Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among younger generations. One of Snapchat’s key features is the ability to add friends and view their snaps (photos/videos). However, when you add someone new, they will get a notification saying “added by search” if you found them through searching names or phone numbers. This can come across as creepy or invasive to some. Fortunately, there are a few tricks to add someone on Snapchat without triggering the “added by search” notification.
Ways to Add Someone Without Triggering “Added by Search”
Here are some methods you can use to add a Snapchat friend without them knowing you searched for their account:
1. Scan Their Snapcode
Every Snapchat user has a unique Snapcode, which is like a QR code. You can add a friend by having them show you their Snapcode and scanning it with your Snapchat camera. This will add them directly without needing to search.
To find someone’s Snapcode, ask them to go to their Snapchat profile and tap on the ghost icon. Their code will show up – have them send you a screenshot or show it to you in person. Open your Snapchat camera and point it at their code to scan it. Confirm by tapping ‘Add’ and you’re done!
2. Quick Add from Camera Roll
Another way is by having them send you a photo of themselves first through text or email. Save this photo to your camera roll. Then go to your Snapchat ‘Add Friends’ screen and tap the button to add friends from your camera roll. Snapchat’s facial recognition will scan the photo and match with their account if they have one. Select their name and snap – added without a search notification.
3. Manually Enter Exact Username
If you know the exact spelling of someone’s unique Snapchat username, you can manually enter it to send a friend request. Go to ‘Add Friends’, click ‘Enter Username’ and type it in. This will add them directly without popping up as a search result. However, make sure you have the exact username right or it won’t work.
4. Add Nearby From Map
From the Snapchat Map screen, you can see and add nearby Snapchat users. Zoom into a specific location and tap to see who’s there. Tap their profile and tap ‘Add Friend’. This adds people based on geographic location rather than searching names.
5. From Snapchat Groups
If you and the person you want to add are both members of the same Snapchat Group, you can add them directly from the group without searching. Open the group and tap on their name to go to their profile. Tap ‘Add Friend’ to send a request.
6. Recommended Friends List
Sometimes Snapchat will recommend friends for you to add who you may know based on mutual connections. Check ‘Added Me’ or ‘Quick Add’ sections – if they show up there you can add without search. Snapchat generated these based on contacts or friends you have in common.
Why the “Added by Search” Notification Occurs
When you add someone through searching for their name or username in Snapchat, they will get notified that you added them “by search”. This is because Snapchat wants to make users aware when someone they may not know has found their account and tried to add them.
Some reasons Snapchat does this include:
- Privacy – Tells users if someone they’re unfamiliar with has searched for their account.
- Prevent unwanted contact – Gives users notice if a stranger adds them.
- Security – Alerts users if someone found them without prior mutual connection.
- Transparency – Snapchat wants add experiences to be consensual.
While annoying if you want to discretely add a friend, this notification helps users identify who is actively searching for and trying to add them on Snapchat.
How the Notification Shows Up
When you add someone by username/name search, here is how the notification shows up from their end:
- Push notification saying “[Your name] added you from Search”.
- Profile says “Added by Search” under your name in their friend list.
- Chat history starts with “[Your name] added you from Search [time]”.
So it will be very clear to them that you found their account through searching, rather than scanning a Snapcode or having a mutual connection.
When the Notification Does NOT Show
Using the above tricks to add friends without directly searching avoids triggering the notification:
- Scanning Snapcode – Adds directly, no search needed.
- Quick Add from camera roll – Uses facial recognition, not search.
- Entering exact username – No results list, so not identified as search.
- Nearby Map add – Based on location, not name search.
- Add from Groups – Adding an existing contact, not searching.
- Recommended Friends – Snapchat algorithm, not user search.
As long as you don’t manually look up someone’s name or username, Snapchat has no way of knowing you “searched” for their account, so the notification will not show.
How to Remove “Added by Search”
If you accidentally added someone from search and want to remove the notification, here are some options:
- Unadd then re-add the friend by scanning Snapcode or camera roll instead.
- Have the friend delete then re-add you from their end.
- Block then unblock the friend – this may reset the notification.
- Clear conversation history with the friend.
- There is no direct way to remove it otherwise.
While annoying, the notification does tend to go away over time if you regularly chat with that friend.
Conclusion
Adding someone discreetly on Snapchat comes down to avoiding directly searching for their name or username. Instead, tricks like scanning their Snapcode, Quick Add from a camera roll, entering their exact username manually, or adding from Snapchat Maps and Groups allow you to add friends without triggering the “Added by Search” notification. This notification is designed to give users privacy and control over who can add them. But using the right methods will help you add friends without seeming invasive.