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Why am I subscribed to someone on snapchat?

There are a few main reasons why you may be subscribed to someone on Snapchat without realizing it:

You added them as a friend

The most obvious reason is that you added them as a friend at some point. When you add someone as a friend on Snapchat, you automatically subscribe to their public story. So if you don’t remember adding them, it’s likely you did at some point in the past and simply forgot.

They added you as a friend

It’s also possible that they added you first. If someone adds you as a friend and you accept the request, you’ll be subscribed to their public story. You may not recall accepting their friend request if it was a while ago.

You subscribed directly

Even if you aren’t friends with someone, you can subscribe to their public story by searching for their username and tapping the “Subscribe” button. So you may have intentionally subscribed to see their public story updates without adding them as a friend.

They have a popular account

For accounts with a lot of followers, Snapchat will sometimes automatically recommend them and give you the option to subscribe. So you may have subscribed to a popular or celebrity account just to see their public content.

You subscribed accidentally

It’s also possible to subscribe to an account by accident. For example, you may have tapped on their profile and hit “subscribe” by mistake. Or if you were browsing stories, you could have inadvertently subscribed when meaning to just view their snaps.

You used to be friends

If you were previously friends with the person but then one of you removed the other, you’ll remain subscribed even though you are no longer friends. So the subscription remains even after the friendship is revoked.

You have mutual friends

Snapchat may also recommend accounts for you to subscribe to based on who your friends are. So if you have several mutual friends with someone, Snapchat might automatically suggest them to you.

Their account is linked to your phone contacts

If someone in your phone contacts adds their phone number to their Snapchat account, Snapchat may match that number and recommend their account to you. So you could be subscribed to people you know but just don’t have as Snapchat friends.

Their content appeared in Snap Map or Spotlight

If you viewed someone’s public Snapchat content in the Snap Map or Spotlight features, Snapchat will sometimes provide the option to subscribe to their account from there. So interacting with their snaps in other parts of the app may have led to the subscription.

You subscribed through an outside link

Many Snapchat users share links to their public profiles on other platforms like Instagram or Twitter. If you clicked on one of those links, it may have prompted you to subscribe to their Snapchat account when you visited it.

You recently cleared your friends list

If you recently removed a bunch of friends from your Snapchat friends list, it can sometimes glitch and keep those accounts on your subscriptions even if they are no longer friends. So recent housekeeping can create some false subscriptions.

Their content is being promoted

Snapchat also partners with some accounts to promote their content to a wider audience. So you may be seeing their stories automatically as part of a paid promotion campaign.

How to view your Snapchat subscriptions

If you want to see exactly who you are subscribed to and do some cleanup, it’s easy to view and manage your subscriptions:

  1. Open your Snapchat app and tap your profile icon in the top left corner
  2. Tap the gear icon to access your Settings page
  3. Scroll down and select “Subscriptions” under the Additional Services section
  4. This will display a list of all the accounts you are currently subscribed to

From there you can view your subscriptions, see which ones are your friends, and unsubscribe from any accounts you no longer wish to follow.

How to unsubscribe from someone on Snapchat

If you come across subscriptions in your list that you want to remove, it’s a quick process:

  1. Tap into the account’s profile that you want to unsubscribe from
  2. Tap the “Subscribed” button near the top – this will unsubscribe you
  3. Alternatively, you can press and hold on their name/profile and select “Unsubscribe”

And that’s it! You will stop seeing their public story updates after unsubscribing. Keep in mind this does not remove them as a friend if they are on your friends list – it only stops their public snaps from appearing in your feed.

Why you might want to prune your subscriptions

Here are some reasons why you may want to periodically review and prune who you are subscribed to:

  • Avoid seeing content from people you don’t interact with anymore
  • Remove expired celebrity or influencer accounts that are no longer active
  • Get rid of old subscriptions you added long ago and forgot about
  • Clean up subscriptions added accidentally or that you didn’t intend to follow
  • Cut back on clutter and less relevant snap content in your feed
  • Improve your Snapchat experience by focusing on the accounts you really care about

Other Snapchat subscription tips

A few additional pointers for managing your account’s subscriptions:

  • Review subscriptions every so often to purge inactive accounts
  • Be selective about who you subscribe to avoid overwhelming your feed
  • Subscribe only to friends or accounts whose content you regularly enjoy
  • Carefully consider subscriptions suggested by Snapchat before adding them
  • Pay attention to notifications to avoid subscribing by accident

Keeping your subscriptions tidy ensures you enjoy Snapchat to the fullest. Now you know all the ways you may have become subscribed to someone – so go evaluate your subscription list and make any changes needed to get it just how you like it!