Snapchat does not allow users to view someone else’s full friend list. However, there are a few limited ways to see who someone is friends with on Snapchat.
Seeing Mutual Friends
The easiest way to see some of the people someone is friends with on Snapchat is by looking at your mutual friends list. To do this:
- Open your friends list in Snapchat.
- Scroll through and look for friends that have a mutual friends icon next to their name.
- Tap on the mutual friends icon to see the list of friends you have in common.
This allows you to see a limited portion of that friend’s friend list – specifically, the people you are also friends with. It does not show you all of their friends, just the ones you have in common.
Viewing Someone’s Best Friends
Snapchat has a Best Friends feature that shows you someone’s closest friends on the app. To see someone’s Best Friends:
- Go to their profile by tapping their name or Bitmoji.
- Tap on the smiley face icon next to their name.
- This will show you their 8 Best Friends for the last month.
The Best Friends list provides a snapshot of who the person interacts with most regularly on Snapchat.
It gets updated monthly based on how frequently they snap each other, so it’s a good indication of their closest friends on the app at the moment.
Looking at Shared Stories
Another way to get an idea of who someone is friends with is by checking Stories they have contributed to or been tagged in by friends. For example:
- If someone has a shared “Best Friends” story, you may be able to see some of the people who have posted to it if the account is public.
- If someone posts publicly to Our Story, you can see who else has contributed and may be able to identify some of their friends.
- If one of their friends tags them in a Story, you can sometimes see this on their profile and may be able to identify the friend.
While these methods only reveal portions of someone’s friend list, they can help you determine some of the people the person is close to or interacts with frequently on Snapchat.
Why You Can’t See Full Friend Lists
Snapchat intentionally limits the ability to see someone else’s full friend list. There are a few reasons Snapchat does this:
- Privacy – Snapchat wants to give users control over who can see their connections and interactions.
- Security – Not exposing full friend lists helps reduce harassment, bullying, and account hijacking by making it harder for others to identify and target someone’s friends.
- Spam prevention – Keeping friend lists private prevents businesses and third-party apps from scraping that data for marketing purposes.
While you can’t see the full list, the methods above allow users to uncover some friend connections naturally through Snapchat’s social features.
Using Third-Party Apps
Some third-party apps claim to be able to show someone’s full friend list by accessing Snapchat data. However, this is against Snapchat’s Terms of Service.
Snapchat does not allow third-party apps to access friend lists or contact data.
Apps that offer this functionality typically do it by asking users to voluntarily give up their account credentials.
Giving account credentials to a third-party app is risky. It allows them to log into your account, put your account at risk of being banned by Snapchat, and potentially access and misuse your private data.
For these reasons, most experts recommend avoiding any third-party apps that claim to reveal friend lists or other private account data.
Asking Directly
The only guaranteed way to see someone’s full Snapchat friend list is by asking them directly. However, most people are unlikely to share their entire friend list for privacy reasons.
You can ask the person if they are comfortable showing you their friend list. But understand that they may decline if they want to keep that information private from you.
If you are trying to find out if you have mutual connections, it may be better to ask if they know specific people rather than requesting their full list. This gives the user more control over what information they share.
Respecting Privacy
Ultimately, Snapchat users have a right to keep their friend list private if they choose. While you may come across portions of someone’s friend list naturally through Snapchat features, it’s important to respect their privacy and not pressure or trick them into revealing their full connections.
If there are specific people you want to know about, consider just asking the person directly whether they are friends. For broader friend insights, look for the mutual friends indicators Snapchat provides in the app.
But avoid using any tactics or third-party apps that could compromise someone’s account privacy or security just to see their friend list. Respect their privacy by sticking to the friend visibility tools Snapchat provides.
Risks of Accessing Friend Lists
In addition to respecting other users’ privacy, there are risks in attempting to access someone else’s Snapchat friends list:
- Account ban – Snapchat monitors for suspicious activity and may ban your account if you use third-party apps or scripts to scrape friend data.
- Legal issues – Accessing private data without permission could violate computer crime and privacy laws in some jurisdictions.
- Viruses – Third-party apps looking to hijack Snapchat data often contain malware and viruses that could compromise your device.
- Password theft – Giving account credentials to third-party apps exposes you to password theft and account hijacking.
In most cases, it’s simply not worth the risks just to satisfy curiosity about someone else’s connections. Focus instead on building genuine relationships with your own friends on Snapchat.
While Snapchat limits the ability to see someone else’s full friend list, you can still get insights into their connections through mutual friends, Best Friends, Stories, and other social features. However, keep in mind that users have a right to keep their full friend list private for personal security and privacy reasons.
Avoid using any tactics or third-party apps that could jeopardize someone’s account privacy or security just to access their friend list. If you need to know if they are connected to specific people, consider just asking them directly.
Remember, respecting others’ privacy on Snapchat is essential to building trust and positive relationships within the Snapchat community.