Quick Answer
There are a few ways to tell if someone’s Snapchat story is private or public:
- If you cannot view their story at all, their story is likely set to private and is only viewable to friends they have added back.
- If their Snapchat score does not increase after posting to their story, their story is private.
- If you see a lock icon next to their name in your friend list, their story is private.
- If their Bitmoji does not show up on the Snap Map, their story is private.
So in summary, if you cannot view someone’s story, their score does not go up, there is a lock icon by their name, and their Bitmoji is not on the map, their story is set to be private and is not publicly viewable.
What is a Private Story on Snapchat?
A private story on Snapchat means that the user has set their story so only selected friends can view it. When a story is set to private, the snaps and videos posted to the story will only be visible to friends that the user has added back on Snapchat.
Private stories do not appear in the public stories section where you can view stories from Snapchat users around the world. The private story is only viewable to the friends list that the user selects.
Some reasons users may set their story to private include:
- To control who can view their content
- To post more personal snaps for close friends only
- To avoid unwanted attention from strangers
- To post content they only want certain people to see
Setting a story to private allows Snapchat users to customize who can view their snaps and stories. It gives them more control over their privacy.
How to Tell if You’re Viewing a Private Story
There are a few key indicators that can help you determine if someone’s Snapchat story is set to private or if you are viewing a private story:
- You cannot view the story at all – If you search for a user and it appears their Snapchat story is empty or you cannot view it, chances are their story is private. Private stories are not visible to those not added.
- Snap score does not increase – Watch their Snapchat score before and after they post to their story. If the score stays the same, it means no new viewers, indicating a private story.
- Lock icon next to name – In your Snapchat friends list, a lock icon next to their name means their stories are private and theirs snaps are restricted.
- No Bitmoji on Snap Map – If their Bitmoji does not show up on the Snap Map, their content and stories are likely set to private.
- Grey background – The background color when viewing a private story is grey rather than white.
- Viewing limitations – You may only be able to view one snap from a private story at a time versus freely viewing as with a public story.
If you cannot view someone’s story at all, if their score does not budge, and especially if you see the lock icon, you can rest assured their Snapchat story is private.
How to Change Your Snapchat Story to Private
It’s easy to make your Snapchat story private and control who can view your content. Here’s how:
- Open your Snapchat app and tap on your Profile icon in the top left corner
- Tap the gear icon to access your Settings
- Go to the “Privacy” section
- Toggle “Private Story” on – this makes your story visible only to your added friends
You can also press and hold on a specific friend’s name when posting a snap to send it directly to their private story. Snapchat has made it simple to customize your privacy settings.
Who Can View a Private Story?
When you set your Snapchat story to private, the only people who can view it are your friends on Snapchat who you have mutually added back.
This means both you and the other user have to have added each other as friends in order to view private stories. Your private story will not be visible to:
- Users you’ve added but who haven’t added you back
- Random Snapchat users who find your profile
- Friends-of-friends who don’t follow you directly
- Anyone else on Snapchat
The only Snapchat friends able to view your private story will be those you have officially added back and those you intentionally select when sharing specific snaps. All other users will be unable to access your private story.
Exceptions
There are a couple exceptions where someone may still be able to view your private story even if they haven’t added you back:
- You allow replays for a certain snap – Anyone you send it directly to can replay it repeatedly and potentially show others.
- You post a screenshot or recording – Though against Snapchat etiquette, someone could capture your private snap and share it.
So while private stories offer more control, there is still a chance of private content being seen by unintended viewers if intentionally shared by your friends.
Pros of a Private Story
There are several benefits to making your Snapchat story private:
- More control over viewers – Choose exactly who can view your story updates.
- Post personal content – Share more private moments without worrying who will see them.
- Avoid strangers – Prevent random Snapchat users from watching your story.
- Limit contact – Reduce unsolicited messages and friend requests.
- Stay hidden – Don’t appear on public stories or the Snap Map.
The main advantage of a private story is having more say in who can access and view your Snapchat content. It allows you to restrict your audience.
Cons of a Private Story
However, there are some potential downsides of making your story private:
- Smaller audience – Fewer people will view your snaps and stories.
- Harder to discover – You have less visibility and are harder to find for new Snapchat connections.
- Can feel limiting – You may feel constrained sharing only with your added friends.
- Less engagement – You’ll likely get fewer views, comments, and interactions.
- Renew friends – Friends who don’t add back will no longer see your content.
The main risk with a private story is significantly limiting your Snapchat reach and engagement. It takes away the public sharing aspect.
Tips for Private Stories
If you do opt for a private story, here are some tips to get the most out of the experience:
- Add close friends and family you want to view your private content.
- Create custom friend lists to target your private snaps.
- Remind friends to add you back so they can keep viewing.
- Switch back to public for some stories to expand your audience.
- Respect friends’ privacy in return by not sharing their private snaps.
Carefully build your private viewer list and leverage custom friend lists to share with different groups. Switch between private and public when you want to control audience size.
Conclusion
It’s possible to have a private Snapchat story as an alternative to the default public sharing. By looking for signs like not being able to view a story, no score change, and a lock icon, you can determine if someone’s story is private. While private stories allow more control, they also limit your reach. The best approach is finding a balance between public and private sharing.
Signs of a Private Story | Who Can View a Private Story | Pros of Private Stories | Cons of Private Stories |
---|---|---|---|
– Can’t view story – Score doesn’t increase – Lock icon present – No Bitmoji on Snap Map – Grey background |
– Added friends only – Selected recipients – Not accessible to non-friends or public |
– More control over audience – Share personal content – Avoid strangers – Limit contact -Stay hidden |
– Smaller audience – Harder to discover – Can feel limiting – Less engagement – Must renew friends |