You can hide your story from specific people without blocking them entirely
Snapchat lets you control who sees your story without using the block feature. You can hide your story from individual people, create a custom list of who can view it, or block someone outright if you want to cut off all contact. The method you choose depends on whether you want to stay connected with the person in other ways or remove them completely.
The fastest way is to hide your story from specific people: open your story, tap the three-dot menu, select "Story Privacy," and choose "Custom" to pick exactly who can and cannot see it. This keeps your friendship intact but removes them from your story viewers. If you want a permanent break, blocking prevents them from messaging you, seeing your profile, or viewing anything you post.
Key Takeaways
- You can hide your story from specific people by going to Story Privacy and selecting Custom, then unchecking the names you want to exclude.
- Blocking someone on Snapchat prevents them from messaging you, finding your profile, or seeing your story, but they will know they are blocked.
- If you hide your story from someone, they cannot see it, but they can still message you and see your username in their friends list.
- You can change your story privacy settings at any time, so you can hide your story temporarily or permanently from anyone.
How to hide your story from specific people
Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner. Tap your story (the circle with your name and Snapcode), then tap the three-dot menu icon. Select "Story Privacy" from the menu.
Choose "Custom" to create a list of who can see your story. Snapchat will show you your friends list. Uncheck the names of anyone you want to hide your story from. When you uncheck someone, they will not see your story, but they remain your friend and can still message you. Tap "Save" when you are done.
Your story will now be hidden from those people. If you add new friends later, they will follow your custom privacy setting — so if you set your story to visible to only certain people, new friends will not see it unless you add them to the list.
How to block someone completely
If you want to prevent someone from messaging you, finding your profile, or seeing anything you post, use the block feature instead. Open Snapchat and go to your profile. Tap the three-dot menu and select "Blocked." Tap "Block a Friend" and search for the person's username or phone number. Tap their name and confirm the block.
When you block someone, they cannot message you, see your profile, view your story, or find you in search. They will see a message saying you have blocked them. If you change your mind, you can unblock them by going back to the Blocked list, tapping their name, and selecting "Unblock."
The difference between hiding your story and blocking
Hiding your story from someone keeps your friendship intact. They can still message you, see that you are friends, and interact with you in other ways — they just cannot see your story. This is useful if you want to share less with someone but do not want to end the friendship.
Blocking is a complete separation. The person cannot contact you, see your profile, or know you exist on Snapchat (though they will receive a notification that you blocked them). Use blocking when you want no contact at all, or when someone is harassing or bothering you.
If you block someone and later unblock them, they will not automatically become your friend again. You will need to add them back if you want to be friends.
What happens when you hide your story from someone
When you hide your story from someone using the Custom privacy setting, they will not see it in their feed. If they try to view your profile, they will not see your story there either. However, they can still see your username in their friends list, message you, and view any public content you have shared outside of Snapchat.
The person will not receive a notification that you have hidden your story from them. They may notice over time that they never see your stories, but Snapchat does not send an alert. If they ask why they cannot see your story, you can tell them or keep it private — it is your choice.
How to change your story privacy settings later
Your story privacy settings are not permanent. You can change them at any time by going back to your profile, tapping your story, selecting the three-dot menu, and choosing "Story Privacy." You can switch between "Everyone," "Friends," "Custom," or "Only Me" whenever you want.
If you set your story to "Everyone," all Snapchat users can see it, even people who are not your friends. If you set it to "Friends," only people on your friends list can see it. "Only Me" means no one else can see your story at all. "Custom" lets you pick and choose exactly who can and cannot see it.
Keep in mind that changing your privacy setting affects your story going forward. If you have already posted a story and then hide it from someone, they will not see that story. But if you post a new story and forget to update your privacy settings, your previous settings will explore to the new story.
What to do if someone is harassing you
If someone is sending you unwanted messages, threatening you, or making you uncomfortable, blocking is the right choice. Blocking prevents them from contacting you and removes all connection between your accounts. You can also report them to Snapchat by opening the conversation, tapping the three-dot menu, and selecting "Report."
Snapchat takes harassment seriously and will investigate reports. If the person continues to bother you from a different account, you can block that account too. You can also adjust your privacy settings so that only your friends can message you, which prevents strangers from contacting you at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I have hidden my story from them?
Snapchat does not send a notification when you hide your story from someone. They will not receive an alert or message. However, they may eventually notice that they never see your stories, especially if you post frequently. There is no way for them to check your privacy settings directly.
If I hide my story from someone, can they still message me?
Yes. Hiding your story only affects what they can see — it does not change your friendship or messaging ability. They can still send you messages, and you can message them back. If you want to prevent them from messaging you, you need to block them instead.
What happens if I block someone and then unblock them?
Unblocking someone removes the block, but it does not restore your friendship. You will need to add them back as a friend if you want to be connected again. They will not automatically reappear in your friends list.
Can I hide my story from multiple people at once?
Yes. When you select "Custom" in your Story Privacy settings, you can uncheck as many people as you want. Snapchat will show you your entire friends list, and you can deselect everyone you want to hide your story from in one go.
If I set my story to "Only Me," can anyone see it?
No. When you set your story to "Only Me," no one else can view it — not your friends, not your followers, and not strangers. Only you can see it. This is useful if you want to post something just for yourself or save it without sharing it.