Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media platforms for sharing photos, videos, and messages. One of Snapchat’s key features is that the content you send disappears after it’s viewed. This creates a sense of privacy and ephemerality. However, your friends can take screenshots of your snaps which can then be saved or shared without your knowledge. If you’ve sent a snap that you regret and want to delete before someone takes a screenshot, here’s what you need to do.
Understanding Snapchat Screenshots
When you take a screenshot of a snap, the other person is notified through a notification that says “XYZ took a screenshot of your snap!”. This helps keep friends accountable and prevents misuse of saved snaps. However, even if your friend takes a screenshot, you can still delete the snap from their phone using Snapchat’s delete feature.
Snapchat’s Delete Feature
Snapchat introduced the delete feature back in 2019. This allows you to delete a snap you’ve sent in a chat at any point after sending it. Deleting a snap removes it from the recipient’s phone. So even if they took a screenshot, deleting the snap also deletes the screenshot from their phone. However, you will not be notified if the recipient took a screenshot before you deleted it. The screenshot notification is only sent the moment the screenshot is captured.
Here are some key points about Snapchat’s delete feature:
- You can delete snaps after they’ve been opened by the recipient
- Unopened snaps cannot be deleted
- You have up to 10 seconds to delete a snap after sending
- Deleting a snap removes it from recipient’s phone, including any saved screenshots
- You don’t get notified if a screenshot was taken before deleting the snap
Knowing how the delete feature works is important to understand if you want to remove embarrassing or unintended snaps before they get screenshotted.
Step-by-Step Guide to Deleting Snapchat Screenshots
If you need to delete a snap you’ve sent, follow these steps:
- Open the Snapchat app and go to the chat with the person you sent the snap to.
- Press and hold on the snap you want to delete.
- Select the trash icon to delete the snap.
- Confirm that you want to delete the snap.
Deleting a snap immediately removes it from the recipient’s phone. However, you only have up to 10 seconds after sending the snap to delete it. So act fast if you want to delete a regretful snap!
What Happens When You Delete a Snap?
Here’s what happens when you delete a snap:
- The snap will disappear from the recipient’s phone
- Any saved screenshots of the snap will also be deleted
- You will not get notified if a screenshot was taken before deleting
- The recipient will see a “This snap has been deleted” placeholder
So deleting a snap ensures the recipient can no longer access it. But it doesn’t guarantee that a screenshot wasn’t taken beforehand.
Can Someone Recover a Deleted Snapchat Message?
Once you delete a snap, there is no way for the recipient to recover that snap. Even if they took a screenshot, deleting the snap also removes the screenshot from their phone. However, if they transferred the screenshot to another device or backed it up before you deleted the snap, they may still have access to it.
Here are two scenarios:
- Screenshot NOT transferred: If the recipient only had the screenshot on their Snapchat app, deleting the snap will permanently erase it.
- Screenshot transferred: If the recipient transferred or backed up the screenshot before you deleted it, they may still have the snap even though it’s been deleted from Snapchat.
So while Snapchat deletes the message and linked screenshot, recipients can potentially recoversnaps if they saved the screenshot separately.
How to Prevent Deleted Snaps Being Restored
To reduce the chances of a deleted snap being recovered, you should:
- Delete snaps as soon as possible after sending
- Avoid sending snaps with sensitive content
- Remind friends not to screenshot your snaps
- Screenshot any snaps you want to keep for yourself
- Enable screenshot notifications so you’re aware if a screenshot was taken
Following these best practices will minimize the likelihood of deleted snaps being restored from backups or transfers.
Can You Recover a Deleted Snap that You Sent?
Unfortunately, there is no way to recover a deleted snap that you sent. Once it’s been deleted, the content is gone from Snapchat’s servers. Neither you nor the recipient can retrieve the original deleted snap.
However, there are a couple of ways you may be able to recover the media from a deleted snap if you still have access to it:
- Resend from Memories – If you posted the snap’s photo/video to your Snapchat Memories, you can resend it.
- Resend from device – If the snap’s photo/video still exists in your camera roll, you can resend it.
But the original deleted snap cannot be recovered. All message history is erased when you delete a snap in Snapchat.
How to Avoid Sending Snaps You’ll Later Regret
We all make mistakes and may occasionally send snaps we later wish we could take back. Here are some tips to avoid sharing snaps you’ll regret:
- Don’t snap when emotional, tired, distracted or intoxicated
- Double check snaps before hitting send
- Use captions judiciously and avoid oversharing
- Screenshot risky snaps before sending if you may change your mind later
- Enable travel mode if you’re in unfamiliar environments
- Remind friends not to screenshot your private/embarrassing content
Exercising caution and restraint when sending snaps will reduce the need to delete messages. But if you do need to delete a snap, act quickly before the recipient screenshots it.
What Happens When You Unfriend Someone on Snapchat?
Unfriending or blocking someone on Snapchat has the following effects on your chat history with them:
- They will be removed from your friends list
- They won’t be able to view any new snaps or stories you post
- Any unopened snaps sent to them will be deleted
- Your chat history and snaps will remain visible to them
So unfriending someone only blocks further communication. To delete your message history, you’ll need to clear your conversations.
How to Delete Chat History with Someone
To completely remove your chat history with someone on Snapchat, follow these steps:
- Open your Snapchat friends list and tap on the person’s name
- Tap on the gear icon in the top right to access chat settings
- Scroll down and tap on ‘Clear Conversation’
- Confirm that you want to delete the entire chat history
Clearing your conversation erases all snapped photos, videos, and messages with that person. It’s a clean break when unfriending on Snapchat.
Conclusion
Deleting snaps on Snapchat ensures they can no longer be viewed but does not guarantee screenshots were not saved. Always be cautious when sending snaps as they can be screenshotted before you delete them. Avoid snapping regretful content at all by being judicious about what you share. Overall, think twice before snapping as the delete function is not foolproof if recipients are determined to capture embarrassing or private content.