How to turn off story notifications from non-friends
Snapchat sends story notifications to everyone by default — not just people you follow back. You can stop these notifications in your settings by turning off Story notifications entirely, or by muting individual users. The fastest route is to go to Settings > Notifications > Story and toggle the setting off. If you want to keep story notifications from friends but silence strangers, you'll need to mute people one at a time from your chat list or their profile.
The reason you're seeing these notifications is that Snapchat treats "stories" differently from direct messages. A story is public by default — anyone who has added you, or who you've added, can see it and send you notifications about theirs. Unlike Instagram or TikTok, Snapchat doesn't separate "followers" from "friends" in the same way, so the app assumes you want to know when anyone in your contacts posts.
Key Takeaways
- Turn off all story notifications at once by going to Settings > Notifications > Story and toggling the switch off.
- Mute individual users by opening their profile, tapping the three dots, and selecting Mute Story — this stops their notifications without removing them from your contacts.
- You can also mute someone from your chat list by swiping left on their name and tapping the mute icon.
- Muting a story is different from blocking or removing someone; they won't know you've muted them, and you can still message them.
Turn off story notifications for everyone at once
If you don't want any story notifications, the quickest fix is to disable them globally. Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner, then tap the gear icon to open Settings. Scroll down to Notifications and tap Story. You'll see a toggle switch — turn it off. From that moment on, you won't receive notifications when anyone posts a story, whether they're a close friend or someone you barely know.
This is the right choice if you check stories on your own schedule and don't need the app to alert you. You can still see stories by opening the Stories tab in Snapchat; you just won't get a notification that they exist. The downside is that you lose notifications from people you do care about, so this works best if you're someone who opens Snapchat regularly anyway.
Mute stories from specific people
If you want to keep story notifications from close friends but silence everyone else, you'll need to mute people individually. The fastest way is to open someone's profile, tap the three dots in the top right corner, and select Mute Story. You can also mute someone from your chat list by swiping left on their name (on iPhone) or long-pressing it (on Android), then tapping the mute icon that appears.
When you mute someone's story, you stop getting notifications about their posts, but you can still see their story if you go looking for it in the Stories tab. They won't know you've muted them — Snapchat doesn't tell users when someone mutes their story. You can unmute them the same way if you change your mind later.
The difference between muting, blocking, and removing
Muting a story is the gentlest option: they can still message you, you can still see their story if you want to, and they have no idea it happened. Removing someone from your contacts (by swiping left on their name and tapping Remove) means they can no longer see your stories or message you directly — they'll have to add you again. Blocking someone prevents them from messaging you, seeing your stories, or even finding your account.
For unwanted story notifications, muting is almost always the right choice. Use removing if someone is bothering you but you don't want to block them permanently. Use blocking only if someone is harassing you or you want a complete break.
Why you're getting notifications from people you don't follow
Snapchat's notification system is based on your contacts list, not on a follow/unfollow model like Instagram. If someone has added you and you've added them back (or even if you've just added them), they can post stories that trigger notifications on your phone. Snapchat assumes mutual contact means you want to hear about their stories.
This is different from how Instagram works — on Instagram, you can follow someone without them following you back, and you control notifications separately. On Snapchat, the relationship is more binary: either you're contacts or you're not. That's why you might get notifications from people you added years ago and haven't talked to since.
What to do if someone keeps messaging you after you mute their story
Muting a story doesn't affect direct messages. If someone is messaging you repeatedly and you don't want to talk to them, you have two options: remove them from your contacts (so they can't message you unless they add you again), or block them entirely. You can also mute notifications from direct messages separately — go to Settings > Notifications > Messages and toggle that off if you want to silence all message alerts.
If the person is harassing you, blocking is the right move. Snapchat won't tell them you've blocked them, but they'll notice they can't find your account or message you anymore. You can unblock someone later if you change your mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I mute someone's story without removing them as a contact?
Yes. Muting a story stops notifications but keeps them in your contacts. You can still message them and see their story if you look for it. They won't know you've muted them.
If I turn off story notifications, will my friends know?
No. Snapchat doesn't notify anyone when you turn off story notifications or mute their story. They have no way of knowing unless you tell them.
What happens if I remove someone from my contacts?
They can no longer message you or see your stories. They can add you again if they want to reconnect. Removing is less permanent than blocking — they'll know something changed because they can't reach you.
Can I mute stories on the web version of Snapchat?
Snapchat's web version is limited and doesn't include all the settings available in the mobile app. You'll need to use the Snapchat app on your phone to mute stories or change notification settings.
Why do I still see stories from people I muted?
Muting only stops notifications — it doesn't hide their stories. You can still see them in the Stories tab if you scroll through. If you don't want to see their stories at all, you'll need to remove or block them instead.