Snapchat is an instant messaging app that lets you share photos, videos, and ephemeral messages with your contacts. But what should you do when you receive a friend request from someone you don't know? Should you accept or decline? What are the risks and precautions to take? In this article, we'll give you some tips on how to handle friend requests from unknown people on Snapchat.
What is a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat?
A friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat is a notification you receive when someone wants to add you to their contact list. This person may have found your Snapchat username in various ways: by scanning your Snapcode , searching for your name or phone number, using the " Add Nearby Friends " feature, or accessing your profile from another app (for example, Instagram or TikTok ).
When you receive a friend request from an unknown sender, you have three options:
- Accept : you add the person to your contact list and you can exchange snaps and messages with them.
- Ignore : you do not respond to the request and you no longer see the notification .
- Block : you prevent the person from contacting you again and you report their behavior to Snapchat .
How to recognize a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat?
When you receive a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat , you can see the username, name, and profile picture of the person who sent it. You can also see if this person has interacted with you before, if they have mutual friends , or if they are in your phone contacts. If none of this information is familiar, it's probably a friend request from an unknown person.
What are the risks of sending friend requests to unknown people on Snapchat?
Accepting a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat can carry certain risks, including:
- Harassment : the person may send you insulting, threatening or unwanted messages, or distribute your snaps to other people without your consent.
- The scam : the person may try to extort money, personal information or compromising photos from you, by impersonating someone else or by blackmailing you.
- Danger to minors : the person may be an adult seeking to contact minors, by posing as a young person or using stolen photos.
What precautions should be taken when receiving friend requests from unknown people on Snapchat?
To avoid unpleasant surprises , here are some precautions to take when receiving friend requests from unknown users on Snapchat :
Verify the person's identity
Before accepting a request , try to find out who the person contacting you is. You can ask for their name, age, city, school, or job, and check if this information matches their profile. You can also ask them to send you a photo or live video to see if it matches their profile picture.
Do not share your personal information
Never give your full name , address , phone number , password , or bank details to someone you don't know. Also, don't click on any links they send you, as they may contain viruses or spyware .
Don't share your intimate photos
Never send photos or videos of yourself naked or in your underwear to someone you don't know. These images can be used against you for blackmail or to damage your reputation.
Use the privacy settings
You can limit access to your profile and stories by choosing who can add you as a friend, who can view your story, and who can contact you. You can also activate ghost mode to hide your location .
Report and block suspicious individuals
If you receive inappropriate, threatening, or offensive messages, don't hesitate to report and block the sender. You can do this by long-pressing their name in your contact list, then selecting " Report " and " Block ".
Here is a short video that may be useful to you:
See also other articles about Snapchat:
FAQs about friend requests from unknown people on Snapchat
How can you tell if a friend request from an unknown person is a fake profile?
There is no foolproof method for detecting a fake profile on Snapchat , but there are a few clues that can raise a red flag:
- The username is bizarre or unrelated to the profile picture.
- The profile picture is blurry , pixelated, or too perfect.
- The profile has no Snapchat score or a very low score.
- The profile has no story or a story that does not correspond to their age, gender, or location.
- The profile sends you messages as soon as you accept their request, without introducing themselves or having a valid reason.
- The profile asks you for personal information , money, or intimate photos.
If you have any doubt about the identity of someone who contacts you on Snapchat, you can do a reverse image search on Google Images or TinEye . This will allow you to find out if the photo was stolen from another site or if it belongs to a celebrity.
How to avoid receiving friend requests from unknown people on Snapchat?
If you don't want to receive friend requests from unknown people on Snapchat , you can change your privacy settings to limit access to your profile. Here's how:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap on your profile picture in the top left corner.
- Tap the gear icon in the top right corner to access the settings.
- In the section “PRIVACY CONTROLSChoose the options that suit you:
- “ Add me ”: You can choose who can add you as a friend on Snapchat. You can select “ Everyone ”, “ My contacts ” or “ No one ”.
- “ View my story ”: You can choose who can see your story on Snapchat. You can select “ Everyone ”, “ My friends ” or “ Custom ” (to select the people you want to exclude).
- “ Contact me ”: You can choose who can send you snaps and messages on Snapchat. You can select “ Everyone ” or “ My friends ”.
There are other ways to limit friend requests from unknown users on Snapchat; here are a few tips to follow:
Make your account private
In the app settings, you can choose who can add you as a friend. You can select the “ My Friends Phone Contacts option, which only allows people who have your phone number in their address book to send you requests.
Do not share your username or Snapcode
If you don't want strangers to find your Snapchat account , avoid posting your username or Snapcode on other social media platforms or giving them to people you don't know well. You can also change your username in the app's settings if you think it's too easy to guess.
Use the “Do Not Disturb” feature:
If you're receiving too many friend requests from unknown people on Snapchat, you can activate the " Do Not Disturb " feature, which allows you to disable app notifications. You'll still be able to view your friend requests whenever you want, but you won't be bothered by unwanted alerts.
How do I delete a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat?
If you received a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat and you don't want to respond, you can delete it by following these steps:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap the cat icon in the bottom left corner.
- Tap the new friend icon in the top right corner.
- Tap on the unknown friend request you want to remove.
- Press the “ Ignore ” button in the bottom right corner.
The friend request will then be deleted and you will no longer see the notification.
How do I accept a friend request from a stranger on Snapchat?
If you have received a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat and you wish to accept it, you can do so by following these steps:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap the cat icon in the bottom left corner.
- Tap the new friend icon in the top right corner.
- Tap on the unknown friend request you want to accept.
- Press the “ Accept ” button in the bottom right corner.
The person will then be added to your contact list and you will be able to exchange snaps and messages with them.
How do I block a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat?
If you have received a friend request from an unknown person on Snapchat and wish to block them, you can do so by following these steps:
- Open the Snapchat and tap the cat icon in the bottom left corner.
- Tap the new friend icon in the top right corner.
- Press and hold on the unknown friend request you want to block.
- Press the “ Block ” button in the bottom right corner.
The person will then be blocked and will no longer be able to contact you or view your profile. You can also report their behavior to Snapchat by tapping the " Report " button in the bottom left corner.
Conclusion
Snapchat is a fun and user-friendly app, but it can also be a source of danger if you're not careful. When faced with friend requests from strangers, you need to be cautious and not accept just anyone. You also need to protect your personal data and images , and report abusive behavior. This way, you can enjoy Snapchat safely.
