If you enjoy fun, interactive, and easy-to-use social media platforms, then Snapchat should be your go-to app.
Even though other social platforms have more users than Snapchat, it still ranks well among younger users who like a platform with multiple features.
They also prefer Snapchat for its disappearing photos or messages and several editing features and filters to polish their photos. Another feature that many Snapchat users enjoy is Snapchat stories.
If you’re new to Snapchat, you might not know how to view Snapchat stories.
To view stories on Snapchat, launch the Snapchat app and tap on the stories icon (two silhouettes) on the icon bar at the bottom of the screen. At the top of the screen will be various stories uploaded within the last 24 hours. Tap on any story to view.
This article is for you if you’re struggling with viewing Snapchat stories. We cover two methods for viewing Snapchat stories and a way to view Snapchat stories without notifying the user.
Overview of Snapchat Stories
Snapchat stories are collections of media (photos or videos) from your Snapchat friends shared through the stories feature. Like most stories on other social media apps, Snapchat stories disappear after 24 hours.
The default Snapchat setting for stories is that they are visible to all your friends, who can view your story as often as they like.
You can see who viewed your story by tapping the eye icon within your story. Please note that you can only see your list of story viewers when the story is live.
That is, within 24 hours of uploading it. After this timeline lapses, you can no longer tell who viewed your Snapchat story.
Now, let’s discuss how to share your own stories with your friends.
How To Share a Story on Snapchat?
If you’ve never posted a Snapchat story before, we are here to help.
Method #1: Post New Media
To post a story with new media on Snapchat, follow these steps:
- Open the Snapchat app on your mobile device.
- Take a photo or video by using the capture button.
- Tap the “Story” button at the bottom.
Method #2: Post Existing Media
If you want to share a story using a photo or video in your phone gallery, follow these steps:
- Launch the Snapchat app on your mobile device.
- Tap the gallery icon (circle with two squares inside) next to the capture button.
- Tap on the “Camera Roll” tab.
- Select the photo or video.
- Tap the “Story” button at the bottom.
Next, we discuss the exact steps to viewing Snapchat stories.
Step-by-Step Guide to Viewing Snapchat Stories
Viewing Snapchat stories is an excellent way to keep up with friends. There are two methods of viewing Snapchat stories. Let’s discuss those below.
Method #1: From the Stories Screen
Follow these steps to view Snapchat stories on the stories screen:
- Open the Snapchat app on your mobile device.
- Swipe right on the screen or tap the people icon at the bottom.
- Tap on any story at the top to view it.
Method #2: From the Chats Screen
If you’ve been chatting with someone on Snapchat before, you can view their Snapchat story by tapping their profile icon on the chats screen. Follow these steps:
- Open the Snapchat app on your mobile device.
- Swipe left on the screen or tap the chat icon at the bottom.
- Tap the chat of the person whose story you want to view.
- Tap on their Bitmoji to view their story.
How Can I View a Snapchat Story Without Them Knowing
As mentioned earlier, you can view the list of people who opened your Snapchat story by tapping the eye icon in the story.
If you’re wondering if you can view someone’s Snapchat stories anonymously, you can try viewing in airplane mode.
Enabling airplane mode on your phone is the most common method of viewing Snapchat stories without notifying the user.
This means you will be viewing the story offline, so your name won’t appear on the list of active viewers.
To view someone’s story in airplane mode, wait for their story to load. You should see a new snap label and a pink square beside their story.
Next, enable airplane mode on your phone. Go back to Snapchat and click on their story to view it. Before disabling airplane mode, ensure you clear your Snapchat cache. To clear the cache, follow these steps:
- Launch Snapchat on your mobile device.
- Tap your Bitmoji in the top left corner.
- Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
- Scroll down to “Account Actions” and tap the “Clear Cache” option.
- Tap “Continue.”
Summary
There are two main ways to view Snapchat stories. The first is from the stories screen, and the other is from the chats screen.
Snapchat’s default settings allow any of your friends to view your story unless the story is private. You can also see your story viewers by tapping on the eye icon in the story.
Remember, you can only view the list of people who opened your story before the 24-hour deadline expires.