Snapchat’s preview feature allows you to view snaps and stories without the sender knowing you’ve seen them. When you tap on a snap or story, it will open for a few seconds, allowing you to preview the content before it disappears. This gives you a chance to quickly decide if you want to view the full snap/story or skip it. However, opening a snap preview will notify the sender that you’ve received their snap, even if you don’t actually view the whole thing.
How does the Snapchat preview work?
When you receive a new snap, the app will show a preview screen with the sender’s name and bitmoji or profile picture. You can tap and hold on the snap to view a 3-second preview of what’s inside. This gives you a sneak peek at the photo, video, or text they sent without officially “opening” it.
If it’s a snap from a friend, the preview may be up to 10 seconds long. Snap previews from accounts you don’t frequently interact with will only be 3 seconds. Snapchat stories also get a 3-second preview when you tap on them.
During the short preview, you can decide to view the full snap/story or exit out of it. Exiting the preview screen won’t mark the snap as opened or viewed. However, the sender will still be notified that you’ve received their snap and previewed it.
Does the sender know you previewed their snap?
Yes, the sender is notified when you preview their snap, even if you don’t open it fully. When someone previews your snap, you’ll see the “Opened” indicator under the snap.
However, the sender won’t know if you screen-recorded or screenshotted their snap preview. They are only notified if you capture their full snap after opening it.
Why does Snapchat have previews?
Snapchat added the preview feature so users could decide if they wanted to open snaps or not. Without previews, you would have to fully open every snap you received just to see what was inside. This could lead to wasting time viewing unwanted snaps.
The preview allows you to quickly decide if the content is something you want to view. You can exit out to skip uninteresting snaps and only fully open the ones you care about. It helps avoid bombarding users with unwanted snaps they don’t care to see.
Previews also allow Snapchat to feel more casual and conversational. Users don’t feel obligated to view every snap they’re sent since they can preview and skip as needed.
How are previews different from opening a snap?
Previews and officially opening snaps work a bit differently:
- Previews last 3-10 seconds while opened snaps have no time limit.
- Exiting out of a preview leaves the snap unopened but exiting an opened snap marks it as viewed.
- You can screenshot or screen-record opened snaps but not previews.
- Senders are notified when you preview but only when you officially open their snap.
So essentially, previews give you a quick sneak peek without leaving a viewed receipt or fully revealing the content.
Can you turn off snap previews?
There is no setting to disable snap previews. The feature is enabled by default for all Snapchat users. However, there are a couple ways to avoid previews if desired:
- Incoming notification settings – Disable Snapchat notifications to prevent preview screens from popping up.
- Privacy settings – Block the sender to avoid receiving their snaps entirely.
- Self control – Simply don’t tap and hold on new snaps to avoid the preview.
But keep in mind, avoiding previews means you’ll have to fully open each snap just to see what it is. The preview feature is designed for convenience, so turning it off kind defeats the purpose of Snapchat.
What snap previews look like
Wondering exactly what you’ll see when you preview a snap? Here are some examples of common snap previews:
Photo snap preview
A preview of a photo snap displays a thumbnail of the image they sent. You’ll see a 3-second sneak peek of the photo to get an idea of what’s in the snap.
Video snap preview
For video snaps, the preview shows the first frame of the video and an indicator that it’s a video message. The preview video will play for 3-10 seconds depending on who sent it.
Text snap preview
For text-only snaps, the preview displays the first few lines of text. You’ll see a few words of their message in the 3-second sneak peek.
Snapchat story preview
Story previews also display a thumbnail image with the story ring around your friend’s profile pic. You’ll see a 3-second preview of the first snap in their story.
Do snap previews expire?
Snap previews disappear along with the actual snap. For example:
- If a friend sends you a snap with a 24-hour expiration, the preview will also expire in 24 hours.
- If they send a snap that expires after being opened, the preview will disappear after you officially open it.
So previews stick around until the sender’s snap expires or is opened. The preview itself isn’t on a separate timer.
Can you replay snap previews?
Unfortunately, Snapchat doesn’t let you replay previews. The 3-10 second sneak peek is only available the first time you tap on the unopened snap.
Once you exit the preview screen, you can’t access it again. Your only option is to fully open the snap itself, which will then allow you one replay before expiring.
Do screen recordings or screenshots save previews?
You cannot screenshot or screen record a snap preview. Snapchat specifically disables saving capabilities during the 3-10 second preview.
If you want to save the content, you’ll need to fully open the snap first. Then you can take a screenshot or recording before it expires.
This prevents abuse of the preview feature to secretly save snaps without the sender knowing. It also encourages users to be more authentic and trusting when sending snaps between friends.
Can you preview stories anonymously?
No, previewing someone’s story will never be anonymous. Even if you exit the preview and don’t actually view the story, the sender is notified that you opened their story preview.
Your username will appear in their viewer list as soon as you tap on their story, regardless of whether you view the full story or not after previewing.
Pro tips for using Snapchat previews
Here are some helpful tips to take advantage of Snapchat’s preview feature:
- Use previews to quickly scan stories – Tap through friends’ stories to preview them without wasting time watching uninteresting ones.
- Avoid unwanted conversations – Preview snaps to dodge conversations you don’t feel like having at the moment.
- Stay in the know – Keep up with friends by previewing their snaps even when you don’t have time to chat.
- Preview before screen recording – Use the preview to decide if a snap is worth saving before screen recording.
- Let snaps stack up – Feel free to preview snaps without opening them right away so you can respond on your own time.
Conclusion
Snapchat added the 3-10 second preview as a convenient way to get a sneak peek at snaps and stories. It allows users to quickly skip uninteresting snaps from people they don’t talk to often. Previews also create a low-pressure environment since friends don’t feel obligated to open every single snap they receive.
While senders are notified when you preview their snap, they won’t know if you screen record or screenshot the preview. Overall, Snapchat’s preview feature streamlines the app so you’re only viewing content you truly care about from your closest friends.