Snapchat took off like no one could believe when it first came out. With millions of users and a theoretical value of billions of dollars, it is now considered one of the most popular social networks in the world. This all happened despite not being that user friendly.
At first it was difficult to deal with, add friends and find people to follow. Fortunately, the company addressed this issue earlier this year with an update that makes it much easier to add contacts to Snapchat.
You have to search for someone’s username before updating or use the BooR code which is a pain. A silent update in January 2016 introduced the ability to get a custom URL you can send so people can link to you. This has gone a long way in making it easy to add people to Snapchat.
Let’s take a look at all the ways you can add people within the social network.
Add people on Snapchat
There are several ways to add contacts to Snapchat. Here are four of the most popular.
Use Snapchat URL
The new Snapchat URL functionality is very efficient. Tap Add Friend in the menu and select ‘share username’. This will generate your own URL which should look like ‘http://snapchat.com/add/NAME’. Send this link to the person you want to connect via SMS or e-mail and you can connect.
User name
Although troublesome, finding someone’s username is a simple way to connect. You have to be in contact with the person before they can share the name, but it’s a system that works. Don’t get confused between display name and username. Display names can be changed according to the situation, usernames cannot. You can only connect with usernames.
Tap the ghost button at the top of the camera screen and you will see your username. Tap Add Friend, then tap Add by Username. Type the username in the search box and tap Add once found.
Using your smartphone contacts
Adding people you already know to Snapchat is simple. Tap the ghost button and the app will search for contacts with their own number associated with their Snapchat account on your phone. This will not happen to everyone, as not all users have linked their mobile phones to their accounts.
Tap My Friends, then People. Allow the app to access your contacts and press Continue. Select the friend you want to add and tap the Add button. You can also invite people to use Snapchat by tapping Invite.
additional code
Do you remember QR codes? No, most people don’t. Snapchat has designed their own Snapcode, which is created using a selfie and a unique code. If your contact has a Snapcode, align it on your Snapchat camera and tap the center of the screen. Their details will appear on the screen and you can now press Add Friend to add them as a contact. When they add you back, you can chat and share media as you see fit.
There are a few other ways to add people to Snapchat, but these four are the easiest and most popular. It’s a shame that a social media app that depends on people being friends with each other can’t make it a little easier to be friends. While the January update has lightened the load a bit, finding people you know is still a lot harder than it should be.
At least now, if you want to add people to Snapchat, you can! If you’re looking for more help, check out our longer guide on how to use Snapchat.
