Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. One of Snapchat’s key features is the ability to add friends and see their snaps and stories. This raises the question – can you see all the friends you have ever added on Snapchat, even after some may have been removed or deleted their account?
Viewing Your Current Friends List on Snapchat
Snapchat keeps a running list of all the friends you currently have added on the app. To view your friends list:
- Open the Snapchat app
- Tap on your profile icon in the top left corner
- Tap on the smiley face icon next to your profile name
- This will open your friends list, with all your current friends displayed alphabetically
From here, you can scroll through the list to see every friend you have on Snapchat right now. Tapping on a friend’s name will take you to their profile where you can view their public snaps and stories.
Finding Previously Added Friends on Snapchat
While Snapchat shows your current friend list, it does not have a built-in feature to look back through all the friends you’ve ever added over time. Once a friend is removed or deletes their account, they disappear from your friend list.
However, there are a few ways you may be able to recover some old added friends on Snapchat:
- Check your chat history – Open your chat screen and scroll down through your message history. This will show chat threads with previous friends, even if they are no longer on your friend list. You can see their old Snapchat name and profile pic.
- Check old snaps – In your snap memories, you may still have old snaps saved from previous friends. Their username will be displayed on any snaps they sent you.
- Use Snapchat’s friend emoji – If you previously added someone with a Snapchat friend emoji next to their name, that emoji will still show up even if they are no longer your friend.
- Check your address book friends – Snapchat scans your phone contacts and recommends friends who use Snapchat. You may find old friends under the ‘Added Me’ section.
- Check your Snapstreaks – Friends you previously had Snapstreaks with will still show in your feed with a blank Bitmoji avatar.
While these methods can help you uncover some old friends, there is no definitive way to pull up a complete list of every single friend ever added on Snapchat if they are no longer friends with you or deleted their account.
Why Snapchat Doesn’t Keep Full Friends History
There are a few reasons why Snapchat does not maintain a master list of all friends ever added on the app:
- Privacy – Keeping full histories of friend connections may raise privacy concerns for some users.
- Temporary nature – Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging style is designed around fleeting conversations that disappear.
- Storage – Keeping indefinite records of friend connections could grow increasingly storage intensive.
- Relevance – As friendships change over time, old connections become less relevant to current social circles.
- Simplicity – Snapchat aims to provide a lightweight, simple feel. Keeping extensive histories goes against that approach.
The temporary, in-the-moment nature of Snapchat means that friend histories are not necessarily critical. Users focus is on current connections and conversations within the app.
Third Party Apps to View Snapchat Friends History
While Snapchat itself does not store full friend histories, some third-party apps claim to provide this functionality:
- Snapchat Friend Recovery Apps – Apps like Snapchat Friend Finder and Get Old Snapchat claim to let you input your username and pull up lost friends.
- Snapchat Data Extraction Apps – Some apps can access your stored Snapchat data and bought messages, including friend data.
- Snapchat Viewer Apps – Shady apps claim to act as Snapchat viewers and show all your friend activity and connections.
However, many of these third-party apps have been known to:
- Not work as advertised
- Request access to accounts and data for spam/scams
- Distribute malware
- Violate Snapchat’s Terms of Service
For these reasons, third-party apps are not recommended for trying to recover your full Snapchat friends list.
Ways to Back Up Your Current Snapchat Friends
While you can’t look up every friend ever added in the past, there are some ways to keep track of your current Snapchat friends list:
- Screenshot your friends list frequently as a manual backup.
- Use a contacts manager app to regularly sync and store your Snapchat friends list.
- Download your Snapchat data which includes your friends list information.
- Connect your Snapchat account to apps like IFTTT that can back up friends.
Doing regular backups like this can help ensure you have records of your current Snapchat friends at multiple points in time, even if the full historical list is not accessible.
Conclusion
Snapchat unfortunately does not have a built-in feature for users to pull up a complete list of every friend ever added over the full history of using the app. Once a friend is removed or deletes their account, they are deleted from your friends list.
You may be able to uncover some old friends through chat logs, snap memories, Snapstreaks, and other methods. But there is no definitive way to see the full list unless Snapchat changes its functionality.
For keeping records of your current friends list, doing manual backups and syncs can help you preserve a snapshot at different points in time. But the disappearing, temporary nature of Snapchat means friend histories are not stored long-term or easily accessible down the road.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download my full friends list on Snapchat?
No, Snapchat does not allow users to download a full list of every friend ever added on the app. You can only view your current friends list within the app.
Can I see expired friends on Snapchat?
No, once a friend is removed or their account is deleted, they are removed from your friends list and disappear entirely in the app. There is no “expired friends” list to view.
Why can I still see Bitmojis for friends I don’t have added?
You may still see Bitmojis and scores for friends you no longer have added if you previously had a Snapstreak with them. These remain visible even if they are no longer on your friends list.
Is there a way to export Snapchat friends?
There is no official way to export a list of all your Snapchat friends. You can manually record your current friends list by taking screenshots or syncing the data to an external app.
Can you search for old Snapchat friends?
Snapchat does not have a friend search feature to look up old friends who have been removed or deleted their account. You may be able to find some old friends through chat history, but there is no guarantee.
Friend Name | Date Added | Still Friends? |
---|---|---|
John | 1/1/2021 | No |
Mary | 3/15/2021 | Yes |
Sara | 6/20/2021 | No |
David | 8/30/2021 | Yes |
This table shows examples of friends added on Snapchat, with their add dates and current friend status.
The Reality of Recovering Old Snapchat Friends
Trying to find long-lost Snapchat friends from years past can be difficult, if not impossible in many cases. Here are some realities to keep in mind:
- Contacts and friendships naturally change over time as people grow apart.
- Not all old friends will still be active Snapchat users years later.
- You may have forgotten some old friends’ exact usernames by now.
- Hacked or deleted accounts means some friends are gone forever.
- Memories and chats only go back so far before they are deleted.
- Snapchat’s nature is live, in-the-moment connections.
While you can try your best to uncover old Snapchat friends through various methods, it’s unlikely you will be able to find every single person ever added. At a certain point, friend connections fade or are removed entirely from the app.
Focusing on Current Snapchat Friends
Rather than expending effort trying to dig up Snapchat friends from years ago, it may be better to focus on your current friends list and social circle within the app.
Here are some tips for maintaining your Snapchat friendships today:
- Actively snap, chat, and engage with your current friends.
- Use Snapchat features like streaks, stories, and bitmojis to bond.
- Take advantage of Snapchat maps to meet up in real life.
- Send memories and snaps to preserve important moments with friends.
- Respect friends’ privacy by not recording or screenshotting without permission.
- Regularly sync your Snapchat contacts to keep a backup.
Making the most of your current Snapchat friendships can be more rewarding than getting stuck in the past. By living in the moment, you can create new memories and strengthening bonds with the friends who matter most right now.
Summary
- Snapchat does not store a master list of all friends ever added on the app.
- Once a friend is removed or deletes their account, they disappear from your friends list.
- You may be able to find some old friends through chat history, snap memories, and other methods.
- Third party apps claiming to recover your full friends list can be unsafe.
- Manually backing up your current friends list provides some record over time.
- But realistically, not all past Snapchat friends can be found again.
- It’s better to focus on nurturing your current friendships within Snapchat.