Snapchat is all about connecting and discovering new people. To ensure you can stay in touch with both old and new friends, explore our post for easy ways to find and add someone to Snapchat.
Good to know: want to know when someone was last active on Snapchat? We show you how.
1. Add From Contacts
The easiest way to add friends and acquaintances to Snapchat is to tap on your contacts.
Open the Snapchat app on your mobile device, and press on your avatar image in the upper-left corner of the display. Alternatively, you can press the person-shaped icon in the upper-right corner.
Swipe down to the Friends section, and press on the Add Friends option.
Select Invite your friends! at the top.
On the screen with a list of your contacts, with an Invite button next to each contact, select as many as you want to add them in bulk.
If the other person doesn’t have Snapchat, they’ll find a link to install the app in the message, as well as a QR code that will help them find your profile.
Note that you may need to give Snapchat access to your contacts to see anything in this section. Do this on Android by heading to Settings -> Apps -> Snapchat -> Permissions and allowing Contacts. On an iPhone, open Settings -> Apps -> Snapchat, and give Full Access to Contacts.
Tip: for a better Snapchat experience, enable these privacy options.
2. Check the Added Me Section
Sometimes other people will find and add you even before you have a chance to find them on the app. Fortunately, Snapchat lets you see who has recently added you, so you can easily add them back.
Go to the Add Friends screen, as shown above.
If someone has recently added you on Snapchat, the Added Me section will show at the top. Press Accept to add them back.
3. Use Quick Add Section
Once you invite everyone in your Contacts and add everyone who added you, go back to Add Friends, and check the Quick Add section. Snapchat offers suggestions of people to add, based on your activity on the app. Press Add to send someone a request.
FYI: learn how to create a group on Snapchat to chat with multiple friends.
4. Try Searching for Them
If the person you want to add is not in your contacts, but you know their Snapchat username, you can use the app’s search function. Alternatively, if you don’t know their username, you can search for them using their first and last name. This method should work very well if you’re searching for a celebrity profile on Snapchat.
Press the magnifying glass icon in the upper-left corner.
A few friend suggestions will be at the top from Quick Add and other recommendations from Contacts will be below. Double-check to see if you’ve added the desired people.
In the bar at the top, type the name of the person you’re looking for. Press the +Add button for the top result.
5. Add People Nearby
Snapchat will also recommend adding people who are nearby if you agree to grant it the Location permission.
First, make sure that your device’s location is enabled. On Android, go to Settings -> Location, and ensure that the toggle is set to on.
iPhone users should go to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Location Services to make sure the toggle for Location Services is switched on.
Next, you will have to grant location permission to Snapchat. Head to Settings -> Apps -> Snapchat -> Permissions, and add Location to the list of permissions. On iPhone, navigate to Settings -> Apps -> Snapchat, and change the status of Location from Never to While Using the App or Always.
Go back to the Quick Add panel, and refresh it (by swiping down from the top of the screen). You will see new recommendations, with some based on your location and who is nearby.
Tip: check out these tips that can help you recover a lost Snapchat streak.
6. Check Stories
Another quick way to find people you want to add on Snapchat is to check the Stories tab. You will see your friends’ stories at the top. Or, if your friends haven’t posted anything recently, you’ll get recommendations of stories by other people.
Add them by opening the story and pressing on the +Add button in the upper right.
7. Scan a Code
To directly find people on Snapchat without having to search, ask them directly for their Snapchat code. Scan the code with your phone, and view their profile.
To generate a Snapchat code, open the app, and press on your avatar in the upper-left corner. You will see you QR code at the top of the page next to your Snapchat account name.
Tap on the QR code to enlarge it, then select Share Snapcode. You can also save it to your camera roll.
When the other person scans your code, they will be automatically taken to their profile. You can add them from there.
Now that you know how to find friends and other people on Snapchat and add them to your list, learn what the Snapchat emojis mean, and check for friendship levels. Also get skilled on using Snapchat location to find and view your friends on the map.
Image credit: DepositPhotos. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici
