Snapchat stories allow users to post photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. Your subscribers are the Snapchat friends that opted to see your story updates by subscribing to your account. So yes, your subscribers can see your Snapchat stories.
When you post to your Snapchat story, it goes out to all of your subscribers by default. There’s no way to exclude specific subscribers from seeing your story. Anything you post there is visible to your entire subscriber base.
However, you do have some options to limit who can view your Snapchat story:
- You can choose to post content to your story or save it just for yourself. If you save it just for yourself, no one else can see it.
- You can block subscribers at any time, which will prevent them from seeing future story updates.
- You can use Custom Stories to share stories with only selected friends.
In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth look at how Snapchat stories and subscriptions work. We’ll cover questions like:
- How do I see my Snapchat subscribers?
- Can I prevent specific friends from seeing my story?
- What’s the difference between a public story and a custom story?
- How do I know who has viewed my Snapchat story?
Let’s start by understanding the basics of Snapchat stories and subscriptions.
What are Snapchat Stories?
Snapchat stories allow you to string Snaps together to create a narrative that lasts 24 hours. Stories appear in a bar at the top of the camera screen, so your friends can see what you’ve been up to recently.
When you take a Snap, you can choose to post it to your story or send it directly to friends. Snaps sent directly to friends disappear after they’re opened. But Snaps added to your story remain visible for 24 hours.
Stories are a great way to share your day without bombarding all your friends with individual Snaps. They also let you get creative with drawing tools, filters, captions, and more.
Public Stories vs. Custom Stories
There are a few different types of Snapchat stories:
- My Story – Your main story that goes out to all subscribers.
- Custom Stories – Stories shared with specific groups of friends.
- Official Stories – Stories curated by Snapchat from user submissions.
- Our Stories – Stories compiled from Snaps at certain events or locations.
My Story is your default, public story visible to all of your subscribers. Custom Stories let you share stories with only selected friends. For example, you could create a “Best Friends” group and post stories just for them.
Official and Our Stories are curated by Snapchat and anyone on Snapchat can view them. User submissions to Official and Our Stories are anonymous.
Viewing Snapchat Stories
To view someone’s story, go to their profile and tap on their profile picture. This will bring up their story. Tap through their snaps to view the 24-hour story in chronological order.
You can also view stories from your Subscriptions feed. This feed shows story updates from all the accounts you follow in reverse chronological order.
Who Can See My Snapchat Story?
By default, all of your Snapchat friends who have subscribed to your account will see your story updates. Each Snap you post to your story goes out to your entire subscriber base.
You can see a list of your subscribers by going to your profile, tapping the gear icon, and selecting ‘View list’. This will show you a list of all your subscribers.
There is no way to post a story that is invisible to certain subscribers. Anything you post to your main story will be seen by all subscribers. This makes Snapchat stories more intimate and private than other social media like Facebook or Instagram.
Managing Your Subscribers
While you can’t exclude subscribers from your main story, you do have some options:
- You can block subscribers at any time. This will prevent them from viewing future story updates.
- You can create custom Friend Groups and share stories to just those groups.
- You can save content just for yourself so no one else sees it.
Blocking subscribers removes them from your subscriber list and prevents them from re-subscribing in the future. So use this feature carefully.
Custom stories give you more flexibility to share stories with only certain friends. For example, you could create a “Close Friends” group and post more personal stories just for them.
Viewing Snapchat Stories Anonymously
Snapchat doesn’t notify someone when you’ve viewed their story. So you can view stories anonymously without the other person knowing.
However, there are a couple caveats to keep in mind:
- If you reply to a story snap, then the other person will know you viewed it.
- There are some situations where the viewer’s username may be visible. For example, if you view a snap from the Subscriptions feed or take a screenshot.
So while Snapchat stories are designed for anonymous viewing, the person who posted the story may sometimes be able to see their viewers.
Can You See Who Views Your Snapchat Story?
Snapchat does not have built-in analytics for stories like Instagram. So there’s no way to get a list of everyone who has viewed your story.
However, there are some signs that can give you clues about who has seen your story:
- If someone replies to your story snap, you’ll be notified and can see their reply.
- The app shows a heatmap of where story views originated from, broken down by city/state/country.
- If you notice views from a specific location, it’s likely someone there watched it.
While these clues can help you guess who viewed your story, there’s no way to know for certain. Snapchat stories are designed with anonymous viewing in mind.
Controlling Who Sees Your Snapchat Story
While you can’t hide your story from specific subscribers, you do have some options to control who sees it:
Using Custom Stories
Custom Stories allow you to share stories with only selected friends. It’s the best way to limit your audience on Snapchat.
To create a Custom Story:
- Go to your profile and tap the gear icon
- Select ‘Custom Story’
- Give your custom story a name like “Close Friends”
- Select the friends you want to include
Now when you go to post a snap, you can choose to add it to your main story, your custom story, or save it just for yourself.
Blocking Subscribers
You can block subscribers at any time by going to their profile, tapping the gear icon, and selecting ‘Block’. This will remove them from your subscriber list and prevent them from viewing future story updates or re-subscribing.
Using Ghost Mode
Turning on Ghost Mode in your Snapchat settings makes you invisible across the app. Your profile won’t show up as a suggested friend, you won’t appear on Snap Map, etc.
It also hides your stories from people who don’t actively subscribe to your account. So only your current subscribers would be able to see your story in Ghost Mode.
Saving Snaps Just for Yourself
When you take a Snap, you also have the option to save it just to your Memories and not share it anywhere. This lets you snap away without worrying about who might see it.
Conclusion
Snapchat stories are designed to be intimate and private, only viewable by your subscribers. While there’s no way to hide your main story from specific friends, you do have options like Custom Stories, Ghost Mode, and blocking subscribers to control your audience.
The anonymous nature of Snapchat stories sets them apart from social platforms like Instagram or Facebook. You get to share casual, in-the-moment content without racking up precise view counts.
So feel free to snap, record, hashtag, filter and doodle to your heart’s content! Just use Custom Stories or blocks when needed to keep certain friends from peeking at your story.
Summary
- All Snapchat subscribers can view your main Snapchat story by default.
- There is no way to prevent specific subscribers from seeing your main story.
- You can block subscribers if you don’t want them seeing future story updates.
- Use Custom Stories to share stories with only selected friends.
- Snapchat doesn’t notify someone when you’ve viewed their story.
- Snapchat has no built-in story view analytics, but there are some clues to see who viewed yours.
- Options like blocking friends, Custom Stories, and Ghost Mode give you more control over your audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about who can see your Snapchat story:
Can I prevent specific friends from viewing my Snapchat story?
No, there is no option to block specific friends from viewing your main Snapchat story. Anything posted to your main story will be visible to all of your subscribers.
However, you can use Custom Stories to share stories with only selected friends. Or you can block friends which will prevent them from seeing future story updates.
If someone subscribes to me, can I stop them from seeing my story?
Yes, you can block subscribers at any time. Go to their profile, tap the gear icon, and select ‘Block’ to remove them from your subscriber list.
Once blocked, they won’t be able to view your future story updates or re-subscribe to your account. Blocking is permanent unless you choose to unblock them later on.
Can subscribers tell if I’ve blocked them?
No, Snapchat doesn’t notify someone if you block them. They’ll simply no longer be able to view or subscribe to your stories.
The only exception is if you’re friends outside of Snapchat. Then they may notice they’re suddenly unable to view your stories when logged in.
Can I see a list of everyone who has viewed my Snapchat story?
Unfortunately Snapchat doesn’t have view analytics for stories like Instagram does. There’s no way to see a precise list of who has seen your story.
However, you can see general analytics about views by location and demographic. And if someone replies to your story, you’ll be notified so you’ll know they’ve seen it.
If I post to a Custom Story, can those friends screenshot it?
Yes, Snapchat doesn’t prevent screenshots of Custom Stories. So while you’ve limited who can view it, those friends can still take screenshots which may then be shared more broadly.
The exception is stories you post just for yourself. Snapchat prevents screenshots of stories unless they are shared publicly.
Statistics on Snapchat Story Usage
Here are some interesting statistics on how people are engaging with Snapchat stories:
- Over 4 billion snaps are created every day on average.
- The total daily time spent watching stories is over 30 minutes per user.
- 60% of users engage with ads they see between stories.
- 72% of daily active users create content to post on their Snapchat story.
- The most stories created in one day was over 420 million on New Year’s Eve.
These numbers illustrate just how popular Snapchat stories have become as a way to share your day. Snapchat’s younger demographic is especially engaged with this style of casual, authentic content.
Snapchat User Statistics
Snapchat has over 265 million daily active users. Here’s a breakdown of some key user statistics:
User Statistic | Percentage |
---|---|
Gender | 57% Male / 43% Female |
Age Range | 50% 18-24 years old 31% 25-34 years old |
Geo-Filter Usage | 64% use Geo-Filters daily |
Daily Story Posting | 72% post to their story daily |
Snapchat continues to excel as a platform for youth culture and engagement, especially in the Stories format. Brands looking to connect with this audience have found creative ways to leverage Snapchat stories for campaigns.
The intimate, casual nature of Snapchat also makes it perfect for influencer marketing. Snapchat stories give influencers a way to show off their true personalities and make fans feel like they’re getting a peek behind-the-scenes.
Conclusion
Snapchat stories provide a way to give friends a window into your life through a string of snaps that live for 24 hours. By default, all of your subscribers can see your main story. But options like Custom Stories, blocking, and Ghost Mode give you more control.
While Snapchat lacks the view analytics of Instagram stories, it does offer a more private experience. You can watch stories without others being notified, and only your subscribers have access. So you can snap, record, draw, and share as much as you want with the subscribers who matter most.