How to Delete a Snapchat Story Fast – Before Anyone Sees It

A Snapchat Story is a fun way to share everyday moments with friends or followers – but what if you post something by accident or realize it’s attracting unwanted attention? The good news is you can delete any type of Story on Snapchat—whether it’s a Private Story, Shared Story, or your Public Snap.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to delete a Snapchat Story before anyone sees it, plus tips to better manage your Stories going forward.

Types of Snapchat Stories You Can Delete

Before diving into the how-to, let’s quickly explore the types of Stories Snapchat lets you delete:

• My Story: A friend-only Story, visible only to users you’ve added as friends.
• Private Story: Visible only to a custom list of friends you select.
• Shared Story: A collaborative Story where multiple users can contribute, but you can delete only your own Snaps.
• Public Story: Visible to anyone who can find your Snap or username on the public feed.

Why You Might Want to Delete a Snapchat Story

There are plenty of valid reasons to take down a Snapchat Story, such as:

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• You posted it by mistake.
• The Snap didn’t turn out right (blurry image, typo, etc.).
• You had second thoughts about sharing something personal.
• You shared it with the wrong audience (e.g., Public instead of Private).
• You want to remove old or irrelevant content before it auto-expires.

How to Delete a Snapchat Story on iPhone and Android

Snapchat’s deletion process depends on the type of Story. Here’s a step-by-step guide for each:

Delete a Private Story

1. Open the Snapchat app and tap your Bitmoji in the top-left corner to access your Snapchat profile.
2. Tap the three-dot menu next to your Private Story under the Stories section.
3. Select the Delete Private Story option in the pop-up menu.
4. Tap the Delete button to confirm.

Delete a Public Story

1. Open Snapchat and head to your profile.
2. Now, move to the My Stories section and tap your Public Story to open it.
3. Tap the Trash (Delete) icon at the bottom right corner.
4. Tap the Delete Snap button to confirm.

Delete a Friends Only Story

1. Open Snapchat and head to your profile.
2. Now, move to the My Stories section and tap your Friends Only Story to open it.
3. Tap the three-dot menu at the top right corner.
4. Select Delete Snap, then tap Delete to confirm.

Delete a Shared Story

1. Open Snapchat and head to your profile.
2. Tap the three-dot menu next to your Shared Story under the Stories section.
3. Select Delete Story and confirm by tapping Delete.

What Happens When You Delete a Snapchat Story?

Once a Snapchat Story is deleted, it is gone forever, unless you saved it to Memories before posting or have the Auto-Save to Memories setting enabled. Moreover, view counts may still appear briefly before disappearing.

Upon deletion, the Story immediately vanishes from your My Story or Private Story, and friends and followers can no longer view it, even if they’ve already seen part of it.

However, if you contributed to a Shared Story, deleting your Snap removes only your individual contribution. The rest of the Shared Story remains intact for others to view or contribute to.

How Long Do Snapchat Stories Last?

By default, all Snapchat Stories remain visible for 24 hours after posting. However, with Snapchat Plus, you can customize expiration times to:

• 1 hour
• 6 hours
• 12 hours
• 3 days
• 1 week

After that time, the Story automatically disappears—no manual deletion required.

Tips to Manage Your Snapchat Stories Like a Pro

Avoid accidental oversharing and improve your Snap game with these helpful tips:

1. Use Private Stories for Close Friends

Limit your audience by creating a Private Story:

1. Head to your Snapchat Profile and move to the Stories section.
2. Tap on New Private Story, give it a name, and select your audience.
3. Then tap the Create Story button to create and share your Private Story.
4. Tap the Done button to confirm your audience.

2. Customize Your Story Privacy

Hide Stories from specific users:

1. Head to your Snapchat account settings.
2. Locate and tap on View My Story under the Privacy Controls section.
3. Choose the Custom option, then select the friends you want to hide your Stories from and tap the Block button.

3. Enable Auto-Save to Memories

Your snaps and stories are gone forever past expiry or deletion, but what if you want to keep them for personal use forever? In such cases, you enable the Auto-Save to Memories settings so that all your stories are successfully saved to Memories once you post them. Here’s how:

1. Head to your Snapchat account settings.
2. Locate and tap Memories under the My Account section.
3. Tap Auto-Save My Story Snaps under Save Destination.
4. Choose the Auto-Save to Memories option.

4. Think Before You Post

Always preview your Story before posting. After posting, double-check to make sure everything looks good and appropriate for your audience.

Snap Wisely, Delete Easily

There you have it—deleting a Snapchat Story is quick and simple. Whether you’re fixing a mistake, correcting a caption, or simply changing your mind, Snapchat gives you the tools to stay in control. Plus, features like Private Stories and Memories offer better ways to curate what you share—and who sees it.

Related articles worth reading:

• How to Make a Group Chat on Snapchat
• Snapchat Planets: Order, Meaning, and How They Work
• What Does the Green Dot Mean on Snapchat?
• How to Pin Someone on Snapchat for Quick Access