Snapchat Hacked? How to Get Your Account Back and Keep It Safe

If your Snapchat was hacked, try “Forgot your password?” on the login screen first and reset it by email or phone. If the hacker changed those details, use the hacked-account help on Snapchat’s official Support site, reached from the Help links in the app or on snapchat.com. Then secure the email account linked to Snapchat, turn on two-factor authentication, warn your friends by another channel, and never pay anyone who offers to recover the account for you.

Most people who get their Snapchat hacked can recover it through Snapchat’s own tools, though how quickly depends on what the hacker changed. This guide covers each situation, what to check once you’re back in, and how to make it much harder to happen again.

Signs your Snapchat was hacked

• Your password stops working, or you’re logged out and can’t log back in.
• You receive an email or text from Snapchat about a login, password change or new email address that you didn’t make.
• Friends say they’ve received strange Snaps or chats from you, often links, requests for money, or offers of crypto, gift cards or “free” followers.
• Your display name, Bitmoji or Story changes, or friends you don’t know appear on your list.
• Snapchat asks you to verify your account or tells you it has been locked.

A locked account isn’t always a hacked one. Snapchat may lock an account for suspicious activity, including activity from a hacker, or for breaking its rules. Snapchat’s Support site explains what to do about a locked account; if you believe a hacker caused the lock, say so when you contact Support.

How to recover a hacked Snapchat account

1. Check your email and texts. Look for genuine messages from Snapchat about changes to your account. Check spam folders too. Be careful: scammers send fake “Snapchat” messages, so don’t click links in anything you didn’t expect. Go to the app or snapchat.com directly instead.
2. Reset your password. On the login screen, tap “Forgot your password?” and choose to reset by email or by phone. If the hacker hasn’t changed both, this often works.
3. Contact Snapchat Support. If the reset links go to the hacker, use the Support site’s option for a hacked or compromised account. You’ll typically be asked for your username, the email and phone number you used, and details that help show the account is yours. Use the same form rather than creating new requests every day.
4. Use a familiar device and network. Recovery tends to go more smoothly from a phone you’ve used with the account before.
5. Watch for Support’s reply. Snapchat Support usually replies by email to the address you give in the form, so use an address you control and check its spam folder.

Snapchat doesn’t publish a set timeframe for hacked account reviews, and no one else can promise one.

If your email or phone number was also compromised

If an attacker controls the email address or phone number linked to your Snapchat, they can reset your password whenever they like. Fix that first.

• Email: recover it through your email provider’s official process, change the password, remove recovery options and forwarding rules you didn’t set, and turn on two-factor authentication. Our guide to a hacked Gmail account walks through this for Google accounts.
• Phone number: if your phone suddenly lost service and you started getting password reset messages you didn’t request, your number may have been moved to another SIM. Contact your mobile carrier straight away, and ask about adding a PIN or passcode to your account.
• Reused passwords: if your Snapchat password was also used elsewhere, change it everywhere. A data breach check can show whether your email appears in known leaks.

Once you’re back in: lock the account down

1. Change your password to a strong one you don’t use anywhere else. A password manager makes this easy.
2. Check your email address and phone number in settings, and make sure both are yours and verified.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication in settings. Snapchat supports codes by text message or through an authenticator app; the app is stronger because it can’t be intercepted with a SIM swap.
4. Save your recovery code if Snapchat offers one when you set up two-factor authentication, and store it somewhere safe outside your phone.
5. Log out other devices if your settings show sessions you don’t recognize.
6. Review your friends list and remove anyone the hacker added.
7. Restore your profile: display name, Bitmoji, Story and any public profile details.
8. Check connected apps in settings and remove any you don’t recognize or no longer use.

Protect your Memories, My Eyes Only and location

A hacked Snapchat can expose more than chats. Take stock of what the hacker could have seen.

• Memories. Saved Snaps and Stories in Memories may have been viewed or downloaded. If there’s anything you wouldn’t want shared, think about whether it’s still needed.
• My Eyes Only. This section is protected by a separate passcode. If you think the hacker knew or guessed it, change it. If you’ve forgotten your passcode, Snapchat’s reset may delete what’s stored there, so read the prompts carefully.
• Location. If you share your location on Snap Map, the hacker may have seen where you were. Consider turning on Ghost Mode or limiting location sharing to a few trusted friends. Our Snapchat privacy settings guide covers each option.

If someone is threatening to share private photos or videos from your account unless you pay or send more, that’s sextortion. Don’t pay and don’t send anything else. Save the messages, report the account, and read our guide to sextortion help. If the person in the images was under 18, don’t save or forward the images: report the account, and use NCMEC’s Take It Down service and CyberTipline. Our help and support resources list free hotlines if you need to talk to someone.

Warn your friends

Hackers use hijacked Snapchat accounts to scam the owner’s friends, because a message from someone you know feels safe. Warn people quickly. Our guide to Snapchat scams covers the other tricks to watch for.

• While locked out, message close friends by text or another app, and post on your other social accounts.
• Once you’re back in, post a Story explaining what happened.

My Snapchat was hacked on Friday and someone sent messages from it. I didn’t send any links, money requests or crypto offers. If you got one, don’t click it or reply, and if you sent money or a code, contact your bank and change your passwords. I’ve got the account back now.

If a copy of your account appears while you’re locked out, report it as impersonation. Our guide on what to do if someone is impersonating you online explains the process.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real client. A 16-year-old, call him Leo, gets a Snap from a friend’s account: “Can you help me? Snapchat is sending you a code to verify my account, just send it back.” He does. It was his own login code, and within minutes he’s logged out. The friend’s account had been hacked the same way.

1. Reset: Leo tries “Forgot your password?” but the email has been changed. His phone number is still on the account, so the text reset works.
2. Lockdown: he changes the password, removes an email address he didn’t add, and turns on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app.
3. Warning: he posts a Story and texts the friend whose account messaged him.
4. Parents: he tells his parents, who help him check that nothing was sent from his Memories and review Family Center settings together.

If the hacker had changed both the email and phone, Leo would have needed to contact Snapchat Support, which can take longer.

How Snapchat accounts get hacked

• Code scams: a hacked friend asks you to send back a code, which is really your login or reset code.
• Phishing links: fake login pages promising free followers, Snapchat+ features, or a “who viewed your profile” tool.
• Reused passwords leaked from other sites.
• Third-party apps that ask for your Snapchat login.
• SIM swaps, where someone takes over your phone number to receive text codes.
• Shared or lost devices left logged in.

How to stop your Snapchat being hacked again

• Never share a code sent by Snapchat, even with a friend. No real process asks you to send it back.
• Use two-factor authentication with an authenticator app, and keep your recovery code safe.
• Use a unique password for Snapchat and a different one for your email.
• Log in only through the app or snapchat.com, not through links in messages.
• Avoid apps that ask for your Snapchat password.
• Add a PIN to your mobile carrier account to make SIM swaps harder.
• Close accounts you no longer use. Our guide on how to delete a Snapchat account covers it.

Parents can use Snapchat’s Family Center to see who a teen is friends with and who they’ve messaged recently, without seeing message content. Our guide to parental controls for social media compares the options across apps.

Common mistakes

• Paying a recovery service. These are almost always scams.
• Securing Snapchat but not the email. The hacker can reset your password again.
• Making a new account straight away. Your friends may not know which is real, and it can make recovery harder. Try recovery properly first.
• Waiting to warn friends. Scam messages spread fastest in the first hours.
• Paying or complying with threats. If someone uses your private content to blackmail you, get help instead.

If a hack has left lasting damage, such as scam posts or private content tied to your name online, our social media reputation management service can help assess what can be removed.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to recover a hacked Snapchat account?

It depends. If you still have access to the email or phone on the account, a password reset can take minutes. If you need Snapchat Support, it can take longer. Snapchat doesn’t publish a set timeframe.

Can I call Snapchat support?

Snapchat handles account issues through its online Support site and forms rather than general phone support. Anyone claiming to be Snapchat support by phone, direct message or an unofficial email address is likely a scammer.

Will I lose my Snapchat streaks after a hack?

Streaks may end if no Snaps are exchanged while you’re locked out. Snapchat’s Support site has an option to ask about a lost streak, but whether it can be restored isn’t certain.

Can a hacker see my old Snaps and chats?

A hacker with access can generally see what you can see: saved chats, Memories and your friends list. Snaps and chats that have already disappeared aren’t usually available. My Eyes Only has its own passcode.

Why do I keep getting Snapchat login codes I didn't ask for?

Someone may be trying to log in or reset your password. Don’t share the codes with anyone. Change your password, check your email is secure, and turn on two-factor authentication.