Short answer
Act fast: reset your password at accounts.snapchat.com — Snapchat sends a reset link by SMS or email — then check that the email and mobile number in Settings are still yours and log out every session you don’t recognise in Session Management. Snapchat lists the signs of a compromised account: login alerts from unknown places, a changed number, email or display name, two-factor authentication you didn’t set up, Stories or messages you didn’t send, and a “Download My Data” notice you didn’t request. If the hacker changed your details and you can’t get in, contact Snapchat Support. Then turn on two-factor authentication and save your Recovery Code. Never share your password or My Eyes Only passcode — Snapchat says its staff will never ask for them.
Signs your Snapchat was hacked
| What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|
| Login alerts from places, IP addresses or devices you don’t recognise | Change your password and end unknown sessions |
| A changed mobile number, email address or display name | Reset the password from accounts.snapchat.com and restore your details |
| Two-factor authentication you didn’t set up | Treat it as a takeover: contact Snapchat Support if it blocks you |
| Snaps, chats, friend requests or Stories you didn’t send | Secure the account, delete the posts and warn your friends |
| New friends you didn’t add, or frequent login prompts | Check Session Management and remove unknown friends |
| A “Download My Data” notification you didn’t request | Someone may be copying your data: secure the account straight away |
If you can still log in
- Change your password — in the app or at accounts.snapchat.com. Use one you don’t use anywhere else.
- Check your contact details: in Settings, make sure the email address and mobile number are yours, so reset links reach you.
- Log out unknown sessions: Profile → Settings (gear) → My Account → Session Management, then tap the X next to any device or browser you don’t recognise. Snapchat notes a session can stay active for a short while after you end it.
- Turn on two-factor authentication under My Account → Two-Factor Authentication, and generate a Recovery Code there.
- Clean up: remove friends you didn’t add, delete Stories or Spotlight posts you didn’t make, and tell friends who received strange messages from you.
If you can’t log in
- Request a reset link from the Snapchat login screen or accounts.snapchat.com — by SMS to your number or by email.
- If the hacker changed your email and number, the reset link goes to them. Contact Snapchat Support through its help site, with your username and the original email and number on the account.
- If you turned on two-factor authentication and lost your phone, log in with your Recovery Code. Snapchat says it can’t help with lost Recovery Codes, and that logging in with one switches two-factor authentication off — turn it back on afterwards.
- If the app says your account is locked rather than hacked, that is a different process — see Snapchat account locked.
Keep the hacker out for good
- Save the Recovery Code somewhere safe — a password manager or a printout kept securely, not an email to yourself, as Snapchat advises.
- Check Session Management every so often; Snapchat for Web at accounts.snapchat.com shows sessions too.
- Secure the email account linked to Snapchat: whoever controls it can reset your Snapchat password. See where to check logged-in devices.
- Never share codes. Messages from a “friend” or “Snapchat Support” asking for a code you just received are how many accounts are lost — see the verification code scam.
Scams sent from your account
Hacked Snapchat accounts are used to message the owner’s friends: requests for money or codes, fake investment tips, or attempts to get intimate images. Snapchat also counts it as a warning sign when someone contacts you off Snapchat about things only you would know. Warn your friends that the messages weren’t from you. If anyone is threatening to share intimate images, read sextortion: what to do; for scam posts made from hacked accounts, see when a hacked account posts scams.
Frequently asked questions
Will logging out other sessions kick the hacker out?
It ends their session, although Snapchat notes a session can stay active briefly. Change your password at the same time so they can’t simply log in again.
The hacker changed my email and phone number. Can I still recover my Snapchat?
Yes, but not through the normal reset link, which now goes to the hacker. Contact Snapchat Support with your username and the original email and number on the account.
I lost my phone and I have two-factor authentication on. How do I log in?
Use your Recovery Code. Snapchat can’t help with lost Recovery Codes, so generate one now and store it safely if you haven’t.
Will Snapchat ever ask for my password?
No. Snapchat says its representatives will never ask for your password or your My Eyes Only passcode.
Sources: Snapchat Support — my account is compromised, Snapchat Support — manage the devices signed in to your account, Snapchat Support — how to use a Recovery Code, Snapchat Support — my Snapchat account is locked