Have you just opened Snapchat and were asked for your login credentials or received a message telling you the user was not found?
Under such circumstances, you should ask yourself: “Why did Snapchat delete my account?” In most cases, the reason is rather innocuous and easily fixable, such as third-party apps interfering with Snapchat or unverified credentials.
Below, we review everything that may cause this issue and how to resolve it!
Can Snapchat Delete Your Account?
As any other social media site, Snapchat retains the right to deactivate and delete any user’s account if it violates the community guidelines and terms of service. Also, the platform does not notify users before or after deactivating an account.
In most cases, users that had their accounts deleted were either harassing other users or posting inflammatory, racist, or explicit content.
Why Did Snapchat Delete My Account?
There are different reasons why Snapchat may have deleted your account, and most of them pertain to violations of their community standards. Below, we list most, if not all, of the reasons why you may have had your account deactivated.
1. You Have Linked to Unauthorized Third-Party Apps
Using third-party apps on Snapchat is allowed only if they have been checked, approved, integrated, and made available via Snapchat.
Therefore, trying to access your account via third-party software or using unauthorized tools for whatever reasons is strictly prohibited and leads to an account deactivation. If you repeat the offense several times, your account will get deleted.
2. Your Account Appears to Be Fake
Needless to say, impersonating a different person goes against Snapchat’s terms of service, and you’ll be immediately banned when found out.
If worse comes to worst, fake accounts may also be considered identity theft and carry harsher penalties under the law. At the very least, such behavior is frowned upon as it may cause reputational damage to the affected person.
3. You Haven’t Verified Your Email and Phone Number
Occasionally, Snapchat deletes unverified accounts. So if you created an account, ensure you set it up properly to show Snapchat you are a genuine user.
Toward that goal, you should verify both your email and phone number. Until you do so, your behavior may appear suspicious and spammy.
4. You Are Using Automation Tools
Using bots and automated tools on Snapchat is not tolerated and will eventually lead to an account removal if and when such users are reported.
Ultimately, Snapchat wants to deliver genuine human interaction to its userbase, and automated programs counteract that experience.
5. You Are Guilty of Copyright Infringement
Should go without saying, but you should not steal or misuse Snapchat’s intellectual property (images, design, emojis, and creative tools) in any way for personal profit. Doing so leads to copyright infringement and a subsequent account ban. Goes without saying, but you should also respect the intellectual property of other users!
| 📓 Further reading: What Do Emojis Mean on Snapchat? |
6. You Are Using More Than Two Accounts
Currently, Snapchat prohibits individuals from having more than two active accounts. So, if you keep on switching between several user accounts on the same device, one or all of them may get suspended.
To circumvent this limitation, you need another device. In any case, that’s the better option if you are juggling between more than two private and business accounts.
7. You Are Posting or Sending Malicious Content
Messaging users with links that lead to malware or other types of digital threats or publicly baiting users to click on any such link is a serious breach of etiquette and will result in an immediate account ban and subsequent deletion.
8. You Have Attempted to Modify Services or Features
Obviously, modifying Snapchat’s features and services for whatever reason is forbidden, especially if you affect the experience of other Snapchat users in the process. One of the most common methods to modify Snapchat is by using third-party mods, which, as we mentioned above, also lead to account deletions.
9. You Are Engaging in Online Harassment
As with any other social media service, online harassment and bullying are prohibited and severely punished with bans and account deletions.
Anything from sharing other people’s messages to threatening them and sending them unsavory photos or messages falls under the umbrella of harassment, and once you are reported, your account will quickly get locked down.
10. You Are Posting Explicit Images
Sharing explicit images is prohibited even if they are not directed to anyone, and you are posting them publicly on your profile. Distasteful and overly graphic content for adults contradicts Snapchat’s community guidelines, let alone images that involve a child in such situations, which in itself is a serious crime.
11. You Are Inciting Violence Through Your Posts
If you glorify and subsequently promote and incite violence through your Snapchat content, the platform will most likely delete your account. Unsurprisingly, the platform strictly prohibits such behavior and content and eradicates it as soon as possible.
12. You Are Engaging in Hate Speech
Snapchat users aren’t allowed to spread hate or discriminate against other users or groups of people. Therefore, engaging with content that endorses violence, extremist groups, or terrorism can get your account deleted, especially if you actively show your support or promote such causes.
13. You Are Engaging in Illegal Activities
Snapchat doesn’t even allow sharing misinformation, let alone using its platform for promoting and conducting illegal activities.
Breaking the law for profit or hurting others is perhaps the biggest reason why your account may get deleted. Preventing the sale of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or firearms is rigorously controlled and such content is instantly removed.
14. You Have Been Hacked
Last but not least, your Snapchat account might have been hacked and used to break the above rules by spamming, scamming, or harassing your contacts.
Hackers can easily trick other users by contacting accounts that are likely to reply as they know the original owner. Also, they send many messages quickly, even if it breaks the rules, which, naturally, can result in the account being deleted.
What to Do if Snapchat Deletes Your Account?
During the first phase of the account deletion process, Snapchat will deactivate your account for 30 days. While your account is disabled, no one will be able to contact or interact with you.
After that, Snapchat will take up to 30 days to permanently delete your information and close your account for good. Meaning, your entire data, including friends, chats, stories, settings, and location history, will be removed.
Therefore, if you wish to restore your account, you have to contact the Snapchat support team within this timeframe to resolve the issue promptly, as you cannot reactivate a permanently deleted account.
Difference Between a Locked and Deleted Snapchat Account
Locked or deactivated accounts retain your entire Snapchat data, and they can be restored by request of the user (if they have deleted it themselves) or with Snapchat’s permission. In any case, the reactivation process typically takes up to 24 hours.
On the other hand, permanently deleted accounts cannot be restored since the data is simply gone after 60 days of the deactivation date.
Bottom Line
As a rule of thumb, Snapchat deletes accounts only if they violate their rules and community guidelines. Serious offenses include spreading hate and misinformation, using fake accounts, or misusing Snapchat for illegal purposes.
Other lesser violations may also get your account deleted. But if you haven’t done anything wrong and still can’t access your account, you might have been hacked. Thankfully, there’s a solution to restore your account in most cases.
FAQs
Is Snapchat deleting accounts?
As a general rule, Snapchat will delete accounts that violate its terms of service, and users don’t get any warning before that happens.
Do Snapchat accounts expire?
At present, Snapchat does not remove inactive accounts, and they remain active indefinitely.
What happens when Snapchat deletes your account?
Your account will first be deactivated for 30 days, during which you can restore it fully. If you fail to do so, Snapchat will delete all your settings, friends, snaps, chats, stories, and personal data within the following 30 days.
Why did Snapchat delete my account and how to restore it?
Most likely, you’ve violated Snapchat’s community guidelines by posting hateful content or using third-party apps. In any case, to restore your account, you have to contact Snapchat within a certain time period and inform them of the issue.
How do you unlock a permanently locked Snapchat account?
Unfortunately, once Snapchat permanently deletes your data, your account will be unrecoverable.
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Muninder Adavelli is a core team member and Digital Growth Strategist at Techjury. With a strong background in marketing and a deep understanding of technology's role in digital marketing, he brings immense value to the TechJury team.