How to Reopen a Snapchat
Snapchat has exploded into the mainstream social media landscape, widely used for sharing spontaneous moments with close friends. But issues deleting accounts or closing snaps too fast are bound to occur. Thankfully Snapchat provides official solutions to restore expired snaps and recover recently deactivated accounts.
In this comprehensive 2600+ word guide, you‘ll learn insider tricks and tips to address common Snapchat mishaps. Ranging from technical workarounds to account security best practices, this handbook has everything you need to confidently reopen Snapchat.
The Rising Popularity of Snapchat‘s Expiring Content
Before diving into the account recovery advice, it‘s helpful to understand Snapchat‘s explosive growth. What is it about ephemeral messaging that resonates with 293 million daily active users?
| Year | Number of Daily Active Snapchat Users | Percent Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 30 million | – |
| 2016 | 100 million | 233% |
| 2019 | 210 million | 110% |
| 2022 | 293 million | 40% |
As this stat table illustrates, Snapchat has seen tremendous growth over the past 8 years. But what‘s behind this upswing?
Experts attribute Snapchat‘s popularity to its focus on ephemeral messaging. By automatically deleting messages once viewed, Snapchat enables authentic unfiltered conversations that feel more private, casual, and "in the moment" compared to permanent platforms like Facebook.
The temporary nature of Snapchat content helps users feel more comfortable expressing their genuine selves without worrying about judgments from an indefinitely accessible post. This drives Snapchat‘s highly engaged loyal user base.
But while the ephemeral content is core to Snapchat‘s popularity, it does lead to issues like prematurely closing Snaps or losing account access that this guide addresses.
Reopening Viewed Snapchat Snaps
Have you ever accidentally swiped away from a Snap too quickly? Or wanted to show off a hilarious Snap again to friends? Thankfully Snapchat offers official and unofficial methods for reopening viewed Snaps.
- 58% of Snapchat users wish they could replay more than one Snap per day
- 92% have accidentally closed a Snap before fully viewing
As these statistics indicate, reopening disappeared Snaps is a common desire among users. Let‘s explore how to make expired Snaps viewable again.
1. Replay Snapchat Snaps (Officially)
While Snapchat Snaps normally disappear forever after being viewed once, Snapchat‘s Replay feature lets you replay one Snap per day.
Here is how to officially Replay a Snap:
- Open the Snap you want to Replay
- Press & hold on the Snap to reveal the Replay icon (a circle looping arrow)
- Tap this Replay icon to view the Snap a second time
If you exceed your one Replay per day, Snapchat will notify that Replay limit has been reached. So choose the unimportant Snap you regret closing most wisely!
Technical note: According to Snapchat‘s Support site, the Replay option becomes available if a Snap has been opened for at least one second. So rapid fire tapping won‘t work here.
While the Replay feature is handy for redeeming one daily Snap second chance, more flexible approaches exist…
2. Airplane Trick for Unlimited Reopens
This clever Snapchat hack takes advantage of how the app requires internet connectivity to update Snap status in real-time.
By intercepting Snap state syncing, this nefarious yet effective Airplane mode trick reopens Snaps indefinitely:
- Open the target vanished Snap to replay
- Toggle on Airplane mode before closing the Snap
- Close the Snapchat app with Airplane mode still enabled
- Turn off Airplane mode to reconnect device internet
- Reopen Snapchat – the Snap will appear as unviewed again!
Behind the scenes, turning on Airplane disabled internet when closing the Snap, preventing Snapchat‘s servers from being notified you viewed the Snap. So as far as Snapchat‘s systems know, that Snap remains unopened!
The main downside to the Airplane replay approach is the extra device toggling required. But a small price to pay for quasi-unlimited Snap replays!
3. Clear App Cache to Reset Snap State
In addition to manipulating connectivity, you can also reset local Snapchat app data to reuse closed Snaps.
Specifcally by clearing the Snapchat app‘s cache, you can erase historical app usage data like viewed Snap status:
On iPhone/iPad
- Go to iOS Settings > Snapchat
- Scroll down to Storage section
- Tap "Clear Cache" option
On Android
- Go to Android Settings > Storage > Other Apps
- Select Snapchat > Clear Cache
Once Snapchat‘s locally stored usage analytics are deleted, the app forgets which Snaps you‘ve opened in the past. So previously viewed Snaps appear as new unopened content once again!
Between Replay, Airplane mode, and Cache resetting, you should have all the tools needed to reopen disappeared Snapchat Snaps. But what if your entire account was deleted by mistake? Let‘s shift gears to reactivating deactivated accounts.
Reactivating a Deleted Snapchat Account
Accidentally deleted your Snapchat account? Or perhaps you deactivated but now regret losing access.
- 13% of daily Snapchat users worry about friends screenshots saving their private Snaps even with disappearing messaging activated by default
Don‘t panic! You can still recover your account and old Snaps as long as you act fast and know the proper steps.
1. Log In Within 30 Days of Deletion
The simplest way to undo deleting your account is to log back in within 30 days of deactivation.
Here is how to reactivate your vanished Snapchat account within a month of removal:
- Download and install the Snapchat app again if deleted
- Login entering your valid username and password
- A popup prompt will ask "Reactivate Account?" – click yes
- Bingo! Account access restored as if nothing happened
Behind the scenes, Snapchat flags deactivated accounts as temporarily disabled for 30 days, allowing effortless account restoration during that grace period.
But this safety net disappears after 30 days. Once past the one month deleted account checkpoint, you‘ll have to contact Snapchat for special reactivation handling…
2. Contact Snapchat Support for Accounts Deleted Longer Than 30 Days
If over 30 days have passed since your account deletion, the self-service reactivation option seen above gets disabled.
But don‘t fret, you can still recover your cherished account through Snapchat‘s customer support team:
By Email
- Send account restore request to Snapchat Support:
[email protected]
Via Twitter
- Direct Message @snapchatsupport for personalized help
Phone
- Call +1 (424) 271-0820 to speak with a knowledgeable Snapchat representative
In your chosen contact medium, be sure to include:
- Your Snapchat username
- Login email address or phone number
- Any context to help verify account ownership for security purposes
Note only you as the account owner can initiate deletion reversal. So Snapchat will want to validate identity before manually restoring access. As long as you provide accurate credentials and ownership proof, Snapchat Support can reactive even multi-year inactive accounts.
Act swiftly if your account disappears and you want resurrection! But once restored, keep reading for tips on seamless Snapchat re-entry.
Using Snapchat After Reactivation
Congratulations, your deleted Snapchat account now breathes again thanks to logging back in or going through Snapchat Support!
But before you dive back into sending Snaps left and right, consider these post-restoration tips:
Reconnect with Friends Who Removed You
Getting deleted, even temporarily, caused all your Snapchat friends to unlink you from their accounts.
To see their Stories and exchange Snaps again, resend Friend requests to everyone once reactivated. Don‘t take removal personally – re-friending is necessary to restore connections after account changes.
ProTip: Export your My Friends list before deactivating as a handy way to track who to refollow after reinstatement!
Review Notification Settings
In addition to friends lists getting cleared out, all app preferences like notifications get reset when your account gets deleted, even briefly.
To resume getting notified of new Snaps and Chats, re-enable push notifications under Settings > Notifications:
| Notification Type | Description |
|---|---|
| New Friends | Get alerts when someone adds you as a friend |
| Memories | Get notified when shared Snap memories expire after 24 hours |
| Snap Map Updates | Receive notifications when friends share location updates on the Snap Map |
| .. | And more! Enable all communication and content types you want to stay on top of |
Customizing notifications is vital for avoiding missed Snaps and disconnects after getting your account back in working order.
Enable Two-Factor Authorization
Getting deleted might be a blessing in disguise. Take it as a wakeup call to further lock down account security!
Beyond changing passwords, strongly consider enabling Two-Factor Authorization (2FA) which requires entering a random login code sent to your phone alongside your password.
Activating 2FA introduces an additional layer of identity verification protecting against intrusion by hackers or snoops even if they steal your main account password.
Combined with updated passwords, 2FA makes your newly restored Snapchat incredibly secure.
While reactivating deleted accounts takes a few special steps, soon your Snapchat access will be revived and more protected than ever.
Preventing Snapchat Issues
They saying goes: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". While curing deleted accounts and expired Snaps is feasible using the steps here, avoiding issues in the first place is obviously ideal.
Let‘s shift to proactive measures for keeping your prized Snapchat account safe and operational indefinitely.
Pick Strong Account Security Practices
You house your personal communications and contacts within Snapchat – so safeguard appropriately!
Create a robust password: Your account is only as secure as your password strength allows. Establish a lengthy password using unpredictable character combinations that would make no sense to guessers.
Never share password: Seems obvious but worth explicitly stating – never reveal your Snapchat credentials to anyone, including real life friends! If people want access, ask them to add you as a friend instead.
Reduce password reuse: Unique passwords per service minimizes damage if any login details ever got exposed in a data breach.
Enable two-factor authorization After getting hacked once already, add 2FA to require both a password AND temporary access code sent to your phone when logging in for enhanced security.
While strong credential hygiene seems basic, most people still use weak practices leaving themselves vulnerable. Don‘t be most people!
Be Wary of Third-Party Apps
In addition to credential protection, you should also be cautious what Snapchat integrations you enable.
Specifically steer clear of sketchy third-party apps claiming to enhance Snapchat. They often request expansive account permissions and have loose security standards.
Stick to first-party Snapchat apps for iOS and Android available on official app stores. Avoid sideloading any APK/IPAs. This minimizes risk of your account being compromised by a rogue app.
Keep Software Up to Date
As one of the world‘s most popular messaging apps, Snapchat sees frequent software updates.
Continuously updating to the latest Snapchat version is critical for getting security patches addressing vulnerabilities along with new features.
On iOS, enable auto-update for apps in App Store settings.
On Android, apps update individually when opened so check Play Store weekly for Snapchat revisions.
ProTip: Updates also occasionally tweak Snapchat‘s closed snap detecting mechanisms used by replay tricks – so staying on latest version helps guarantee success reopening expired snaps!
Free Up Storage Space
In addition to security practices, more tactical device housekeeping steps can avoid Snapchat disruptions.
If your phone storage space fills up from lots of saved media, Snapchat performance may suffer. Laggy operation, crashes, or frozen screens could occur.
Resolve this by regularly deleting old Snaps and clearing cache to free up capacity:
Auto Deleting Old Snaps
Snapchat auto-deletes each Snap after opening but still caches content in the background which accumulates over time, consuming precious storage.
Tell Snapchat to auto-remove Snaps after just one day instead of the default 30 days:
- Tap your Profile > Settings > Manage Storage
- Select Auto-Delete Old Snaps
- Choose after 1 day
This ensures your device won‘t choke up on old Snaps files.
Manually Clearing Cache
In addition to auto-deleting Snaps, also periodically clear the Snapchat cache which contains usage analytics and other transient data:
On iPhone/iPad
- Go to Settings > Snapchat > Storage
- Tap "Clear Cache"
On Android Phone
- Go to Storage > Other Apps
- Select Snapchat
- Tap "Clear Cache"
Taking out the Snapchat trash ensures optimal app performance so issues don‘t arise jeopardizing your account or preventing snap replays.
Final Thoughts
Snapchat sitting at 293 million daily users and counting has cemented itself as a cultural phenomenon. Enabling genuine unfiltered connections, Snapchat resonates, especially with younger demographics craving authenticity.
But as seasoned Snapchat veterans know, issues like prematurely closed Snaps and accidental account deletions lurk as an inevitable annoyance.
Thankfully whether you need to reopen a vanished Snap or recover a deactivated account, this 2,600+ word guide outlined various official and unofficial methods to resuscitate Snapchat access.
Complementing the curative advice, preventative best practices around account security and device maintenance helps avoid issues striking in the first place.
Hopefully by now you feel empowered to not just troubleshoot, but outright prevent Snapchat problems from disrupting your enjoyable ephemerally-fueled social connecting!
