under Privacy Controls
- Check all conversations you want to clear or tap “Select All Conversations”
- Tap “Clear” to confirm deleting
This will remove all saved messages from your account’s chat history. Friends will not receive any notifications when you mass clear conversations.
Downloading Chat History
If you want to save a record of your Snapchat chat history before clearing everything, you can:
- Go to accounts.snapchat.com and log in
- Click on “My Data” and submit a data request
- Open the downloaded ZIP file and go to the “chat_history” HTML file
- View your entire Snapchat chat history here
You can also use third-party apps to download your Snapchat data, however most don’t store media, only text messages.
Final Tips
- Clearing a chat or conversation will delete saved messages and remove it from your chat screen
- Friends will not be notified when you delete chats or saved messages
- You can also block a friend to erase your chat history with them
- For complete privacy, adjust your Snapchat settings to control who can contact you, view stories and see your location
I hope this guide gives you a better understanding of how to clear your Snapchat chat history and saved messages for privacy. Let me know if you have any other questions!
