Why Are Random People Adding You On Snapchat & How To Stop It

  • 3 minute read

If you’ve noticed that you’re suddenly getting a lot of random new people adding you on Snapchat it is most likely either bot accounts or is to do with the Quick add feature.

The Quick add feature is meant to be similar to the suggested friends/mutual friends features you get on other social media platforms.

Why Are Random People Adding me On Snapchat

The people Snapchat suggests in the Quick add menu are people who Snapchat thinks you may know or may be interested in adding based on your existing friend list, quick add will also feature people who your friends are snapping frequently.

Unfortunately, it’s far from accurate so you can end up with completely random people adding you simply because you have one mutual Snapchat friend or because one of your friends is a prolific Snapchatter.

How Random People Find You on Snapchat

There are several ways that random people may find you on Snapchat:

  1. Username Visibility: Your Snapchat username is your unique identifier.
    If your username is easily guessable or shared publicly on other platforms, it increases the chances of random individuals finding and adding you on Snapchat.
    This is the most common way a random user may add you by search, they will put a term into Snapchat search that is in your username and randomly add you.
    Consider either switching to a less predictable username or adjusting your privacy settings (specifically regarding Quick Add, more on this below) to limit username visibility.
  2. Mutual Connections: Snapchat may suggest your profile as a friend recommendation to individuals who have mutual connections with you.
    This can lead to receiving friend requests from people you may not know directly.
    Be mindful of this when evaluating friend requests and consider the credibility of the mutual connections.
  3. Public Content: Snapchat allows users to share content publicly, such as Stories or Discover content.
    If you post publicly, random users may come across your content and decide to add you as a friend. Consider adjusting your privacy settings to limit the visibility of your content to trusted friends only.

How To Stop Random People From Adding You On Snapchat

Thankfully it is easy to stop this from happening, just follow these steps:

  1. Open Snapchat and go to your profile by tapping your profile/Bitmoji icon in the top left.
  2. Tap the settings cog in the top right.
  3. Scroll down to the privacy control heading and tap ‘See me in quick add’, it should be 5th in the list.
  4. Uncheck the ‘Show me in quick add’ box.
  5. Job done; you should notice that you no longer get random people adding you all the time!

While we’re on the topic of quick add, if you keep seeing people in your quick add list who you have no interest in adding ever, then you can very easily hide them from quick add by pressing the ‘x’ next to their name so that you don’t inflict them with the same experience you had!

Report Suspicious Activity and Accounts

One thing that is definitely worth doing when you get a completely random account adding you is to report the account, if it is a bot account Snapchat will hopefully delete it.

To do this:

  1. Open the Snapchat app and go to the profile of the suspicious account.
  2. Tap on the three dots (…) in the top right corner.
  3. Select “Manage Friendship” from the options provided.
  4. Select “Report”.
  5. Choose the appropriate reason for reporting and submit.

Block Unwanted Contacts to Prevent Further Interaction

To ensure that unwanted accounts no longer contact you make sure you block them as well as reporting them, to do this:

  1. Open the Snapchat app and go to the profile of the suspicious account.
  2. Tap on the three dots (…) in the top right corner.
  3. Select “Manage Friendship” from the options provided.
  4. Select “Block”.

Evaluate Random Friend Requests Before Accepting

Exercise caution when receiving friend requests from unfamiliar people. Before accepting a request, take the time to evaluate the person’s profile.

Consider their motives, any shared connections, and the overall credibility of their account.

Make sure to evaluate connections with a healthy dose of skepticism and be wary of any red flags or suspicious behavior.

Receiving random friend requests on Snapchat can expose you to potential risks.
By understanding how random people find you on Snapchat and taking proactive steps, such as adjusting privacy settings, evaluating friend requests, protecting personal information, reporting suspicious activity, and blocking unwanted contacts, you can maintain a safe and secure online presence.
Prioritize your online safety, stay vigilant, and trust your instincts when dealing with random friend requests on Snapchat.