Snapchat allows users to connect with friends, share photos, send messages, and discover people they may know. However, not everyone wants to share information about their social connections. If you want to keep your friendships more private, you can turn off the mutual friends feature on Snapchat.
The good news is that Snapchat provides a dedicated privacy setting for managing mutual friends. You can disable it through your account settings in just a few steps. This guide explains how to turn off mutual friends on Snapchat, what happens when you disable the feature, and how to manage other privacy settings to make your account more private.
How to Turn Off Mutual Friends on Snapchat
You can disable mutual friends sharing directly from your Snapchat profile or through the privacy settings. The exact location of the option may vary slightly depending on your app version.
Follow these steps to turn off mutual friends sharing:
- Open the Snapchat app on your Android phone or iPhone.
- Tap your Bitmoji or profile icon in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Open your account settings and look for the option to edit your account information.
- Find the Show Mutual Friends List setting.
- Turn off the toggle to stop sharing your mutual friends list.
Once you disable this option, other users will no longer see your mutual friends list through this feature.
You can also access the setting through the privacy menu. Open your profile, tap the gear icon to enter Settings, and select My Privacy & Data. Look for Mutual Friends and switch off the relevant option.
Both methods allow you to control whether your mutual friends list is shared with other Snapchat users.
What Happens When You Turn Off Mutual Friends?
Disabling mutual friends sharing changes how Snapchat displays your shared connections to other people.
Here is what you should know:
- Your mutual friends list becomes hidden: Other users cannot view your shared connections through the mutual friends feature.
- You stop appearing in other users’ mutual friends lists: Disabling sharing also prevents your account from appearing in other people’s lists through this feature.
- Your existing friendships remain unchanged: Turning off mutual friends does not automatically remove anyone from your friends list.
- Your conversations remain available: Your existing chats and friendships are not deleted when you change this privacy setting.
- Other privacy settings remain separate: Disabling mutual friends does not automatically hide your Story, location, or account from friend suggestions.
Keep in mind that Snapchat’s mutual friends feature depends on the privacy choices of multiple users. If either you or the other person has disabled mutual friends sharing, the list will not appear between your accounts.
Can You Hide Mutual Friends Without Removing Friends?
Yes. You do not need to unfriend anyone to hide mutual connections on Snapchat.
Removing a friend and disabling mutual friends are two different actions. Removing someone changes your friendship status with that person, while disabling mutual friends controls whether shared connections appear through the mutual friends feature.
If your main concern is privacy, turning off mutual friends is usually the more suitable option. You can continue chatting with your friends, sending Snaps, and maintaining your existing connections without sharing your mutual friends list.
Snapchat also keeps standard friend lists private by default. Other users cannot simply open your profile and browse your complete friends list.
How to Stop Your Snapchat Account From Appearing in Friend Suggestions
Turning off mutual friends sharing is useful if you want to limit the visibility of your connections. However, you might also want to prevent your account from appearing in other people’s friend suggestions.
Snapchat previously called its friend suggestion feature Quick Add. It is now known as Find Friends.
To stop your account from appearing in Find Friends suggestions, follow these steps:
- Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon.
- Tap the gear icon to open Settings.
- Scroll to the App & Privacy section.
- Select My Privacy & Data.
- Find the See Me in Find Friends option under the relevant privacy settings.
- Turn off the permission that allows your account to appear in Find Friends.
This setting is separate from mutual friends sharing. Disabling it helps prevent your account from being suggested to other users through Find Friends, including people who may share connections with you.
Snapchat notes that changes to this setting can take up to 72 hours to take effect.
Other Snapchat Privacy Settings You Should Check
If you want better control over your account, consider reviewing a few additional privacy options.
- Control who can contact you: Open Settings and select Contact Me to manage who can send you direct Snaps, Chats, and calls.
- Manage Story visibility: Use the Story privacy settings to control who can view your posts.
- Review location sharing: Check your Snap Map settings to manage who can see your location.
- Limit account suggestions: Turn off See Me in Find Friends if you do not want your account suggested to other users.
- Review your Public Profile: If you have a Public Profile, check which information and content you make available to other Snapchatters.
These settings serve different purposes, so changing one does not automatically change the others.
Why Can’t You Find the Mutual Friends Setting?
If the mutual friends option does not appear in your account, there are several possible explanations.
First, check whether Snapchat is updated to the latest version. An outdated app may have a different settings layout. You should also explore both the account editing options and the My Privacy & Data menu.
The feature may not be available for every account or region. Snapchat can also change the layout and wording of its settings as the app receives updates.
If you still cannot find the option, consult Snapchat’s official support information for the latest instructions.
