Skip to Content

What personal info can someone get from Snapchat?

What personal info can someone get from Snapchat?

Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among younger users. The app’s fun filters and disappearing messages create a casual, intimate feel. However, Snapchat’s privacy settings still allow users to gather personal information about others.

Basic Profile Information

By default, your Snapchat profile displays your name and phone number. It also shows your Snapcode, a scannable code people can use to add you as a friend. Your profile name and Snapcode are visible to all Snapchat users.

If you connect your Snapchat account to Bitmoji, your personalized Bitmoji avatar is featured on your profile. This cartoon mini-me reveals your chosen gender, hair color, skin tone, and other appearance details.

Your profile also displays your Snapchat score – a running count of Snaps you’ve sent and received since joining. This score gives a general sense of how active you are on the app.

Snap Map Location Data

Snapchat’s map feature, called Snap Map, shows your location on a map to mutual friends. When you first enable it, Snapchat notifies your connections. After that, your location updates anytime you open the app.

Friends can view your live location for the past several hours. By zooming in, they can pinpoint exactly where you are. Your location isn’t visible if you’re offline or using Ghost Mode.

Unfortunately, Snap Map has been used to stalk or harass people in abusive relationships. It’s important to be very selective about who you share your location with.

Saved Messages

Unlike most Snaps that disappear, you can save some messages to Memories. Saved Snaps and chat messages are visible indefinitely.

If you aren’t careful about what you save, people can peek at your Memories and get a lot of personal info. This includes:

  • Photos and videos you’ve saved
  • Chat logs with friends
  • Saved locations on Snap Map
  • Story posts you’ve saved before they disappear

Keep in mind that anyone who gets access to your Memories can see everything you’ve saved over the years.

Public Stories

In addition to sharing Snaps with friends, you can post public Stories visible to all Snapchat users. Stories appear on the Snap Map and Snapchat Discover page.

Unlike private Stories for friends, public Stories reveal:

  • Your name and username
  • Location at time of posting
  • Anything else you choose to share

Total strangers can see whatever photos, videos, and captions you put on a public Story. This content remains public for 24 hours before disappearing.

Snapchat Groups

You can join Groups on Snapchat centered around certain interests like sports teams, universities, hobbies, etc. Your username is visible to anyone else who’s joined the Group.

Group admins can approve or deny requests to join, and remove members. So they have access to the usernames of everyone in the Group.

Account Connections

You can link other social media accounts like Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and more. Connecting these accounts enables neat features in Snapchat.

However, it also allows Snapchat to gather information about your activity on those platforms. And your username is displayed on the other platforms when you connect them.

Here are some of the accounts you can link:

Connected Account Shared Info
Instagram Profile info, posts you’re tagged in
Spotify Your listened tracks and playlists
TikTok Profile info, posts, tagged posts
Amazon Your wish lists and recommendations

Browse Snapchat Features

Snapchat lets anyone browse public content like Stories and Group posts without logging in. So you can potentially find info posted by friends and acquaintances who aren’t even your Snapchat connections.

Here are some Snapchat features anyone can view publicly:

  • Snap Map updates from non-friends if they have a public profile
  • Public Stories and Group Stories
  • Our Stories collections of Snaps from events and locations
  • Spotlight feed of the most entertaining public Snaps
  • Snapchat Discover channels from publishers

While Snapchat doesn’t display usernames publicly here, you can still match the content to real people you know.

Third-Party Apps and Extensions

A variety of third-party apps and browser extensions integrate with Snapchat. When you log into them with your Snapchat account, you grant permission to access information like:

  • Friends list
  • Group memberships
  • Usage statistics
  • Saved media
  • Location history

Examples include apps to save Snaps and track usage, along with Snapchat-enabled games.

Conclusion

While Snapchat’s fun, disappearing content makes it seem low-risk, the app can reveal a lot about you to friends and strangers alike. Your profile, location, connections, public posts, and linked accounts all provide personal data.

To keep your Snapchat activity private, avoid public Stories, limit Snap Map access, and be selective about linking accounts and joining Groups. Also, limit use of third-party apps connected to Snapchat.