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Why can’t I see someone on my friends list on snapchat?

If you can’t see one of your friends on your Snapchat friends list, there are a few possible reasons why this could be happening. The most common reasons are that either you or your friend removed or blocked each other, your friend’s account is temporarily locked, or there is some type of glitch or bug preventing you from seeing them.

You or Your Friend Removed or Blocked Each Other

The most likely reason why you can’t see a friend on Snapchat is because either you removed them from your friends list, or they removed or blocked you. Here’s how it works on both sides:

  • If you removed a friend – This completely removes them from your friends list. They will no longer show up in your list or be able to see your stories. You can add them back, but they will have to re-add you as well.
  • If a friend removed you – This removes you from their friends list. You will no longer show up in their list or be able to view their stories. They can re-add you if they want.
  • If a friend blocked you – This is similar to removing, except it prevents you from finding their profile and adding them back. You will disappear from their friends list and not be able to view their profile or stories.

So if you can’t see someone who was previously your friend, it’s likely because one of you removed or blocked the other. The only way to fix this is to communicate outside of Snapchat and decide to add each other back.

Your Friend’s Account is Temporarily Locked

Another possibility is that your friend’s Snapchat account has been temporarily locked. This can happen if Snapchat detects suspicious activity or that the account may have been compromised. Some signs of a locked account include:

  • Their Snapchat Bitmoji disappears from your friends list
  • You can’t view their profile or stories
  • Your chats with them disappear
  • They can’t login and get a “Try Again Later” error message

A locked account prevents anyone from viewing the profile, including friends. The good news is this is usually temporary. Your friend just needs to follow Snapchat’s instructions to unlock their account, which usually involves resetting their password. Once unlocked, their account should display normally again.

There’s a Glitch or Bug

Snapchat isn’t perfect – glitches do happen! There are a few known bugs that could make a friend temporarily disappear from your list:

  • Snapchat server outage – Major outages sometimes cause friends to disappear. This is temporary.
  • “Best Friends” glitch – Friends sorted as Best Friends sometimes disappear. Refreshing fixes.
  • Blocked by mistake – There are reports of friends being accidentally blocked via quick add/snapcode. Unblocking fixes.
  • Deleted/reinstalled app – This sometimes jumbles friends lists. Re-adding each other normally fixes.

In most cases, glitches are short-lived and resolve themselves within a few hours. You can try force quitting the Snapchat app, restarting your phone, or reinstalling the app to see if it fixes a missing friend. Make sure to check if your friend sees you missing too – that’s a hint it’s a wider issue.

How to Find Missing Friends on Snapchat

If you realize someone is missing from your Snapchat friends list, here are some steps to track them down and (hopefully) get them to appear again:

  1. Check your block list – Just in case you blocked them by mistake. Their username will appear if blocked.
  2. Search their username – Type their exact Snapchat username into search to see if their account appears.
  3. Check recent chats – See if any recent conversations still show up, indicating you’re still connected.
  4. Ask to add each other again – Try removing them as a friend and having them re-add you with your snapcode or username.
  5. Contact Snapchat support – If all else fails, reach out to Snapchat Support for additional help.

With some digging, you should be able to determine if your friend removed you, is locked out, or find signs of a glitch being the cause. Have patience and keep testing to see if the issue resolves on its own after a day or two. But if a friend stays missing with no explanation, it may be time to ask them directly if they intentionally removed you.

How to Remove or Block Friends on Snapchat

If you decide you want to remove a friend or block someone from viewing your Snapchat profile, it’s an easy process right within the app:

Removing a Friend

  1. Open your Friends list in Snapchat.
  2. Tap and hold the name of the friend you want to remove.
  3. Tap “More” then tap “Remove Friend”.
  4. Confirm that you want to remove the friend.

This will delete the friend from your friends list. They will no longer be able to view your stories or chat with you on Snapchat. You can always add them back later if you change your mind.

Blocking a User

  1. Open your Friends list in Snapchat.
  2. Tap and hold the name of the person you want to block.
  3. Tap “More” then tap “Block”.
  4. Confirm that you want to block the user.

Blocking someone prevents them from finding your profile, viewing your stories or sending you any snaps or chats. They will also be removed from your friends list. Blocking is more permanent than removing a friend.

What To Do If You’re Blocked by a Friend

If you realize a friend has blocked you on Snapchat, unfortunately there is nothing you can do to unblock yourself. The block function gives users full control, so you won’t be able to find or contact them on Snapchat in any way. Here are your options:

  • Wait and see if they unblock you at some point.
  • Reach out on another platform and ask why you were blocked.
  • Consider if you said or did anything that may have offended them.
  • Respect their decision and move on if the relationship can’t be repaired.

Being blocked without explanation can be frustrating. But repeatedly trying to contact the person or set up new Snapchat accounts to get around the block will only make the situation worse. Give it some time, reflect on the relationship, and focus on your other friends who value connecting with you.

Why You Might Want to Remove or Block Someone

There are valid reasons you may decide to remove a friend or block someone from your Snapchat. Common ones include:

  • The person bullies, harasses, or makes you uncomfortable.
  • An ex-friend or ex-partner you want distance from.
  • Someone you no longer speak to or have a relationship with.
  • Their constant Snapchatting annoys or overwhelms you.
  • You only knew them briefly and want to clean up your friends list.
  • Their content goes against your values or interests.

In most cases, removing or blocking someone is a way to set boundaries and prioritize your well-being. If done respectfully, it’s a healthy and acceptable practice. But make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons and not simply over a misunderstanding.

When Removing Friends Gets Abusive

While removing and blocking friends is a normal Snapchat tool, it can sometimes be misused:

  • Ghosting – Suddenly disappearing from friends’ lists without explanation.
  • Subtweeting – Posting indirectly about them in a negative way.
  • Gossiping – Spreading rumors about why they blocked someone.
  • Bullying – Blocking someone as part of harassing or ganging up on them.

This type of abusive behavior hurts people’s feelings and can damage social standing. If you’re on the receiving end, don’t blame yourself. Consider talking to a school counselor or trusted adult if it becomes severe bullying or harassment.

When Friends Can’t See Your Stories

In some cases, your friends haven’t removed or blocked you but suddenly can’t see your Snapchat stories. This is usually because your account has been put into “Ghost Mode”. Some reasons this happens include:

  • You haven’t snapped some friends in a while.
  • You have a new account with few friends.
  • You haven’t confirmed your email or phone number.
  • Your account was reported for violating guidelines.

Ghost Mode is Snapchat’s way of limiting reach and spam for accounts that seem suspicious. You can regain full access by being active on Snapchat, adding more friends, and confirming your account info. Contact Snapchat Support if your account seems to be permanently ghosted.

When You Can’t See Some Friends’ Stories

Similarly, you may notice some friends’ stories have disappeared from your feed. Again this is usually related to Snapchat’s algorithms:

  • Their Best Friends ranking dropped.
  • You haven’t interacted with their stories in a while.
  • They post very sporadically.
  • Their overall Snapchat usage has declined.

You can restore a hidden friend by reacting more to their snaps, chatting, and improving your Best Friend status. But some disappearing stories are also an inevitable part of less active accounts.

When to Contact Snapchat Support

Snapchat Support can provide official troubleshooting if you’re still unable to view a friend’s profile or stories. Here are some cases when it’s worth reaching out:

  • Issues persist longer than 24 hours.
  • Multiple friends disappear at the same time.
  • You experience repeat glitches and bugs.
  • Account security seems compromised.
  • Blocking or removing issues don’t resolve as expected.
  • Snapchat acknowledges a wider technical problem.

Since Support has access to Snapchat’s internal systems, they can investigate issues more deeply. Be prepared to provide your device details, username, and any relevant screenshots that illustrate the problem.

Keep Your Friends List Tidy

A few final best practices will help avoid cluttered friends lists and problems finding accounts in the future:

  • Remove friends you no longer interact with regularly.
  • Organize close friends into Groups and Best Friends.
  • Update your lists after major life events like moving schools.
  • Periodically scroll through your full friend list to confirm who’s there.
  • Use Snapchat’s new Friend Check Up feature to remove dormant accounts.

Snapchat friends come and go, so getting in the habit of tidying your list helps ensure you always know who you’re snapping. With some proactive maintenance, you can troubleshoot any disappearing friends that have you asking “why can’t I see someone on my Snapchat friends list?”