Turn off story notifications in Snapchat settings
You can stop Snapchat from notifying you when friends post stories by changing one setting in the app. Open Snapchat, tap your profile icon in the top left corner, then tap the gear icon to open Settings. Scroll down to "Notifications" and tap it.
Under the Notifications menu, you will see "Stories" as one of the options. Tap the toggle next to "Stories" to turn it off. Once the toggle is gray instead of blue, you will no longer receive notifications when your friends post new stories. You can still watch stories whenever you open the app — this only stops the alerts.
Key Takeaways
- The Stories notification toggle in Snapchat Settings controls whether you get alerted when friends post — turning it off stops the notifications but does not hide stories from your feed.
- You can mute individual friends' stories without turning off all story notifications, which is useful if only certain people are posting too often.
- Story notifications are separate from message and chat notifications, so turning off stories will not affect alerts from direct messages.
- If you turn notifications back on later, Snapchat will resume sending alerts for all friends' stories unless you have muted specific people.
Mute stories from specific friends instead of all stories
If you want to keep story notifications from most friends but silence a few people who post constantly, you can mute individual friends instead of turning off all story notifications. Go to your Friends list by swiping right from the camera screen, then long-press the name of the friend whose stories you want to mute.
A menu will pop up with several options. Tap "Mute Story" and the friend's stories will stop sending you notifications. Their stories will still appear in your feed if you look for them, but you will not get an alert when they post. You can mute as many friends as you want this way, and unmute them later by long-pressing their name again and selecting "Unmute Story."
Understand the difference between story and message notifications
Snapchat has separate notification settings for stories, messages, and chats. Turning off story notifications will not affect alerts from direct messages or group chats. If you want to stop message notifications too, you will need to adjust those settings separately in the same Notifications menu.
This separation is useful because many people want to stay alerted when friends send them direct messages but do not want constant notifications about story posts. You can customize each type of notification independently to match what matters to you.
Check if your phone's notification settings are blocking Snapchat alerts
Even if story notifications are turned on in Snapchat, your phone's operating system might be blocking all Snapchat alerts. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap Notifications, find Snapchat in the list, and make sure "Allow Notifications" is toggled on. On Android, go to Settings, tap Apps or process Manager, find Snapchat, tap Notifications, and turn on "Allow notifications."
If Snapchat notifications are blocked at the phone level, you will not receive any alerts from the app no matter what you set in Snapchat itself. Checking this is especially helpful if you recently updated your phone's operating system or changed privacy settings.
Turn notifications back on if you change your mind
If you turned off story notifications and later want them back, the process is the same. Open Snapchat Settings, go to Notifications, and tap the Stories toggle to turn it back on. The toggle will turn blue, and you will start receiving alerts when friends post stories again.
If you muted specific friends' stories instead of turning off all notifications, you can unmute them one at a time. Long-press each friend's name in your Friends list and tap "Unmute Story" to resume getting alerts from that person.
Manage Do Not Disturb and Focus modes on your phone
Your phone's Do Not Disturb mode (iPhone) or Focus mode (newer iPhones) can silence Snapchat notifications during certain hours or activities. If you have set up a Focus mode that blocks notifications during work or sleep, Snapchat alerts will be silenced even if notifications are turned on in the app. Check your phone's Focus or Do Not Disturb settings if you are not receiving notifications when you expect to.
You can customize Focus modes to allow notifications from certain apps while blocking others. For example, you might allow message notifications but block story notifications during work hours. This gives you more control than turning off notifications entirely in Snapchat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my friends know if I mute their stories?
No, your friends will not be notified when you mute their stories. Snapchat does not tell people when you mute them, and they cannot see that you have done it. You will still be able to view their stories if you go looking for them in your feed.
Can I turn off notifications for one friend but keep them for everyone else?
Yes, that is exactly what the mute feature does. Long-press a friend's name, tap "Mute Story," and you will stop getting alerts from that person while keeping notifications on for everyone else. You can mute as many individual friends as you want.
If I turn off story notifications, will I still see stories in my feed?
Yes, stories will still appear in your feed when you open Snapchat. Turning off notifications only stops the alerts — it does not hide or remove stories from the app. You can still watch them whenever you want.
Why am I not getting Snapchat notifications even though they are turned on?
Check two places: first, make sure story notifications are actually on in Snapchat Settings under Notifications. Second, check your phone's notification settings for Snapchat to make sure the app has permission to send alerts. Your phone's Do Not Disturb or Focus mode might also be blocking notifications.
Can I turn off notifications for stories but keep them for messages?
Yes, story and message notifications are separate. You can turn off stories in the Notifications menu while leaving messages turned on, so you will only get alerts when friends send you direct messages.