Deleting someone from Snapchat removes them from your friends list and stops them from seeing your stories
When you delete someone on Snapchat, they can no longer see your Stories, and you can no longer see theirs. The person you delete will not receive a notification that you removed them, though they may notice over time that they can no longer view your content. If they try to message you after deletion, their message will not go through — it will sit in their chat until they either delete the conversation or you re-add them.
Deletion is different from blocking. When you block someone, they cannot find your account, search for you, or contact you at all. When you delete someone, they can still search for you and send you a friend request again. Deletion is the quieter option if you straightforward want to stop sharing with someone without making a statement.
The steps to delete someone are the same whether you use Snapchat on iPhone, Android, or the web version.
Key Takeaways
- Deleted users cannot see your Stories or send you messages, but they will not be notified of the deletion and can re-add you later.
- You delete someone by opening your Friends list, pressing and holding their name, and selecting "Remove Friend" from the menu that appears.
- Blocking is stronger than deletion — a blocked person cannot find your account or contact you in any way.
- Snapchat does not save deleted conversations, so removing someone also removes your chat history with them.
How to delete someone on Snapchat from your phone
Open Snapchat and tap the Friends icon at the bottom left of the screen. This shows your full friends list. Scroll through until you find the person you want to delete.
Press and hold their name. A menu will appear with several options. Tap "Remove Friend." Snapchat will ask you to confirm — tap "Remove" again. The person is now deleted from your friends list.
If you use Snapchat on the web, the process is similar. Go to your profile, select "Friends," find the person, hover over their name, and click the three dots that appear. Select "Remove Friend" from the dropdown menu.
What happens to your chat history when you delete someone
When you delete someone from Snapchat, your entire chat history with them disappears from your account. Snapchat does not store deleted conversations on their servers — once you remove the person, the messages are gone from your side. The other person still has their copy of the conversation on their phone unless they also delete it.
If you think you might want to refer back to a conversation before deleting someone, take screenshots of anything important. Once the deletion is complete, there is no way to recover those messages through Snapchat.
The difference between deleting, blocking, and muting
Snapchat offers three separate tools for controlling who you interact with, and they work in different ways. Deleting removes someone from your friends list but leaves the door open for them to re-add you. Blocking prevents them from finding your account, messaging you, or viewing your Stories — they cannot re-add you unless you unblock them first. Muting keeps someone on your friends list but hides their Stories from your feed and stops their messages from notifying you.
Use deletion when you want to stop sharing with someone but do not need to prevent them from contacting you. Use blocking when you want a hard boundary. Use muting when you want to stay friends but do not want to see their content right now.
Can the person you delete see that you removed them
Snapchat does not send a notification when you delete someone. The person will not receive a message saying "You have been removed." However, they may figure it out over time — they will notice they can no longer see your Stories, and if they try to message you, their messages will not go through.
If they search for your username, they will still find your account and can send you a friend request. This is how deletion differs from blocking — a deleted person can still discover you again if they look for you.
What to do if someone keeps re-adding you after you delete them
If you delete someone and they when ready re-add you, or if they keep re-adding you after you delete them multiple times, blocking is a stronger option. When you block someone, they cannot see your account in search results and cannot send you friend requests. You can block someone by going to your Friends list, pressing and holding their name, and selecting "Block" instead of "Remove Friend."
You can also report someone to Snapchat if they are harassing you or violating the platform's terms of service. Open their profile, tap the three dots in the top right, and select "Report." Snapchat will review the report, though they do not always take action on a single report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I deleted them?
Snapchat does not send a notification, so they will not get a message about it. They may figure it out if they notice they cannot see your Stories or if their messages to you stop going through. But Snapchat itself will not tell them.
Can I delete someone and then re-add them later?
Yes. When you delete someone, they can send you a friend request again, or you can search for them and send a request yourself. Re-adding them restores the friendship, though your old chat history will not come back.
What is the difference between deleting and blocking?
Deleted users can still find your account and re-add you. Blocked users cannot search for you or see your account at all. Blocking is stronger and more permanent unless you unblock them.
Does deleting someone remove our chat history?
Yes. When you delete someone, your entire conversation with them disappears from your account. The other person still has their copy of the chat unless they delete it too. Snapchat does not keep a backup of deleted conversations.
Can I delete someone without them finding out?
Snapchat does not notify them, so they will not know unless they notice on their own. However, if they try to message you or look at your Stories, they will eventually realize something has changed.