You can delete someone from Snapchat in under a minute, and they won't get a notification
Removing someone from your Snapchat friends list is straightforward: open Snapchat, find the person's name in your friends list or chat history, press and hold their name, then tap "Remove Friend." They won't see a notification that you've deleted them, though they may notice over time that your stories are no longer visible to them or that they can't message you as easily.
The person you remove can still see your public profile and your username, and they can still try to add you again. If you want to prevent them from contacting you at all, you'll need to block them instead — a separate action that's more restrictive.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting someone removes them from your friends list but does not notify them or prevent them from seeing your public profile.
- A deleted friend can still message you, but their messages will go to your "Add Me" requests rather than your main chat list.
- Blocking is different from deleting and prevents someone from messaging you, calling you, or viewing your story.
- You can delete someone from your chat list directly or from your full friends list, and the result is the same.
How to delete someone from your friends list
Open Snapchat and tap the friends icon (the person with a plus sign) at the bottom of the screen. This opens your friends list. Find the person you want to remove, then press and hold their name until a menu appears. Tap "Remove Friend" from the options that show up.
Alternatively, if you have an active chat with the person, you can delete them from there. Open the chat, swipe left on their name (on iPhone) or press and hold their name (on Android), then tap "Remove Friend."
What happens after you delete someone
Once you delete someone, they are no longer on your friends list. They cannot see your private stories (stories you've set to "Friends Only"), but they can still see your public stories and your username if they search for you. They can still try to message you, but their messages will arrive in your "Added Me" section rather than your main chat list, making them easy to ignore.
The deleted person will not receive a notification saying you removed them. However, they may figure it out if they notice they can no longer see your stories or if their messages start going unanswered. There is no way for them to see a list of who has deleted them.
The difference between deleting and blocking
Deleting and blocking are not the same thing. When you delete someone, they can still see your public profile, search for you, and send you messages (though you won't see them in your main chat). When you block someone, they cannot message you, call you, view your story, or see your profile at all.
Use delete if you simply want to remove someone from your active friends list but don't mind if they can still see your public content. Use block if you want to prevent someone from contacting you or viewing anything about you. You can block someone by pressing and holding their name and selecting "Block" instead of "Remove Friend."
How to delete multiple people at once
Snapchat does not have a built-in feature to delete multiple friends at the same time. You will need to remove each person individually by pressing and holding their name and tapping "Remove Friend." If you need to remove many people, this process takes a few minutes but is still faster than going through settings or other menus.
If you want to clean up your friends list regularly, you can check it every few months and remove people you no longer talk to. There is no penalty for having a large friends list, so you only need to delete people if you want to control who sees your stories or who can message you easily.
What to do if someone keeps messaging you after you delete them
If you delete someone and they keep sending you messages, you can block them instead. Blocking prevents them from messaging you altogether and removes them from your friends list at the same time. To block someone, press and hold their name in your chat list or friends list and tap "Block."
You can also mute notifications from someone without deleting or blocking them. Press and hold their chat, tap the bell icon to mute notifications, and you won't see alerts when they message you — though the messages will still arrive. This is useful if you want to stay friends but don't want constant notifications.
Can you undo a deletion?
Snapchat does not have an "undo" button for deletions. Once you delete someone, they are removed from your friends list immediately. However, you can add them back by searching for their username and sending them a friend request, just as you would with anyone else. They will see the request and can choose to accept or decline.
If you accidentally delete someone you meant to keep, the fastest way to fix it is to search for their username in Snapchat's search bar and tap "Add" to send them a new friend request. They may wonder why you removed and re-added them, but Snapchat does not show them a reason.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I deleted them?
Snapchat does not send a notification when you delete someone. However, they may notice over time that they can no longer see your stories or that you are not responding to their messages. There is no way for them to see a list of who deleted them.
Can a deleted friend still message me?
Yes. Their messages will arrive in your "Added Me" section instead of your main chat list. You can read and respond to them, but they won't appear in your active conversations unless you add the person back as a friend.
What's the difference between deleting and blocking?
Deleting removes someone from your friends list but they can still see your public profile and send you messages. Blocking prevents them from messaging you, calling you, viewing your story, or seeing your profile at all. Block someone if you want to cut off all contact.
Can I delete someone without them finding out?
Yes. Snapchat does not notify the person you deleted them. They will not receive a message or alert. They may eventually notice if they try to view your story or message you, but there is no way for them to know for certain that you deleted them rather than just being inactive.
How do I delete someone from my chat list but keep them as a friend?
Swipe left on their chat (iPhone) or press and hold it (Android) and tap "Delete Chat." This removes the conversation from your chat list but keeps them on your friends list. You can still message them later, and the chat history will be gone.