If Snapchat says someone is not your friend but you can still chat with them, it typically means you have either added them as a contact or they have added you, but neither of you has sent or accepted a friend request. This allows you to message back and forth without being friends on Snapchat.
Adding Contacts on Snapchat
Snapchat gives users two options for connecting with other accounts – adding friends or adding contacts.
When you add someone as a friend on Snapchat, they have to accept your friend request before they show up in your Friends list and you can see their stories.
Adding a contact is different – it simply allows you to message someone without sending or accepting a friend request.
To add someone as a contact, you can tap on the chat icon in the top left corner of the app and select “Add Friends.”
From here, you can search for their username and select “Add” next to their name.
This will add them to your contacts so you can message them directly without sending or accepting a friend request.
Differences Between Friends and Contacts
- You can message both friends and contacts, but only friends show up on your Friends list and can view your stories.
- Adding a friend requires both people to accept the friend request. Adding a contact does not require acceptance from the other person.
- You can see friends’ public stories and stories they post just for friends. With contacts, you can only see stories if they are completely public.
- Your friends can see your location on the Snap Map, but your contacts cannot.
Reasons for Messaging Without Being Friends
There are a few common reasons you may want to message someone on Snapchat without adding them as a friend:
1. You just met them
If you recently met someone in person and exchanged Snapchat usernames, you may want to start chatting first before adding each other as friends. This gives you a chance to get to know them a bit better through messaging before allowing them to view your stories or location.
2. It’s a business contact
Many people use Snapchat to network and connect with business contacts. Keeping these connections as contacts rather than friends prevents work relationships from seeing your personal Snaps and stories.
3. You want to remain acquaintances
Sometimes you may meet people you click with but don’t know well enough yet to add as a close friend.
Adding them as a contact allows you to keep in touch casually without access to all your shared Stories and location.
4. You only want to chat occasionally
Adding someone as a friend implies an interest in communicating regularly on Snapchat. For people you only want to chat with occasionally, like old classmates or distant relatives, leaving them as contacts avoids bombarding them with frequent Snaps or stories from your end.
5. It’s a stranger or someone you just met online
If you start chatting with someone random online or through Quick Add and aren’t ready to add them as a friend, using contacts lets you communicate while keeping some distance and privacy.
Messaging Contacts vs. Friends
Messaging contacts functions nearly the same as chatting with friends, with a few small differences:
- You can send text, video, and picture messages back and forth.
- You can see when they have read your message.
- You can see their Bitmoji if they have one linked.
- You will not see their Snapchat score or Snapstreaks.
- Your messages will be more private since contacts can’t see your stories.
The chat works just like a normal Snapchat message thread – you can see when messages are opened, send video/photo Snaps, use chat reactions, etc.
The only thing missing is visibility into their other Snapchat activity and stories.
Accepting a Friend Request Later On
If you start out chatting with someone as a contact, either of you can still send a friend request later on to upgrade your connection.
Here is how to do this:
- Open your chat with the contact.
- Tap on their name at the top of the chat window.
- Select “Add Friend” to send them a friend request.
- Once they accept, you will be added as friends and gain access to each other’s stories.
The other person can also initiate the friend request from their end via the same process.
Sending and accepting a friend request mutually will promote the contact to a friend.
Removing Contacts
If you no longer wish to stay connected with someone on Snapchat, you can remove a contact by:
- Opening your chat with the contact.
- Tapping their name at the top.
- Selecting “Remove Friend” to delete them from your contacts.
This will erase the messaging history with that person and prevent either of you from initiating contact again unless you re-add them.
It does not notify the user that you removed them.
Having someone show up as a non-friend contact on Snapchat simply means you have added their username or they have added yours without sending or accepting a formal friend request.
It allows you to chat and get to know each other without the full friend access. If you eventually decide to upgrade them to a friend, either of you can send a friend request to make it official.
Using Snapchat’s contact system lets you connect casually with new people or those you only want to chat with occasionally.
It gives you control over who appears as Friends while still allowing you to message back and forth.