Alex Ruben
How To Prevent Unwanted Additions on Snapchat: The Complete Guide
If you’re tired of random people popping up as potential friends on Snapchat and want some actual control over who can add you, you’re not alone. It’s kinda weird how Snapchat has these default settings that make it easy for anyone to find and add your profile — even if you’re not trying to be that open. Luckily, there are a few tweaks you can make to tighten up your privacy and make sure only your friends can reach out. This isn’t super complicated, but sometimes the app’s menus are easy to miss or buried under a couple of layers, so here’s a quick rundown that actually works, based on some real-world messing around. Expect less spam, fewer strangers adding you randomly, and maybe a smidge more peace of mind.
How to Fix Unauthorized Add Requests on Snapchat
Adjust ‘Who Can Add Me’ in Privacy Settings
This is the main thing. On a lot of setups, Snapchat defaults to letting ‘Everyone’ add you, which is just asking for spam or weird friend requests. Changing this to ‘My Friends’ makes it so only people you’ve accepted can send friend requests. On some phones, the menu can be a little hidden or different, but generally, it’s in Settings > Who Can > Contact Me. If you see options like Everyone, My Friends, or My Contacts, select My Friends. That way, no randoms are popping up and trying to add you. Note: sometimes this option is disabled or gray out if you have other privacy restrictions enabled, so double-check all the relevant toggles. On one device, I had to toggle this off, restart the app, then turn it back on to get it to stick — Snapchat can be glitchy like that.
Disable ‘Suggested Friends’ and Limits
Ever notice how Snapchat suggests friends based on mutual contacts or your location? If you want fewer strangers recommended, head to Settings > Who Can > See Me & Show Me. Turn off options like Show Me in Quick Add or Show Me in Suggestions. Because of course, Snapchat has to make it harder than necessary to be private — sometimes toggling these off actually prevents your profile from being casually suggested to random users. On some setups, these options are located under Privacy & Security > Who Can > View My Story or similar. Disabling this stuff should cut down on those unsolicited friend suggestions, but don’t be surprised if some still slip through — Snapchat’s algorithm is a bit unpredictable.
Control Who Can See Your Story
Another thing—Limiting your story audience can also help. Go to your story settings (found under Your Story > Privacy > Who Can View My Story) and select My Friends or even customize it further. This doesn’t directly stop new people from adding you, but if they can’t see your content, they might not see enough reason to bother. Plus, it makes your profile less ‘public’ in general, which is kinda the goal here. On some phones, this is tucked away, so you might have to dig around a little in the story settings and privacy menus.
Extra note: Check Blocked & Muted Users
If you’ve had weird friend requests already, or someone keeps trying to add you, head straight to Settings > Privacy > Blocked. Blocking prevents any future requests, and might discourage sketchy accounts from trying again. Also, review your block list every once in a while just in case. Once blocked, those accounts won’t be able to send you anything, which is kinda relaxing, honestly.
Wrap-up
Getting these privacy settings right on Snapchat isn’t rocket science, but it does require digging into the menus and toggling a few switches. Once set, fewer randoms will bother you, and you might actually be able to enjoy the app without constant interruptions from strangers. Just remember — Snapchat’s default settings lean heavily towards openness, so a little manual work is necessary to tighten things up. Yeah, it’s kind of annoying, but worth it if privacy matters.
Summary
- Changed who can add you from ‘Everyone’ to ‘My Friends’
- Turned off ‘Suggested Friends’ and profile recommendations
- Restrict story visibility to friends only
- Reviewed and blocked any sketchy accounts