What happens when you delete your public profile
Deleting your public profile on Snapchat removes your username from the app's search results and prevents strangers from finding you through the Snapchat search feature. Your account itself stays active — you keep your friends, your chats, and your saved messages. Only the public-facing part that lets anyone search for you disappears.
This is different from deleting your entire Snapchat account. A full account deletion erases everything permanently after 30 days. Removing your public profile is reversible: you can make yourself searchable again at any time by changing your privacy settings back.
Most people delete their public profile because they want to control who can contact them, or because they no longer want their username visible to the general Snapchat user base. It's a middle ground between staying fully public and abandoning the app entirely.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting your public profile removes your username from Snapchat search results but keeps your account, friends, and messages intact.
- You control this setting through your privacy settings under "Who Can Contact Me" — set it to "Friends" instead of "Everyone".
- The change takes effect when ready, and you can reverse it whenever you want by changing the setting back.
- Existing friends can still message you and see your story even after you delete your public profile.
How to change your contact settings on iOS
Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner of the camera screen. This takes you to your profile page. Look for the gear icon in the top right — that's your settings menu.
Tap the gear icon, then scroll down until you see "Who Can Contact Me" or "Contact Me". Tap that option. You'll see three choices: "Everyone", "My Friends", or "My Friends + Recent Contacts". Select "My Friends" to remove yourself from public search results. This is the setting that stops strangers from finding you.
Once you select "My Friends", the change saves automatically. You don't need to confirm anything or restart the app. Your public profile is now deleted, and your username won't appear when people search for you.
How to change your contact settings on Android
Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon, which appears as a circle with your face or avatar in the top left corner of the camera screen. This opens your profile.
Look for the gear icon in the top right corner and tap it to open settings. Scroll down to find "Who Can Contact Me". Tap that option to see your contact choices. Select "My Friends" to prevent strangers from finding you through search.
The setting updates when ready once you select it. Android and iOS have the same privacy controls, so the result is identical: your username becomes invisible to anyone who isn't already your friend on Snapchat.
What your friends can still do
Deleting your public profile does not affect your existing friendships. People who are already your friends can still send you messages, view your story, and see when you're active. They can still call you through Snapchat. The only thing that changes is that new people can't find you by searching your username.
If someone has your username saved or knows it from another source, they can still add you manually by typing it in — they just can't discover you through the search feature. If you want to prevent specific people from contacting you entirely, you'll need to block them separately through your chat settings.
If you want to be searchable again
Changing back to a public profile is the same process in reverse. Open your settings, find "Who Can Contact Me", and select "Everyone" instead of "My Friends". Your username becomes searchable again when ready.
Some people set their profile to "My Friends + Recent Contacts" as a middle ground. This lets people you've chatted with before find you again, but blocks complete strangers. Choose whichever setting matches what you're comfortable with.
Why your privacy setting might not be working
If you've changed your contact setting to "My Friends" but people are still finding you through search, make sure you're fully logged out and back in. Sometimes the app needs a restart to explore privacy changes across all devices. Close Snapchat completely and reopen it.
Also check whether you have a public username that's different from your display name. Your display name is what your friends see — your username is what people search for. If you set your contact setting to "My Friends" but your username is still public in your profile, that's a separate setting you may need to adjust. Review your profile page to see what information is visible to people who aren't your friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting my public profile delete my account?
No. Deleting your public profile only removes your username from search results. Your account, friends, messages, and story all stay. To delete your entire account, you'd need to go through a separate account deletion process that takes 30 days.
Can people still add me if I delete my public profile?
People who already know your username can still add you by typing it in manually. What they can't do is discover you through the search feature. If you want to prevent specific people from adding you, you'll need to block them individually.
Will my friends know I deleted my public profile?
No. Your friends won't receive any notification that you changed your privacy settings. They can still message you and see your story exactly as before. Only strangers will notice they can't find you through search anymore.
What's the difference between "My Friends" and "My Friends + Recent Contacts"?
"My Friends" means only people on your friends list can contact you. "My Friends + Recent Contacts" also lets people you've chatted with in the past add you again, even if you're no longer friends. Choose based on whether you want to reconnect with people you've talked to before.
Can I delete my public profile on the web version of Snapchat?
Snapchat's web version is limited and doesn't include full account settings. You need to use the mobile app on iOS or Android to change your contact settings. Open the app on your phone, go to settings, and adjust "Who Can Contact Me" from there.