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Why Is Snapchat Account Locked and How to Unlock It

by Gaurav Bidasaria
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Your Snapchat account may be locked for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, failure to follow laid guidelines, terms of service, content violation, and more. Furthermore, Snapchat accounts are either temporarily locked or permanently locked. Let us understand why Snapchat accounts are locked, and what you can do to get your Snapchat account unlocked.

Reasons Why Your Snapchat Account Is Locked

As noted above, there could be a host of reasons behind your Snapchat account’s lock. Here are a few of them in no particular order:

  • Your content violates Snapchat’s Community Guidelines which prohibits harassing, bullying, impersonating, posting and sharing adult content, encouraging self-harm, making threats or engaging in violent behavior, disinformation or deception, illegal or unregulated activities, hateful content, etc.
  • Someone reported your Snapchat account and it is under review.
  • You tried to sign in from an unknown or new device or from a different location (traveling to a new country or state?).
  • Snapchat thinks your account’s security was compromised or hacked and has locked it as a security measure. Think someone you don’t know tried to access it?
  • Snapchat detects spam or suspicious activity like sending too many friend requests, lots of messages with the same content to many different users, etc. A temporary ban is enforced for such actions faster if your Snapchat account is unverified.
  • Some users reported being locked out of their Snapchat accounts because they were using a third-party app.

Breaking the rules or indulging in bad behavior can get your Snapchat account locked, temporarily or permanently. So what to do?

Pro Tip: Confused by all the icons and symbols on Snapchat and what they mean? We have a guide just for you.

How to Unlock Your Snapchat Account

If your Snapchat account has been permanently locked, there is no way to regain access to it. Unfortunate but we don’t make the rules. Usually, it takes a lot to get your account permanently banned. However, if the ban is temporary, you can take steps to get your Snapchat account unlocked.

1. Be Patient

Wait for 24 hours before the ban is lifted and then try to sign back in. When a ban is enforced, users are signed out automatically and unable to sign in for a day. Then you can take further steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again. We discuss them in the next section.

2. Unlock Snapchat Account Using Unlock Tool

Snapchat offers a dedicated link that will help you unlock your account faster. Again, you will need to sign in to uplift the ban. Once signed in, tap on Unlock button.

unlock snapchat account using unlock tool

3. Use Forgot Password Option

If you still can’t sign in, tap on Forgot Your Password option and reset the password. A verification link will be sent to your registered email id. Open that link and then follow the on-screen instructions to set a new password.

snapchat forgot password option

4. Recover Hacked Snapchat Account

If you think your Snapchat account has been hacked, here’s what to do.

1. Open Snapchat Help Page, and select the I think my account was compromised option.

Note: If that doesn’t work for you, repeat the same process but this time, select I can’t access my account option instead,

report compromised snapchat account

2. Snapchat will ask for some details like username, verification details like email id and phone number, and a description of the problem you are facing. Fill out the form and submit it.

submit snapchat account recovery form

You can also use Snapchat in a browser on your computer.

What You Can Do to Avoid Snapchat Account Locks

Once you have regained access to your Snapchat account, make sure this doesn’t happen in the future. You can do so by being proactive and taking certain steps to secure your account. Also, as mentioned earlier, follow the Community Guidelines.

1. Verify Account Details

Verify your mobile number and email address if not already added to the profile.

1. Open Snapchat once you have gained access to it using the methods above. Now tap on your profile icon and then select Settings (cog icon).

snapchat profile settings

2. Again tap on Settings (cog icon) and here, you can enter or update email id and mobile number details.

enter or update email id or mobile number details

2. Use Official Apps Only

Use official Snapchat’s Android or iOS apps. Furthermore, uninstall any and all 3rd party apps you have been using.

3. Update Password and Enable 2FA

If you believe your Snapchat account was compromised, change your password and enable 2FA. First, we will change the password.

1. Go back to your profile and open Settings. You will find the Password and 2FA options.

update password in snapchat

2. Tap on Password here. You will need to enter the current password before you can create a new one. The new password needs to be entered twice to make sure you remember what you entered as a password.

create new password for snapchat

3. Go back to the Settings screen and select 2FA now. Snapchat will display some information. Tap on Continue and Let’s do it.

confirm 2FA enable steps

4. You can choose to authenticate either via SMS or an Authenticator app like Google Auuthenticator or Authy. SMS is not safe and often subjected to SIM swap attacks. We recommend using Authenticator app. Download the app and then select Set Up Automatically.

set up 2fa authentication on snapchat

5. Tap on Continue. If you have a 2FA app already installed and set up (account created and signed in), Snapchat should open the app directly and add the details. The authenticator app will now generate a new 6-digit code every 30 seconds. Enter the newly generated code in the Snapchat app to verify and confirm.

confirm 2fa on snapchat

Download Google Authenticator: Android | iOS

Download Authy: Android | iOS

4. Other Steps to Maintain Snapchat Account

  • Follow Community Guidelines and content policy.
  • Try to use the same smartphone or device to operate your Snapchat account.
  • Use official Snapchat apps only.
  • Don’t spam or indulge in spam like behavior like sending too many messages, friend requests, etc.

FAQs

1. What to do if nothing works and my Snapchat account is still locked?

As a last resort, you can contact Snapchat helpdesk with key details like Snapchat account username, registered email id, and phone number.

2. Can I create a new Snapchat account if the old one is rendered unusable or I can’t regain access to it?

Yes, you may create a new Snapchat account. However, you may need to use a new email id and a new mobile number. You can use the same email ID and number for both if you are running one personal and one business account.

Unlocking Locked Snapchat Account

There are a few ways to go about this problem. We highly recommend updating your account with a new password, 2FA, and personal details like email id and phone number. This will make sure your Snapchat account won’t get locked in the future and if it does, you can unban or unlock it faster. Finally, don’t follow shady practices, be nice, and have fun and you should be okay.

Meanwhile, want to mute someone on Snapchat. Know everything that happens when someone is muted on Snapchat.

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