Snapchat’s Spotlight feature allows users to view public, popular Snaps submitted from the Snapchat community. Spotlight is enabled by default for all Snapchat users, but there are a few ways you can disable or limit Spotlight content in your feed if you prefer not to see it. Here’s what you need to know about disabling Spotlight on Snapchat.
Ways to Disable or Limit Spotlight
Here are three options for controlling Spotlight content in your Snapchat app:
Disable Spotlight Entirely
The only way to completely disable Spotlight is to opt out of Snapchat’s personalized ads system. Here’s how:
- Open your Snapchat settings
- Go to “Ads”
- Toggle “See Personalized Ads” off
This prevents your data from being used for targeted ads, including ads within Spotlight. However, it also means you’ll see more generic ads instead of ones matched to your interests.
Hide Spotlight from Default Screens
You can stop Spotlight clips from appearing on the main Snapchat camera screen like this:
- Go to your Snapchat profile by tapping the Bitmoji icon
- Tap the gear icon to access settings
- Go to “Additional Services” and toggle off “Show Spotlight”
This removes Spotlight from the main Stories/Camera page. However, it will still be accessible if you explicitly tap on the Spotlight icon from Snapchat’s main navigation.
Mute Friends Who Post to Spotlight
If you have friends who frequently submit to Spotlight and you want to avoid their clips, you can mute their stories:
- Press and hold on a friend’s name/Bitmoji
- Select “More Options”
- Choose “Mute [their name]”
This will prevent their Spotlight clips (and any other stories) from appearing in your feed. You can toggle muting off at any time to undo it.
The Limitations of Disabling Spotlight
While the steps above allow you to minimize Spotlight content, there is no perfect way to disable Spotlight completely within Snapchat. Some limitations include:
- Spotlight will still show up in search results
- Friends can still send individual Spotlight clips directly to you
- Spotlight clips may appear in shared Stories or on Snap Map
- Opting out of personalized ads has trade-offs
Essentially, Short of deleting your Snapchat account, there’s no way to avoid Spotlight 100%. Even if you follow the steps above, you’ll likely still encounter some Spotlight content while using Snapchat regularly.
Why Snapchat Doesn’t Allow Full Spotlight Disable
Snapchat has not provided an option to completely disable Spotlight, likely for a few key reasons:
- Spotlight is a core product for Snapchat, driving a significant amount of engagement
- Allowing opt-out could degrade the user experience for those who enjoy Spotlight
- Spotlight doubles as an ad platform; limiting it cuts into Snapchat’s ad revenue
- Snapchat wants to incentivize creators to submit to Spotlight
Essentially, Snapchat has a vested business interest in pushing Spotlight content to as many users as possible. Letting users opt out fully would discourage sharing and damage their goals for the feature.
Should Snapchat Add a Native Spotlight Disable?
There are reasonable arguments on both sides of whether Snapchat should add in a native disable for Spotlight:
Arguments For Adding Disable
- Lets users customize their experience
- Would satisfy users who find Spotlight annoying/irrelevant
- Users should be able to control their own data
- Could incentivize more sharing by making it fully opt-in
Arguments Against Adding Disable
- Would degrade experience for users who like Spotlight
- Goes against Snapchat’s product vision for Spotlight discovery
- Snapchat wants to own the public sharing space, not cede it
- Loss of revenue from reduced ad inventory/data collection
There are reasonable points on both sides here. But ultimately, Snapchat seems unlikely to add a native disable unless Spotlight engagement starts decreasing substantially.
Workarounds Beyond Snapchat Itself
If Snapchat’s native options don’t provide enough control over Spotlight, some possible workarounds beyond the app itself include:
- Using screen time limits or parental controls to restrict Snapchat time
- Turning off notifications from Snapchat to avoid temptation
- Unfollowing/blocking accounts that frequently submit to Spotlight
- Deleting Snapchat for a period of time to avoid Spotlight entirely
However, these require limiting Snapchat usage altogether instead of just Spotlight. There are also third-party apps that claim to help block parts of Snapchat, but quality and effectiveness varies.
Conclusion
While Snapchat currently provides no way to fully disable Spotlight clips from appearing in the app, you can take steps to minimize Spotlight content through opting out of personalized ads and hiding Spotlight in settings. However, Snapchat seems unlikely to add a full native disable, as Spotlight is core to their product strategy. For users who find Spotlight irritating, the best options are either limiting Snapchat usage as a whole or simply tolerating occasional Spotlight clips. There is no perfect solution short of leaving Snapchat altogether.