Snapchat is a popular social media for users to lower their guard down and reveal a lot about their daily lives. That’s why one might need to find someone on Snapchat to create a complete profile of a person. Explore how to find someone on Snapchat using both in-app and external tools with this complete guide by X-Ray Contact.
Why You May Need to Search for a Person With Snapchat
People usually get more personal on Snapchat compared to other social media. Here are some scenarios where you might need to search for a person on Snapchat:
- Save Temporary Content. This social media is well-known for its fleeting posting, where messages, photos and videos disappear after being viewed. You can exploit Snapchat to collect the digital footprint of the person, even if it was posted for a limited amount of time.
- Use Geolocation Function. Snapchat’s Snap Map feature allows users to see where their friends are located in real time, provided they have enabled this feature. That’s why looking for a person’s Snapchat might be your best shot if you want to find someone’s immediate location.
- Get Real-Time Interactions. The app facilitates real-time interaction through features like messaging, voice and video calls as well as live stories. You can observe how the user networks with others to know more about their communication style and immediate circle.
Fast Way to Find Someone on Snapchat
The approach to how to find someone on Snapchat differs depending on what entry data you can have a hold on. The two primary entry sources are phone number and username. Let’s discuss the most useful strategies and how they can simplify your Snapchat research process.
Employ X-Ray Contact
X-Ray Contact investigation is the most comprehensive strategy to find not just Snapchat but also get as much information about the person as possible. This OSINT tool has various channels you can exploit to find someone on Snapchat, but focusing on a phone can be the most effective one.
Reverse Phone Search
The first option is to start off with a phone number in case a person uses it to register their Snapchat account. The algorithm is simple:
- Go to the “Platform” section and select “Phone Search” as your data type.
- Insert the phone number of the person, so that the instrument will compare it to thousands of findings from its providers. If the person’s phone was featured in any one of them, you will receive, including Snapchat data.
Snapchat Search by Reverse Username
Your second shot is investigating based on the person’s username used in other social media. Oftentimes, people don’t come up with new usernames for every different social media account. You can use this habit for your own benefit and find someone with ease by reverse searching their username.
There are various instruments you can employ for Snapchat investigations based on the username, such as Social Catfish, InfoTracer and Spokeo. However, be aware that there is no one certain answer to which username search option is best since they draw information from a variety of sources. The accuracy of your search username quarry depends on location and demographics, so opt for the instrument that suits your needs best.
Use the Snapchat Search Tool
You can also try to exploit search options provided by the app to find someone by phone or username. However, the downside is that such investigations can be more limited and less reliable in terms of results.
Find Someone on Snapchat From Your Contact
This method works best if your user of interest is part of your contact list. Follow these steps:
- Open the Snapchat app on your device. Make sure you’re logged in to your account to start a username or phone search.
- Go to the “Friends” icon to access your contact’s username list.
- Snapchat, from time to time, syncs your phone contacts to suggest friends you may know who are also on Snapchat. That’s why you should click on the “Add Friends” option and then select “Contacts” or “Find My Contacts.” You can investigate the list of recommendations derived from your phone contact book. However, take note that due to Snapchat privacy settings, you won’t be able to see or add someone as a friend unless they’ve also added you or made their account discoverable to phone contacts.
Tips on How to Find Someone on Snapchat
If you are about to kick off the investigation with any of these tools, keep in mind these tricks how to find someone on Snapchat using either username or phone:
- If you’re not sure about the exact username, try variations or common misspellings.
- If you don’t have a username or phone number, search for the user’s Snapcode.
- Mutual friends may have the person of interest added on Snapchat, so you can find their username or phone through your friends list.
- Some people may share their Snapchat usernames and phone numbers on other social media profiles, so it may be useful to do a Google search first.
The Shortcomings of Finding Someone on Snapchat
However, be aware that Snapchat is not a perfect social media to look for a person with minimal entry data. Take into account these pitfalls:
- Snapchat’s search primarily relies on usernames, phone numbers or Snapcodes. If you don’t have this information, finding someone will be difficult, especially if they have a common name.
- The Snapchat directory feature may not include all users, such as those who set their accounts to private. That’s why the search may fail even if you have a username or phone.
- You can’t investigate a profile if the user does not add you to the friend circle. Even if someone’s Snapchat username or phone are revealed, there’s no guarantee that the person will accept friend requests from unknown users.
Conclusion
If used properly, Snapchat can be an attention-worthy OSINT source. Even though disclosing someone’s phone or username can be tricky, invest effort to benefit from unique social media insights.