Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. One of the key features of Snapchat is the ability to see your recent chats and interactions with friends in the recents tab. While this can be useful for keeping up with conversations, sometimes you may want to remove a person from your recent chats for privacy or other reasons. Here are some tips on how to get someone off your Snapchat recents.
Clear Chat History
The easiest way to remove someone from your Snapchat recents is to clear your entire chat history with that person. To do this:
- Open your Snapchat app and go to the Chat screen
- Tap and hold on the chat with the person you want to remove
- Select “Clear Conversation” from the options
- Confirm that you want to erase the chat history
This will delete the entire chat history you have with that person. Once your conversation thread is cleared, their name and snaps will no longer show up in your recents list. This is the quickest way to get someone off your recents.
Temporarily Disable Chat
Another option is to temporarily disable chat with the person rather than erasing your history. To do this:
- Open your Snapchat app and go to the Chat screen
- Tap and hold on the chat with the person you want to remove
- Select “Hide Conversation” from the options
This will make the chat disappear from your recents list, without actually deleting the chat history. The person’s name will also no longer show up when you’re sending new snaps. To re-enable chatting with them, just go to your Settings > Hidden Conversations and unhide their chat.
Block the User
Blocking someone on Snapchat will remove them from your recents and prevent them from sending you snaps. To block a user:
- Open your Snapchat app and go to your Profile screen
- Tap the Settings gear icon in the top right
- Go to My Friends and tap on the name of the person you want to block
- Scroll down and tap “Block” to confirm
Once blocked, their chat and name will disappear from your recents. Remember that blocking is reciprocal, so they will also be blocked from seeing your profile or snaps.
Remove a Friend
Removing or deleting someone as a friend on Snapchat will also delete the chat history and remove them from your recents tab. To remove a friend:
- Go to your Snapchat Profile and tap the Settings gear
- Select My Friends
- Tap on the name of the friend you want to remove
- Scroll down and select “Remove Friend” to confirm
Keep in mind that this will also delete you from their friends list. Use this method if you want to mutually remove a connection.
Change Privacy Settings
Adjusting your privacy settings is another option if you only want to remove someone from your recents, without deleting chat history or blocking them entirely. You can set Snapchat to only show recents from friends or contacts:
- Go to your Profile and tap the Settings gear
- Scroll down and select “See My Friends”
- Toggle “My Friends” on to only show recents from added friends
This will remove non-friends from your recents. You can also toggle “Contacts” on to only show Snapchat users from your phone contacts.
Logout and Reopen App
A simple but effective trick is to fully logout of your Snapchat account and then log back in. To do this:
- Go to your Profile and tap the Settings gear
- Scroll down and select “Logout”
- Close the Snapchat app entirely
- Reopen Snapchat and log back into your account
Logging out and back in will refresh your Snapchat interface. In some cases, this can reset your recents list and remove contacts from the tab.
Clear App Cache and Data
If the above methods don’t work, you can try clearing the Snapchat app cache and data from your mobile settings. The steps vary by device, but typically involve:
- Going into your Settings app
- Selecting Apps (or Application Manager)
- Choosing Snapchat
- Tapping to Clear Cache and Clear Data
This will delete temporary app files and reset Snapchat to default. Make sure to open Snapchat again after clearing cache and data. This should reset your recents tab.
Using a Third Party App
Some users report that using a third party app can help remove contacts from Snapchat recents. Apps like Casper and MSnap allow you to view and manage your Snapchat account in new ways.
To use a third party app to reset recents:
- Download the third party Snapchat app, such as Casper
- Login to your Snapchat account through the new app
- Navigate to your recents/friends list in the third party interface
- Delete or block the desired contact through this alternative app
After using the third party app to modify your friends or recents, check Snapchat again to see if it worked. Be cautious using third party apps and research trustworthy options.
Contact Snapchat Support
If you still can’t remove someone from your Snapchat recents, you can try reaching out to Snapchat’s official support. To contact support:
- Go to the Settings gear icon in your Snapchat Profile
- Select “Support”
- Tap “Contact Us” and select the issue you are having
- Follow the steps to send a message to Snapchat Support
Clearly describe the problem you’re having removing someone from recents. Include screenshots if needed. The Snapchat team may be able to help troubleshoot or manually reset your recents tab.
Prevent Recents in the Future
To avoid having to remove people from your Snapchat recents in the future, there are a few best practices to follow:
- Be selective about who you add as friends on Snapchat
- Limit conversations and snaps to close friends you talk to regularly
- Hide or delete one-off conversations that you don’t need to keep in recents
- Use Snapchat groups for team chats instead of individual chats
- Turn off Snapchat notifications from non-priority friends
- Enable options like “See My Friends” to limit recents
Keeping your Snapchat recents trimmed down and filtered will prevent you from having to do major cleanups in the future. Be proactive in managing how and with whom you use Snapchat.
Conclusion
Having someone continue showing up in your Snapchat recents can be annoying, but there are solutions. The easiest options are clearing your chat history, hiding conversations, blocking friends, or removing connections. Logout tricks, changing privacy settings, deleting app data, and contacting support also work. Be careful, selective, and proactive with your Snapchat friends list and recents tab to avoid issues down the road.