Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media apps, with over 375 million daily active users. The app allows you to share fun, ephemeral photos and videos with friends and contacts. However, over time you may wish to delete some contacts or unfriend people you no longer wish to connect with. Here is a guide on how to unfriend and remove contacts on Snapchat.
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Unfriending Contacts on Snapchat
Unfriending someone on Snapchat removes them from your friends list so they can no longer view your stories or send you snaps. Here are the steps to unfriend a contact:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap on your profile icon in the top left corner
- Scroll down and tap on “My Friends”
- Tap and hold the name of the friend you want to remove
- Tap “Manage Friendship”
- Tap “Remove Friend” to confirm
The user will immediately be removed from your friends list. They will not be notified that you have unfriended them, however they may notice if they try to view your story or send you a snap.
Things to Note About Unfriending
- Unfriending someone only removes them from your friends list, it does not block them. They can still search for and add you as a friend again if they want.
- You can still view a removed friend’s public story and interact with their public posts. Their direct snaps and private stories will no longer show up for you.
- If you have an existing chat history with someone you unfriend, the chat will remain visible unless you also delete the conversation.
Blocking Contacts on Snapchat
If you want to completely block someone from viewing your profile or contacting you, you can block them. Here is how:
- Tap and hold on the name of the person you wish to block
- Tap “Manage Friendship”
- Tap “Block” to confirm
Blocking someone prevents them from:
- Viewing your stories or posts
- Sending you snaps or chats
- Searching for your profile or adding you as a friend
- Seeing your location on Snap Map
You can always unblock someone later if you change your mind.
Removing Synced Contacts
When you first set up Snapchat, it likely synced and imported all the contacts from your phone address book. If you wish to delete this contact data from Snapchat, here is how:
- Go to your profile and tap the Settings (gear) icon
- Tap “Manage” under the “Additional Services” section
- Tap “Contacts”
- Tap “Delete All Contact Data” to remove all imported contacts
This will unlink your address book contacts from your Snapchat account. Note that any friends you manually added will remain on your friends list.
Adjusting Privacy Settings
Snapchat has customizable privacy settings to control who can contact you, view your stories, see your location and more.
To Edit Privacy Settings:
- Tap the Settings (gear) icon on your profile
- Scroll down and tap the “Privacy Controls” section
- Adjust the settings for “Who Can Contact Me”, “Who Can View My Story”, “Who Can See My Location”, etc.
Set these settings to “My Friends” or customise to your comfort level. Tightening privacy controls can help avoid unwanted interactions.
Staying Safe on Snapchat
While Snapchat can be fun, it’s important to keep safety in mind when using the app:
- Only add real friends you know – Don’t add strangers.
- Use privacy settings – Limit your story audience and who can contact you.
- Avoid location sharing – Don’t enable Snap Map location sharing.
- Set a strong password – Use a unique password for your Snapchat account.
- Be cautious sharing personal details – Don’t share private details publicly on your story.
- Report suspicious activity – Report harassment, bullying or safety issues to Snapchat.
Following basic precautions helps ensure you have the best, safest experience using Snapchat to connect with your real friends and contacts.
Summary
Snapchat makes it easy to unfriend, block and remove contacts you no longer wish to connect with. You can also fine-tune privacy settings and safety precautions to have better control over your account. Follow the steps outlined here to delete contacts, adjust settings and help keep your Snapchat account safe.
