Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to share photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. Unlike other social platforms, Snapchat does not have a traditional public profile that is visible to all users. This can lead some users to wonder, “Why can’t I find public profiles on Snapchat?”
Snapchat’s Design
Snapchat was intentionally designed without public profiles in order to create a more private, intimate, and ephemeral experience. The app’s founders wanted to avoid the performative culture and self-promotion that can come with having a public profile that accumulates likes and comments over time. Instead, Snapchat connections are based on real-time interactions and shared moments that disappear shortly after being viewed.
Some key reasons why Snapchat does not have public profiles include:
- Privacy – Users can share more openly and authentically without worrying about how they will be perceived by a wide audience or having their data persist indefinitely.
- Reduced social pressure – The lack of public metrics like follower counts and likes removes some of the pressure of cultivating the perfect online image.
- Focus on connections – With no visible profile, the focus shifts to sharing experiences in real-time with your friends rather than broadcasting to the world.
The Snapchat camera opens directly to sharing content with your friends rather than promoting yourself to strangers through a public profile. Your digital footprint on Snapchat remains much smaller and more ephemeral than other platforms.
Finding Friends and Connections
While Snapchat does not allow public profiles, you can still find and connect with friends and relationships on the app. Here are the main ways to do so:
- Add contacts – You can find friends from your phone’s contacts list and add them on Snapchat if they have an account.
- Snapcodes – Every user has a unique Snapcode that can be scanned to add them as a friend. Snapcodes often get shared on other social media platforms.
- Username – You can search for users by their Snapchat username to find friends and brands to follow.
- Quick add – The Quick Add feature suggests friends based on your contacts and social graphs from platforms like Facebook.
- Snap Map – The Snap Map lets you see public Stories from users around the world, leading to new connections.
- Discover – The Discover tab features public Stories from popular brands, publishers, influencers, and creators to follow.
While profiles are not public, Snapchat does provide plenty of ways to connect with both your real-life friends and interesting public accounts. It just takes some digging to find the right people as there is no central public directory.
Building a Following on Snapchat
Regular users cannot make their profiles public to gain a wide audience and following on Snapchat. However, there are some ways that influencers, brands, creators, and public figures can build a Snapchat following:
- Leverage other platforms – Promote your Snapchat username on other social networks like Instagram and TikTok to drive followers.
- Use a vanity username – Get a catchy, memorable username that people can easily find and remember.
- Post to stories frequently – Post fun, engaging Stories on a regular basis to attract viewers and followers.
- Run ads – Snapchat Ads Manager lets you run ads driving followers to your account.
- Get featured – Try to get your account featured on Snapchat’s Discover tab or as a sponsored lens.
- Add value – Offer entertainment, exclusives, promotions, etc. that give people a reason to view your Stories.
While Snapchat does not provide the instant visibility of other platforms, these tactics can help build a loyal audience on Snapchat as well over time.
Viewing Snapchat Profiles
Since profiles are not public, the only way to view someone’s Snapchat profile is by adding them as a friend. This gives Snapchat users complete control over who can view and interact with their profile.
Once you add someone as a friend on Snapchat, you can see some profile details like their name, username, Snapscore (engagement metric), friend count, trophy case, and any bios or links they have added. But their entire profile remains private and accessible only to confirmed friends.
Some key things to keep in mind about Snapchat profiles:
- You must know a user’s exact username to find and add them as a friend.
- Both you and the other user must accept the friend request to connect.
- If your friend request is declined or ignored, you cannot view their profile.
- Deleted friends will immediately disappear from your friends list.
- Usernames cannot be searched on Snapchat and there are no verified accounts.
In summary, Snapchat profiles are designed to be intimate spaces visible only to confirmed friends and not part of a public community. This encourages more personal sharing without the walls people put up when speaking to a wide audience.
Pros and Cons of Private Profiles
Snapchat’s decision to make profiles private has both advantages and disadvantages for users:
Pros of Private Profiles
- More intimate connections
- Less performative behavior
- Reduced harassment and bullying
- Increased privacy and control
- Less targeted advertising
- Less competitive social comparisons
Cons of Private Profiles
- Harder to find and connect with new people
- Less self-expression and personal branding
- Fewer opportunities for influencers and creators
- Difficult to promote your account
- Less data mining for Snapchat analytics
There are reasonable arguments on both sides of whether Snapchat should open up and make profiles public. Ultimately, Snapchat has prioritized privacy and intimacy which aligns with its ephemerality and impermanence.
Comparison to Other Social Platforms
It is illuminating to contrast Snapchat’s approach to profiles with other leading social media platforms:
Platform | Public Profiles | Verification | Followers | Analytics |
---|---|---|---|---|
Snapchat | No | No | Friend count only | Limited analytics |
Yes | Yes | Follower count shown | Extensive analytics | |
Yes | Yes | Friends list shown | In-depth analytics | |
Yes | Yes | Follower count shown | Robust analytics | |
TikTok | Yes | Verified badges | Follower count shown | Strong analytics |
Unlike other platforms designed around influencers, brands, and viral content, Snapchat has stayed true to its original vision of intimate communication between real friends. The lack of public Snapchat profiles reinforces the app’s focus on privacy and authentic sharing.
Conclusion
In the end, Snapchat has deliberately chosen not to implement public profiles. This stems from its founders’ vision of an app for authentic, ephemeral sharing away from the performative nature of other social media platforms.
While the lack of public profiles makes it harder to find new connections and build a following, it also creates a more private space focused on your real-life friends. Snapchat balances the desire for control over one’s data and interactions with the need for some discoverability.
Overall, Snapchat’s private profiles remain core to its identity as the social platform designed around privacy and impermanence. The tradeoffs of this approach can frustrate some users, but also appeal to those looking for a break from the self-promotional culture of other apps. Snapchat continues to bet that intimacy beats publicity, at least for its core user base.