Quick Add lets other Snapchat users find and add you based on your phone contacts and mutual friends — here's how to disable it
Quick Add is a Snapchat feature that suggests new people to add based on who has your phone number saved, who you have saved, and mutual friends you share. If you turn it off, you won't appear in other people's Quick Add recommendations, and you won't see Quick Add suggestions yourself. The setting is in your profile, and it takes about 30 seconds to change.
Whether you want to limit who can find you, reduce unwanted friend requests, or simply prefer to add people manually, turning off Quick Add is straightforward. You can disable it entirely or adjust which information Snapchat uses to suggest connections.
Key Takeaways
- Open Snapchat, tap your profile icon in the top left, then tap the gear icon to reach Settings.
- Go to Contact Me, then toggle off "Quick Add" to stop appearing in other users' suggestions.
- You can also turn off "See Me in Quick Add" separately if you want to see suggestions but not be suggested to others.
- Disabling Quick Add does not remove people who already added you through it — you'll need to remove them manually if desired.
- The setting takes effect immediately, though it may take a few minutes for Snapchat's servers to update across all devices.
Step-by-step: Turning off Quick Add in Settings
Start by opening Snapchat and tapping your profile icon. This is the circular image or initial in the top left corner of the camera screen. Once you tap it, your profile page opens.
Next, tap the gear icon in the top right of your profile page. This opens your Settings menu. Scroll down until you see "Contact Me" — this section controls how other people can find and reach you on Snapchat.
Under Contact Me, you'll see "Quick Add" with a toggle switch next to it. Tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will change color (usually from blue to gray) to show it's now disabled. That's all you need to do — Quick Add is now off.
What happens when you turn off Quick Add
When you disable Quick Add, you stop appearing in other people's Quick Add recommendations. This means people who don't already have you as a friend won't see your profile suggested to them based on shared contacts or mutual friends. You also won't see Quick Add suggestions in your own app.
People can still add you if they search for your username directly or if you share your Snapcode with them. Turning off Quick Add only removes one way people can discover you — it doesn't make your account private or hidden from search.
If someone already added you through Quick Add before you turned it off, they remain your friend. Disabling the feature doesn't remove existing connections. You'll need to manually remove them from your friends list if you want to unfriend them.
The difference between "Quick Add" and "See Me in Quick Add"
Snapchat offers two related but separate toggles. The main "Quick Add" toggle controls whether you see Quick Add suggestions and whether you appear in others' suggestions. Turning this off disables the feature entirely for you.
Some versions of Snapchat also show a "See Me in Quick Add" option. This toggle lets you hide from Quick Add suggestions while still being able to see them yourself. If you want to browse Quick Add but don't want others to find you that way, you can turn off "See Me in Quick Add" while leaving the main Quick Add toggle on.
If you can't find the Quick Add setting
The location of Quick Add settings can vary slightly depending on your Snapchat version and whether you're on iOS or Android. If you don't see it under Contact Me, scroll through the entire Settings menu — it may appear under a different section like "Who Can" or "Privacy."
If the setting doesn't appear at all, make sure your Snapchat app is fully updated. Open your device's app store (Apple App Store or Google Play Store), search for Snapchat, and check whether an update is available. Older versions of the app may not have all current settings visible.
You can also try logging out and back in. Sometimes the app needs a fresh login to display all available settings. Close Snapchat completely, wait a few seconds, then reopen it and log in again.
How Quick Add uses your contacts and data
Quick Add works by comparing your phone's contact list with other Snapchat users' contact lists. If someone has your phone number saved and they use Snapchat, Snapchat may suggest you to them, and vice versa. The feature also looks at mutual friends — if you and another user have several friends in common, you may appear in each other's Quick Add suggestions.
Snapchat accesses your contacts only if you've given the app permission to do so. You can control this permission separately from the Quick Add toggle. If you want to prevent Snapchat from accessing your contacts entirely, you can revoke that permission in your phone's Settings app under Privacy or Permissions, then select Snapchat and turn off Contacts access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people I already added see that I turned off Quick Add?
No. Turning off Quick Add is a private setting that only affects how you appear in suggestions for new people. Your existing friends won't be notified or see any change in your profile.
Can I turn Quick Add back on later?
Yes. Go back to Settings, find Contact Me, and toggle Quick Add back on. You can turn it on and off as many times as you want with no penalty or waiting period.
Does turning off Quick Add make my account private?
No. Quick Add is just one way people discover you. Turning it off removes you from suggestions, but people can still find you by searching your username, viewing your Snapcode, or being added by you. Snapchat doesn't have a traditional "private account" setting like some other social apps.
If I turn off Quick Add, will it remove people who already added me?
No. Disabling Quick Add only stops new people from finding you that way. Anyone who already added you through Quick Add stays on your friends list. You'll need to manually remove them if you don't want them as a friend.
Why am I still seeing Quick Add suggestions even though I turned it off?
If you turned off the main Quick Add toggle, you shouldn't see suggestions. Try closing the app completely and reopening it — sometimes the app needs to refresh. If suggestions still appear, check whether you accidentally toggled it back on, or update your Snapchat app to the latest version.