With over 500 million monthly active users, Snapchat has carved a place for itself in the messaging and photo-sharing space. Whether it is for staying in touch with close friends through Snapstreaks or sending the occasional life update, Snapchat has got you covered. However, like most apps, Snapchat tends to face issues occasionally. If Snapchat is not working properly on your phone, here are the 8 best fixes you can try to make the app functional again.
Check If Snapchat Service Is Down
If Snapchat suddenly stopped working on your end, it’s always a good idea to check if the service is down. Since Snapchat doesn’t host a real-time live status page, you could check out websites like Downdetector to know if other Snapchat users are facing issues with the service. Moreover, you could also keep an eye on Snapchat’s official support account on Twitter, where the company posts updates about server outages and downtimes.
- Check If Snapchat Service Is DownClose Snapchat and Re-LoginRestart Your iPhone or Android PhoneCheck Your Internet ConnectionForce Restart Snapchat AppClear Snapchat App CacheUpdate Snapchat AppSnaps Aren’t Sending? Clear Conversations in SnapchatFrequently Asked Questions
Now, if the Snapchat service is working fine, the next best solution is to close and restart the app. You can simply head to the recent apps switcher and swipe on the Snapchat card to close the app. If that does not fix the issue and the app is still not working, you could log out and log back into your account to re-sync all your conversations. To do that on your Android or iOS device, follow the steps below:
- Then, scroll down to the bottom of the Settings page and tap on “Logout”. After that, tap on “Logout” again in the pop-up prompt to confirm your action.
Restart Your iPhone or Android Phone
One easy troubleshooting measure that you should try before proceeding further is restarting your phone. Although it might sound obvious, a simple restart can often fix issues if the app isn’t opening or working as intended. In case opening the Snapchat app after restarting the phone didn’t work out, try other solutions listed below to fix Snapchat not working issue.
Another underrated solution is to check your internet connection. You might not have realized that your network provider is temporarily facing connectivity issues, you have exhausted the data limit, or just forgot to turn on network data. You can also try switching to mobile data if Snaps are not loading on your Wi-Fi network. In case the issue persists, and you lost your Snapstreak with your friends, follow our linked guide on how to get Snapstreak back.
Force Restart Snapchat App
There are times when the app might start working fine after you restart it. However, if that didn’t help solve the issue, here’s how you can force stop the Snapchat app on your Android device:
- When the confirmation prompt appears, choose “OK” to force close Snapchat. Try opening the Snapchat app after doing this and see if that fixed the issue.
Clear Snapchat App Cache
Another simple way of troubleshooting the Snapchat not working issue is to clear the app’s cache. The option to clear cache is only available on Android devices. You will need to delete and reinstall the app on your iPhone. With that said, here’s a look at how it works:
Long-press the Snapchat app icon and press the “i” button to access the “App Info” page. Now, tap on “Storage & cache“.
When the Storage page appears, tap on “Clear cache” to remove the app’s cache stored on your device. After clearing the cache, open Snapchat and see if it has fixed the problem.
Update Snapchat App
New features of Snapchat might not be working for you because you are on an outdated version of the messaging app. In that case, you can try updating Snapchat app from the Google Play Store or App Store. On Android, open the Play Store and tap on your profile picture at the top-right -> Manage apps & devices ->Updates available (or tap the “Update All” button). On an iOS device, open the App Store and tap on your profile picture at the top-right. Then, tap the “Update” button next to Snapchat on the next page.
If you are unable to open the conversation of a specific user, you can choose to clear the conversation. Doing so will clear all unsaved Snaps the person sent you, so make sure you keep that in mind. If you would like to proceed, follow the steps below to clear a conversation to fix Snapchat not working issue.
Open Snapchat and tap on the Bitmoji (or profile) icon at the top-left corner of the screen. When your profile screen appears, tap the Settings icon at the top-right to view Snapchat settings.
Then, scroll down until you reach the “Privacy” section and select the “Clear Conversation” option. You will now see your conversations list. Tap the “X” button next to the Snapchat display name to clear their conversation.
When the confirmation prompt appears, tap “Clear” to clear the Snapchat conversation. As the company notes, clearing a conversation from the feed will not delete saved or sent messages in the conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to do when Snapchat is not working?
Why is Snapchat crashing?
