Learn How to Secure Your Snapchat Account in Just 5 Simple Steps

Facebook gave birth to social networking but Instagram and Snapchat made it more interesting. So much so that they have made their own army of users.

Image-based services or social services such as Snapchat are interactive by nature and, therefore, youngsters like them more. But that does not mean that only teenagers use these services, even millennials swear by them.

With such a huge following, security has become a huge concern and there are numerous ways today, through which data can be hacked or stolen from social media. The only thing you can practically do is always stay one step ahead of the curve to be safe. Here, we will talk about 5 simple ways you can secure your Snapchat account.

Although Snapchat only shows sent images for 10 seconds and then makes it disappear, they can still be under big security threats. As I said earlier, there’s more than one way for hackers to gain access to your private data and here’s how you can minimize their access.

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1. Turn 2-factor Authentication On

Securing your social media account from unauthorized access is crucial and the two-factor authentication is the best way to do it. This way, every time you log in to Snapchat, it’ll ask you for your password and an OTP sent to the registered mobile number, providing an extra layer of security.

To enable this feature, head to the settings in your Snapchat app by clicking on the Ghost or your profile icon at the top of the screen. Once done, tap on the ‘gear’ or Settings icon.

Scroll down to Login Verification and tap on it. In the new screen, scroll to the bottom and tap on Continue.

You can then choose to verify your profile via text or an authentication app and then feed the received code to the app.

2. Share Only with Friends

Protecting what you’re sharing is very important, even if that’s for a meager 10 seconds. The best way to protect your privacy online is to share your posts only with your friends and people you associate in the real world as well.

By default, Snapchat sets an user’s account to friend-only, which means that only those users that have added you back can send their snaps to you or see yours. However, many users like to make their posts public or set the visibility to Anyone. This allows every Snapchat user to access and take a peek at your snap.

You wouldn’t allow strangers to peek into your house as you celebrate with your friends, right? You really have to be careful of prying eyes in today’s world.

This also means that you should avoid sharing your Username or Snapcode publicly on other social media platforms such as Facebook.

3. Turn the Ghost Mode On for Location

Snapchat recently added a feature that allows you to share your location with friends or contacts on your phone who follow Snapchat. By sharing the location, you allow your contacts to know your whereabouts. This way, they can practically track you anywhere all the time.

However, there is a simple fix to it. By enabling the ghost mode, you can avoid any such problem. This simply denies location access and you’re free to post without letting anyone know where you are.

To enable this feature, head to the Snapchat settings. Scroll down to See My Location under the Who Can tab and tap on it. In the new screen, select Ghost Mode (if it isn’t selected already) and tap on Continue.

4. Disable Quick Add

If you’re really serious about your privacy, hiding from the Quick Add list is another useful way to protect your account. This way, friends of friends or people from your phone’s contact list will not be able to find and add you via the Quick Add feature on Snapchat.

Not all the friends of your friends are known to you nor do they have your phone number. Hence, it’s a good idea to directly add people you know or let your friends add you instead of taking the Quick Add route.

To disable Quick Add, access the Snapchat settings. Scroll down to the Who Can tab and find the See Me in Quick Add option. Uncheck the box on the next screen and you’re good to go.

5. Stop Sharing Usage Data

Well, these two things are not something that everyone would know as they are mostly hidden in layers and layers of settings for safekeeping. Even if you’re not actively sharing your location as we have already enabled the ghost mode, Snapchat can track your location and see what you’re doing, as it learns from your usage pattern.

By barring the app from accessing and sharing usage data, you can prevent the app from collecting data and profiling you. Did you know (this is acknowledged by Snapchat as well) that the app goes through layers of your personal data and understands things about you that even you were probably not aware of? Let’s just say, this is quite creepy!

To disable this, access the Snapchat settings, scroll down to the Manage Preferences tab and find Ad Preferences. Un-check the Activity Based Ads box on the next screen.

Being Smart Is the Key Here

There is only so much that you can do by setting and blocking services and options on the app. The most important thing to remember while using Snapchat or any other app is that you and only you, as the user, are in control of what you are sharing.

So, make sure that you don’t share private stuff in a public domain. Otherwise, you’re all covered if you follow the above steps.

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