How to Hide Your Snapchat Story from Someone: The Ultimate Guide

So, you’re navigating the vibrant, ephemeral world of Snapchat and suddenly realize you need to selectively share your life. You’ve come to the right place. Hiding your Snapchat story from someone is a surprisingly straightforward process, ensuring you maintain control over who sees your content. Simply go to your Snapchat settings, then “See My Story,” and choose either “Custom” to select specific individuals to block, or “Friends Except…” to hide your story from specific users while still sharing it with your general friends list.

Mastering Snapchat Privacy: Why and How

Let’s delve into the nitty-gritty of Snapchat story privacy. Snapchat, with its disappearing acts and playful filters, is fantastic for sharing snippets of your day. But what if you want to keep certain snaps away from prying eyes? Maybe it’s a surprise party you’re planning, a family squabble you’d rather not broadcast, or simply the desire to maintain different levels of privacy for different contacts. Whatever the reason, Snapchat offers several ways to tailor your story visibility.

Hiding Your Story: The Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how to control who sees your Snapchat story:

1. Open Snapchat: Start by launching the Snapchat application on your smartphone. Ensure you’re logged into your account.

2. Access Your Profile: Tap on your profile icon (usually your Bitmoji or a personalized avatar) located in the top-left corner of the screen.

3. Navigate to Settings: Once on your profile page, look for the gear icon in the top-right corner and tap it. This will take you to the settings menu.

4. Find Privacy Controls: Scroll down in the settings menu until you find the “Privacy Controls” section. This is where you’ll manage who can see your story, contact you, and more.

5. “See My Story” Option: Within the Privacy Controls section, locate the “See My Story” option. This is the key to managing who views your story.

6. Choose Your Privacy Setting: Tapping on “See My Story” will present you with three options:

   • “Everyone”: This allows anyone on Snapchat, even those who aren’t your friends, to view your public story. Use this with caution!
   • “Friends Only”: This is the most common setting. Only people you’ve added as friends (and who have added you back) can view your story.
   • “Custom”: This is where the magic happens. Selecting “Custom” allows you to specifically block individuals from seeing your story. You’ll be presented with a list of your friends. Simply tap on the names of the people you want to exclude.

7. Select Specific Individuals: If you choose the “Custom” option, a list of your friends will appear. Tap the names of those you wish to hide your story from. A checkmark will appear next to their names, indicating they won’t be able to view your story.

8. Save Your Changes: Once you’ve selected the individuals you want to block, Snapchat automatically saves your preferences. There’s no need to press a “Save” button. Your changes are immediately applied.

Alternative Method: “Friends Except…”

Another, less direct, approach is using the “Friends Except…” setting if you want to share with most of your friends list but exclude only a small number. While not a dedicated option labeled “Friends Except…”, achieving this requires a two-step process:

1. Set “See My Story” to “Friends Only”.
2. Use the “Block” feature to block those specific users you don’t want to view your story before posting. They will not be able to see any of your public content until unblocked.

This method is effective but less intuitive than the “Custom” option, as it impacts more than just story visibility. Consider its broader implications before employing this strategy.

Important Considerations

• Changes are Immediate: The moment you change your “See My Story” settings, the changes take effect. People you’ve blocked will no longer see your stories, even if they were viewing them moments before.
• They Won’t Know: Snapchat doesn’t notify users when they’ve been blocked from viewing someone’s story. They might eventually realize it if they consistently don’t see your updates, but they won’t receive a direct notification.
• Story vs. Private Snaps: Remember that hiding your story only affects who can see your public story. It doesn’t prevent someone from receiving private snaps directly from you. To control who can send you private snaps, adjust the “Contact Me” setting in the Privacy Controls menu.
• Mutual Friends: If you have mutual friends with someone you’ve blocked, those friends will still be able to see your story. Your blocked contact simply won’t see it directly from your account.
• Think Before You Post: While hiding your story offers a level of privacy, remember that screenshots are always possible. Be mindful of what you share, regardless of your privacy settings.

FAQs: Snapchat Story Privacy Decoded

Here are 12 frequently asked questions to further clarify the intricacies of Snapchat story privacy:

1. Can someone tell if I’ve hidden my story from them? No. Snapchat doesn’t send notifications to users when someone hides their story from them. They might suspect it if they consistently don’t see your stories, but they won’t be explicitly informed.

2. If I block someone, can they still see my old stories? No. Once you block someone, they can no longer see any of your stories, past or present.

3. What’s the difference between blocking someone and hiding my story from them? Blocking someone prevents them from contacting you, viewing your profile, or seeing any of your public content. Hiding your story specifically prevents them from seeing your story, while still allowing them to potentially contact you via private snaps (depending on your other privacy settings).

4. Can I hide my story from someone and still receive their snaps? Yes, if you use the “Custom” option in the “See My Story” settings. Hiding your story from someone only affects their ability to see your public story, not your private communications.

5. Does hiding my story prevent someone from seeing my location on Snap Map? No. Hiding your story is separate from your Snap Map visibility. To control who can see your location on Snap Map, you need to adjust the “See My Location” settings in the Privacy Controls menu.

6. Can I hide individual snaps within my story from certain people? No. Snapchat doesn’t offer the option to selectively hide individual snaps within a story from specific users. You either hide the entire story, or you don’t.

7. If I add someone to my “Custom” hidden list, will they know when I remove them? No. Just like with adding someone to the list, removing them won’t trigger a notification. They’ll simply start seeing your stories again.

8. Can I hide my story from a group of people at once? Unfortunately, no. Snapchat doesn’t offer a feature to create groups for privacy settings. You need to individually select each person you want to hide your story from.

9. If I make my story private, will my friends be notified? No. Changing your story privacy settings from “Everyone” to “Friends Only” won’t send notifications to your existing friends.

10. Does hiding my story affect my Spotlight submissions? No. Hiding your story from someone doesn’t prevent your Spotlight submissions from being seen by other users, including the person you’ve hidden your story from, if the algorithm chooses to show it to them. Spotlight is a public platform.

11. If someone is not my friend, but I have their number saved, can they see my story if it’s set to “Everyone?” Yes. If your story is set to “Everyone,” anyone on Snapchat can see it, regardless of whether they are your friend or not, as long as they have a Snapchat account. Having their number saved is not relevant in this scenario.

12. Can I preview what my story looks like to someone I’ve hidden it from? No, Snapchat doesn’t provide a feature to preview your story from the perspective of a specific user. You can only see your story as it appears to you. You would need to log in to a different account to see it the way they would.

Mastering these privacy controls allows you to confidently navigate the Snapchat landscape, sharing your life on your terms. Remember to regularly review your settings and adapt them to your evolving needs and comfort levels. Snapchat, like any social media platform, is best enjoyed when you’re in control.