Can you delete a Snap after its sent?

Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media apps, especially among younger audiences. A big part of Snapchat’s appeal is that photos, videos, and messages sent between users are meant to disappear after being viewed. This creates a sense of privacy and ephemerality that isn’t found on other social platforms.

However, one question Snapchat users often ask is whether it’s possible to delete or undo a Snap after you’ve already sent it. In this article, we’ll explore the options for deleting Snaps on both the sending and receiving ends.

Deleting a Snap You’ve Sent

If you’ve sent a Snap that you regret or want to remove for any reason, here are your options for deleting it:

Unopened Snaps

If the recipient has not yet opened your Snap, you can delete it by following these steps:

1. In the chat screen, press and hold on the Snap you want to delete
2. A pop-up will appear giving you the option to “Delete” or “Cancel”
3. Tap “Delete” to remove the Snap before it’s viewed

This will completely delete the Snap from the recipient’s inbox before they’ve had a chance to view it. It will be gone for good.

Opened Snaps

Once a recipient has opened your Snap, you can no longer delete it from their inbox. However, you do have the option to request that they delete it themselves:

1. In the chat screen, press and hold the Snap you want deleted
2. Select “More” from the pop-up menu
3. Choose “Delete Snap”

This will send a request to the recipient asking them to delete that Snap from their inbox. They can choose whether or not to honor this request.

Screenshots

If the recipient takes a screenshot of your Snap before opening it, there is no way for you to delete it or even know that a screenshot was taken.

Deleting Received Snaps

On the receiving end, you also have some options for deleting Snaps:

Unopened Snaps

To remove an unopened Snap from your inbox:

1. Press and hold the unopened Snap
2. Select “Delete” when the pop-up menu appears

This will delete the Snap before you’ve viewed it so the sender won’t know you saw it.

Opened Snaps

Once you open a Snap, it will normally disappear after 1-10 seconds per the sender’s settings. However, you can also manually delete an opened Snap from your inbox by:

1. Pressing and holding the Snap in the feed
2. Choosing “Delete” from the menu

This prevents the Snap from remaining in your inbox after opening it.

Screenshots

If you take a screenshot of a Snap, the sender will be notified. However, there is no way for them to delete the screenshot from your device. You will need to manually delete any Snapchat screenshots you have saved if you no longer want them.

Can the Sender See if You Screenshotted?

A common concern around deleting Snaps is whether the sender can see if you took a screenshot before it disappeared. The answer is yes – Snapchat will notify the sender if you take a screenshot of their Snap.

Here’s what happens when you screenshot a Snap:

• The sender immediately gets an alert saying you took a screenshot
• An icon will appear in the chat telling the sender you took a screenshot
• The screenshot notification cannot be cleared until you delete the actual screenshot

There is no way to secretly take a screenshot of a Snap without the sender being notified. This is an important privacy feature to prevent abuse and harassment.

Does Deleting a Snap Delete It for Both Parties?

When you delete a Snap, it only deletes that Snap from your own inbox – it does not delete the Snap for both the sender and recipient.

For example, if you delete an unopened Snap you received, the sender can still see that Snap in their outbox. And if you delete a Snap after opening it, the sender won’t know you deleted it from your inbox.

Deleting only removes the Snap from your own inbox, not anyone else’s. The one exception is if the sender deletes an unopened Snap – in that case, it will be deleted for the recipient as well before they have a chance to view it.

How Long Do Snaps Stay in Your Inbox?

By default, Snapchat automatically deletes Snaps after they’ve been opened. The sender can set a 1-10 second viewing time, after which the Snap will disappear.

However, there are a few cases where a Snap might remain in your inbox for longer:

• If you take a screenshot, the Snap will remain until you delete the screenshot
• On iOS, you can replay one Snap per day which saves it temporarily
• Using airplane mode while viewing a Snap can allow it to remain
• If the recipient hasn’t accepted your friend request, the Snap may stay for up to 30 days

Other than these exceptions, opened Snaps should automatically be deleted within 1-10 seconds. Unopened Snaps will remain in your inbox until you view them or manually delete them.

Can You Recover a Deleted Snap?

Unfortunately, there is no way to recover a Snap after it’s been deleted from Snapchat’s servers. Once it’s gone, it’s really gone for good.

Here are a few reasons why Snapchat deletes are permanent:

• Snapchat uses end-to-end encryption so only the sender and recipient can access a Snap’s content
• Snaps are designed to be deleted after viewing and do not remain in storage
• There is no “trash” or “recovery” feature built into Snapchat currently

For these reasons, any Snap you delete or that expires after being viewed will be erased from Snapchat’s servers. There is no way for the company or any user to retrieve it.

The only way a deleted Snap could be recovered is if the recipient took a screenshot before it disappeared. Barring that, there are no data recovery options for deleted Snaps at this time.

Does Deleting a Chat Delete the Snaps?

If you delete an entire chat thread in Snapchat, it will also delete all the Snaps exchanged in that conversation. This can be a quick way to mass delete Snaps.

To delete a chat and all its Snaps:

1. In your Chat screen, swipe left on the chat you want to delete
2. Tap “Clear Conversation”
3. Confirm that you want to delete the chat

This will erase the entire chat history along with any Snaps and messages sent within that conversation. It’s a nuke option if you want to wipe a chat clean.

The same effect happens if you block a user – all chats and Snaps with that user will be deleted. Just be aware that clearing or deleting chats also removes your own snaps as well as the ones you received.

Does Deleting Snapchat Delete All Snaps?

If you delete your entire Snapchat account, it will delete all Snap history and conversations across the board. This includes:

• Snaps you’ve sent and received in all chats
• Stories and highlights
• Memories and saved media
• Chat logs and information

Deleting your account erases everything on Snapchat tied to your username. The Nuclear Account option in Settings will initiate this process. It’s the only way to truly wipe your Snapchat presence for good.

Keep in mind Snapchat will also notify your friends that you deleted your account. And there is limited time to recover your account if you change your mind.

Conclusion

While Snapchat promotes impermanence and privacy by deleting Snaps after they’re viewed, there are limited options available if you want to delete a Snap after sending or opening it.

On the sending end, you can only delete unopened Snaps and request deletion of opened ones. And as the recipient, you can manually remove unopened or opened Snaps from your inbox.

However, once a Snap is opened there is no way to remove it from the other person’s inbox. And deleting chats or your account are the only ways to mass delete all your Snapchat activity and history.

Overall, if you want a Snap gone for good your only options are to delete it before it’s viewed or screenshotted. Once opened, you lose control over whether the recipient keeps it in their inbox. So be cautious when sending new Snaps until you’re sure you want the other person to view them.

Snap Status	Sender Delete Options	Recipient Delete Options
Unopened	Delete Snap	Delete Snap
Opened	Request Delete	Delete from Inbox
Screenshotted	None	Manually Delete Screenshot

Snapchat’s deletion options can be confusing, but this table summarizes the possibilities once a Snap has been sent. The sooner you delete embarrassing or unwanted Snaps, the better!

Overall, think carefully before sending any photo, video, or message on Snapchat. Once viewed by the recipient, it is out of your control. Deletions only impact your own inbox, so don’t rely on removing Snaps already seen as a way to “take it back.” Your best bet is being cautious about what you Snap in the first place!