It can be frustrating when Snapchat won’t allow you to reset your password, locking you out of your account. There are a few potential reasons why Snapchat may not be letting you reset your password and some steps you can try to gain back access.
Quick Overview of Main Reasons
Here are some of the most common reasons Snapchat may not allow you to reset your password:
- You don’t have access to the email or phone number on your Snapchat account
- Your account is temporarily locked
- You have been entering the wrong password too many times
- There is suspicious activity on your account
- Your account has been hacked
- Snapchat is having technical issues
You Don’t Have Access to the Email or Phone Number on File
When you try to reset your Snapchat password, Snapchat will send a password reset link to the email address or phone number associated with your account. If you no longer have access to that email address or phone number, you won’t be able to get the password reset link.
For example, if you registered your Snapchat account with an old email address you no longer use, you won’t get the password reset email. Or if you registered with an old phone number that is no longer in service, you won’t get the reset text message.
Without access to that email or phone number, Snapchat has no way to verify your identity and will not let you reset the password. This is a security measure to prevent unauthorized access to accounts.
Solutions
- Try to gain access to the email or phone number on file. Contact the email provider or phone carrier.
- Use Snapchat’s account recovery process to attempt to recover access by providing info to verify your identity.
- Contact Snapchat support for help regaining access to your locked account.
Your Account is Temporarily Locked
Snapchat will temporarily lock accounts if there have been too many failed login attempts. This is to prevent unauthorized access by someone trying to brute force guess your password.
If your account is temporarily locked, Snapchat will not allow you to reset the password until the temporary lock period expires. This is usually 24-48 hours.
Solutions
- Wait for the temporary lock period to expire, then reset your password.
- Contact Snapchat support to see if they can lift the temporary lock sooner.
You Have Been Entering the Wrong Password Too Many Times
Similarly to account locks, if you enter the wrong Snapchat password too many times in a short period, Snapchat may assume your account is being hacked and stop you from resetting the password.
This safety measure prevents someone from rapidly guessing passwords and getting access to your account. But it also means if you repeatedly enter an incorrect password, you may get locked out of resetting it.
Solutions
- Wait a while and try again later when the system resets.
- Use account recovery to regain access without your password.
- Contact Snapchat to see if they can lift the reset block.
There is Suspicious Activity on Your Account
If Snapchat detects suspicious activity on your account, such as logins from unknown devices or locations, they may block password resets as a safety measure.
By not letting the password be reset, they prevent someone who has gotten unauthorized access from taking over the account.
Solutions
- Review account activity and report unauthorized logins.
- Complete account recovery to prove you are the legitimate account owner.
- Change passwords on associated accounts that may have been compromised.
Your Account May Have Been Hacked
A Snapchat account that will not allow you to reset the password is one of the signs your account may have been hacked. Other signs include unfamiliar login locations, profile changes, and new friends you don’t know.
A hacker may have changed the login credentials to lock you out. In this case, they have access to your account and Snapchat will not let you easily reset the password as that gives the hacker access.
Solutions
- Run anti-virus software to clean any malware used to steal credentials.
- Use account recovery to prove account ownership and regain access.
- Change passwords on all accounts, not just Snapchat.
- Contact Snapchat support to investigate unauthorized access.
Snapchat is Having Technical Issues
In rare cases, a Snapchat outage or glitch can temporarily stop the password reset function from working properly for some users.
If Snapchat is having connectivity issues, you may have trouble resetting your password until they resolve the problem.
Solutions
- Check Snapchat’s server status page for any known issues.
- Try resetting your password again later when issues are fixed.
- Contact Snapchat support to see if they can reset it manually.
How to Reset Your Snapchat Password
When Snapchat is allowing password resets, here are the steps to reset your Snapchat password:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap Forgot Password on the login screen.
- Enter the email address or phone number associated with your account.
- Check your email inbox or text messages for a password reset link from Snapchat.
- Click the password reset link which will open the Snapchat website.
- Enter and confirm your new password and save the changes.
- Go back to the Snapchat app and login with your new password.
This will reset your password so you can access your account again, as long as you have access to the email or phone number on file.
Conclusion
Snapchat not letting you reset a password is frustrating but designed for security reasons. The most common solutions are gaining access to the account recovery email/phone, waiting out a temporary lock, fixing technical issues, or proving account ownership if it has been compromised.
Checking for suspicious logins, running malware scans, and contacting Snapchat support can help identify and resolve the underlying cause. With the right troubleshooting, you should be able to successfully reset your Snapchat password.