Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among younger users. A big part of Snapchat’s appeal is that it offers a more private messaging experience than other platforms. When you send a snap, it is meant to disappear after the recipient views it. The same generally goes for viewing someone’s Snapchat story – they can see who viewed each snap in their story. But is there a way to view a Snapchat story without the creator being notified? There are a few different ways to try to view a Snapchat story more discreetly.
Using Airplane Mode
One of the simplest ways to view a Snapchat story without the creator knowing is to turn on Airplane Mode on your phone before opening the app. Here is how it works:
- Make sure Snapchat is completely closed out of your phone’s background apps.
- Open the Settings app on your phone and toggle on Airplane Mode. This will disconnect your phone from the internet.
- Open the Snapchat app and navigate to the story you want to view. You can swipe through and view the entire story.
- Once you’ve finished viewing, close out of the Snapchat app completely.
- Go back to Settings and turn Airplane Mode off, reconnecting to the internet.
The key thing is that Snapchat won’t be able to update the creator that you viewed the story while in Airplane Mode. However, once you reconnect to the internet, it will update. So the creator won’t get notified in real time, but they will still show up in the list of story views after you turn Airplane Mode off.
Pros & Cons of Using Airplane Mode
Pros:
- Simple to do on any smartphone
- Doesn’t require installing any third-party apps
- You can view the entire story without the creator knowing in real time
Cons:
- The creator will still see you viewed the story after reconnecting to the internet
- Need to remember to fully close out Snapchat before toggling Airplane Mode on/off
- Requires changing a phone setting instead of happening natively within the app
Using Snapchat in Airplane Mode on Android
If you are an Android user, there is a workaround that builds on the Airplane Mode trick but prevents the story views updating after the fact. Here are the steps:
- Close Snapchat fully and enable Airplane mode on your Android device.
- Force stop Snapchat using your device’s Settings or task manager.
- Clear Snapchat’s cache and data using your device’s App manager.
- Launch Snapchat and view the story you want to see.
- Close Snapchat once again after viewing the story.
- Disable Airplane mode to reconnect to the internet.
By force stopping Snapchat and clearing its data/cache, you essentially reset the app. So when you open it in Airplane Mode, view a story, and close out, Snapchat has no data saved to update the story views once you disable Airplane Mode. It’s an extra couple steps for Android users but does allow fully anonymous story viewing.
Pros & Cons of Snapchat Airplane Mode for Android
Pros:
- Lets you view any story 100% anonymously
- Doesn’t require third-party apps
- Works on Android devices
Cons:
- More tedious having to force stop and clear app data every time
- Only works for Android, not iOS devices
- Need to fully close app before toggling Airplane mode
Using a Separate Viewing Account
Another option is to create a separate Snapchat account solely for viewing stories. Here’s how it works:
- Create a new Snapchat account using a different email/phone number than your main account.
- Don’t add any friends on this viewing account.
- Use the viewing account to look at any stories you want anonymously.
- The creators won’t know who viewed from this separate account.
This method allows you to freely view Snapchat stories without any of the views being linked back to your real account or identity. The downside is having to log out and into the separate account each time you want to view something. It also goes against Snapchat’s terms of service to maintain multiple accounts.
Pros & Cons of a Viewing Account
Pros:
- Lets you view any story without the creator knowing
- Works on both iOS and Android devices
- Can build a following on your viewing account as well
Cons:
- Need to log out and into two accounts each time
- Violates Snapchat’s terms of service
- Risk of main account being banned if caught
Using Third-Party Apps
There are some third-party apps that claim to let you view Snapchat stories anonymously. These work by essentially screenshotting snaps from stories and saving them privately in the app. Some examples include:
- Snapchat++
- Phantom Snapchat
- Snaptools
- Casper
To use these, you’ll need to install the app file outside of official app stores. Once installed, you can open Snapchat stories within the third-party app interface and view them there without the creator being notified. However, by using these apps you risk having your account banned by Snapchat if caught, as they violate Snapchat’s terms.
Pros & Cons of Third-Party Viewing Apps
Pros:
- Allow anonymous story viewing
- Work on both iOS and Android
- Some apps offer additional Snapchat features
Cons:
- Need to install unverified app files
- High risk of account ban
- Snapchat actively works to block these apps
Using Snapchat Online Emulators
There are some browser-based online emulators that let you use Snapchat via the web. Like third-party apps, these emulators take screenshots of snaps and stories for private viewing. Some popular web emulators include:
- Snaped
- SCBrowser
- Snapcat
- Snapper
To use them, you’ll have to enter your Snapchat username and password on the emulator website. This can be risky, as you’re handing over your account credentials. The emulators also often have ads and slower performance. And your account could still be banned by Snapchat for breaching terms of service.
Pros & Cons of Snapchat Web Emulators
Pros:
- Work on desktop and mobile browsers
- Don’t need to download any additional apps
Cons:
- Need to enter your Snapchat password into emulator
- Slower performance and glitches
- Still risk having account banned
- Security risks of entering password
Using Snapchat in Ghost Mode
Snapchat itself does have one built-in feature that offers a bit more anonymity for viewing stories. It’s called Ghost Mode, and it makes your location and “Map Presence” private so friends can’t see where you are. To enable:
- Go into your Snapchat settings
- Tap on “See My Location”
- Toggle on Ghost Mode
This prevents your Bitmoji avatar from popping up on the Map when you’re viewing stories. Friends also won’t be notified when you’re online. However, creators will still see your username if you view their story.
Pros & Cons of Snapchat Ghost Mode
Pros:
- Built into Snapchat, no external apps needed
- Hides your location and online status
- Still lets you view stories normally
Cons:
- Doesn’t hide story views from creators
- Limits some features like location sharing
- Friends might wonder why you went into Ghost Mode
Conclusion
While Snapchat is designed for ephemeral sharing, there are some workaround methods that let you be a bit sneakier in viewing stories. Turning on Airplane Mode before viewing is probably the easiest and lowest-risk option. Creating a separate account also works well, just take care to avoid getting caught running two accounts. More advanced tricks like third-party apps and emulators let you hide story views entirely, but greatly increase the chance of being banned. Ultimately there are risks with any method, so use your best judgment!