How To Find Someone’s Username On Snapchat

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Whether your reasons are personal or professional, you’re here because you want to know how to find someone’s username on Snapchat. Maybe you want to reconnect with a lost contact, verify the identity of someone online to ensure they are authentic and safe, or locate a secret account. Regardless of why you’re looking for a Snapchat username, it can be tricky if you have limited information about the person to help you.

I’ve tested several techniques for finding someone’s Snapchat username, and in this article, I’ll share the five methods I found worked the best based on their effectiveness, discreetness, and simplicity. Some of the methods are free, but you should find all are highly affordable and easy to carry out.

Why You Might Need To Find Someone’s Snapchat Username

Besides wanting to reconnect with an old friend, you might need to find someone’s Snap username for several other pertinent reasons. Let me paint you a picture. Highly disturbing statistics from the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas reveal that at any given moment, 50,000 predators are on the internet actively targeting children. This means that if you’re a parent, you’ll want to verify the identity of the people your child is interacting with on Snapchat to ensure their online safety and protect them from imminent online dangers.

Also, with cheating statistics on the rise in the US, you may want to find out whether your spouse has a secret Snapchat account. Ultimately, whether it’s to reconnect, protect, or verify, tracking down someone’s Snapchat name could be crucial for your peace of mind.

How To Find Someone’s Snapchat Username

There are a few different ways to find people’s usernames for Snapchat without going through the hassle of installing spy apps. After testing various approaches, I found these five methods to be the best. They’re incredibly fast, efficient, secure, discreet, and barely require any technicalities. Let’s find out more.

Method 1: Use Third-Party Tools

Without a doubt, the quickest and best way to find someone’s Snapchat username without asking them is to use a third-party tool with reverse lookup features. These tools have access to databases and records that aren’t generally accessible to the public, which allows them to cross-reference phone numbers, emails, or even addresses to find the Snapchat usernames linked to them.

The best part is that these tools reveal much more than linked social media accounts. You’ll be able to confidentially see your target’s personal information, such as their marital status,  wealth data, location history, education level, and even criminal records. This is especially useful if you’re trying to verify if a potential catfish is really who they say they are or if you want to keep tabs on who your child or spouse is talking to.

How To Find Someone’s Snapchat Username Using Social Catfish

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After testing a variety of reverse lookup third-party apps, Social Catfish stands out to me one of the most versatile and efficient. It offers advanced reverse image search functionality as well as several other ways to find people and their social media user names by entering their name, phone number, email address, or home addresses. It quickly scans literally billions of records to help you easily verify people’s identities online and find their user names.

How To Use Social Catfish to Find Snapchat Usernames

Here's a step-by-step outline of how to use Social Catfish to find Snapchat usernames:

  1. Step 1: Go to the Social Catfish Website

    Visit Social Catfish and choose the “Name” search option from the available tools.
    <strong>Step 1: Go to the Social Catfish Website</strong>
  2. Step 2: Enter the Person's Name

    In the search bar, input the name of the person you are trying to find on Snapchat and hit “Search.”
    <strong>Step 2: Enter the Person's Name</strong>
  3. Step 3: Refine Your Search Criteria

    After entering the Snapchat username, you can refine your search by adding filters such as an age range, country, or state. This helps Social Catfish narrow down the search results and provide more accurate matches. Once you’ve adjusted the filters, click “Apply Filters” to continue with the search.
    <strong>Step 3: Refine Your Search Criteria</strong>
  4. Step 4: Review Search Progress

    Social Catfish will analyze the name against various online platforms and databases to locate associated Snapchat accounts.
    <strong>Step 4: Review Search Progress</strong>
  5. Step 5: Provide Your Email Address

    As with other searches, you’ll need to enter an email address to unlock the search report. Tap “Unlock My Report Now” to proceed.
    <strong>Step 5: Provide Your Email Address</strong>
  6. Step 5: Access Full Results

    To gain access to the detailed report, click “Unlock Result Now” and complete the payment process. The report may include associated social media accounts, including Snapchat.
    <strong>Step 5: Access Full Results</strong>

Read our full Social Catfish review.

Method 2: Use Snapchat Search

You’ve probably already thought of this, but the easiest way to find someone on Snapchat without resorting to third-party tools is by using Snapchat’s built-in search engine. This method is extremely straightforward, but only if you already have some basic information about the person, like their display name or a part of their username.

Otherwise, you may have to go through the tedious process of trying different username variations or researching mutual friends for more information on the user. In any case, here’s how to use Snapchat username search in just a few quick steps:

Step 1 – Open the Snapchat App

Open your Snapchat mobile or desktop app and tap the magnifying glass icon beside your profile icon at the top of your screen. This is the search button, which allows you to search profiles, lenses, filters, places, and Spotlight videos.

Step 2 – Type in the Target’s Name

Next, type in the person’s name or any variation of their username you know. You’ll see a list of possible matches as you type based on your mutuals and popular accounts with that name.

Step 3 – Scan the Results

Scroll through the results until you find the Snapchat user you’re searching for. I could tell I had the right user by looking at their public profile.

Method 3: Scan Snapcode

If your target sends you their Snapcode, the job gets a lot easier. This method involves a very simple process that instantly connects you to your target’s profile without having to search for their username manually. This is probably the easiest method when the person is cooperative; however, because you rely on the Snapcode they provide, it isn’t exactly useful for identity verification.  

Here’s how to scan a Snapcode to reveal someone’s username and profile:

Step 1 – Get the Snapcode

Ask the target for their Snapcode, which they can share through Snapchat, other platforms, or in person. Then, make sure the Snapcode is physically visible as an image on another device.

Step 2 – Open your Camera 

You can use your phone’s camera app, but I found that using the Snapchat camera was the most seamless. 

Step 3 – Scan the Snapcode

Next, point your camera at the Snapcode, and Snapchat will automatically detect the QR code. Then, click “Open” to display your target’s username and complete profile.

Method 4: Sync Contacts

If you have someone’s phone number saved but don’t know their Snapchat username, syncing your contacts with Snapchat is the most efficient way to find them on the app without using a third-party service. 

For this method to work, the target must already be in your contact list. This means that it’s not ideal for conducting background checks or finding out who is contacting your child or spouse. Still, it’s a pretty sound method if you’re trying to add your friends but don’t know their Snapchat usernames.

Here’s how to go about it:

Step 1 – Open Your Snapchat App 

Open your Snapchat mobile app and tap on the profile icon at the top-left corner. This will take you to your profile.

Step 2 – Go to Settings

Tap on the gear icon at the top-right of your profile page. You’ll find a range of account settings there.

Step 3 – Find the Contact Setting

Scroll down to the Additional Services section. Then select “Contacts.” 

Step 4 – Sync Contacts

You can sync and manage all your phone’s contacts on this page.

Step 5 – Add Friends

Once the sync is complete, return to your profile and click Add Friends.

Step 6 – Select All Contacts

Now, go to Quick Add and select “All Contacts.” Here, you’ll be able to see all your contacts who are already on the app—just tap Add to connect!

Method 5: Use Google Search

Google is the top search engine, holding around 81.95% of the global market share as of July 2023. Ironically, after trying all five methods, I can categorically say that using Google to search for someone’s username is the least effective method on my list.

However, it’s still worth a shot when all else fails. The main issue with this method is that the search engine needs some personal information linked to the profile for it to produce useful results.

Also, search results will be affected by whether Snapchat’s data is indexed on Google and whether the profile is public. If the person doesn’t have a public profile on Snapchat, then Google search won’t be much help. However, you can try searching “Snapchat.com + the name or potential username of your target” and sift through the results till you find who you’re looking for.

For example, I tried “snapchat.com john smith,” as seen below, and got a few results.

What’s the Difference Between Your Snapchat Username and Display Name?

Your Snapchat username is the unique user ID you chose when you created your account. It only appears on your profile and can only be changed once a year. Your display name, however, is what other people see when they engage with your account. It’s the name that shows up on your snaps, stories, and Snap Map and can be changed casually.

Understanding this is important if you’re trying to find someone on Snapchat. The thing is, knowing their display name alone might not suffice because many users have the same name, and it’ll be tricky to find the right person. On the other hand, because the username is specific to each profile, searching it up will produce more accurate results.

Should Your Snapchat Username Be Your Real Name?

Whether your Snapchat username should contain your real name depends on your goals. If you use a username different from your actual name, people might struggle to find you, which is great if you value privacy and want to remain anonymous.

However, if you have a public profile and want to attract more followers or make it convenient for friends and family to find you, you’d be better off selecting a recognizable username with your real name embedded in it.

Conclusion: The Best Ways To Find Someone’s Username On Snapchat

There are a few ways to find someone’s user name on Snapchat if you have forgotten it or can’t locate it. using Snapchat’s internal search feature or scanning your target’s Snapcode are two free and easy methods. However, these options work best when you already know parts of the person’s username or have their Snapcode.

If you’re trying to find someone’s Snapchat username discreetly, quickly, and without any idea what their username is, using a third-party reverse lookup tool like Social Catfish is your best bet.

For the same price as a nice cup of coffee for the first few uses, Social Catfish will search billions of records to quickly provide you with the Snapchat user names you’re looking for as well as information about their other social accounts. It offers highly advanced reverse image lookup so you can find the username with just a profile picture or image of the person. You can also search by their name, phone number, or email address.

FAQs

How to find someone on Snapchat without asking them?

How to find who’s behind a fake Snap account?

How do you find the username of someone you deleted on Snapchat?

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Do deleted Snapchat accounts still show up?

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Ademilade Shodipe-Dosunmu
Technology Expert & Writer
Ademilade Shodipe-Dosunmu
Technology Expert & Writer

Ademilade has worked as a writer for Techopedia since February 2024. Beyond this, he's spent the last five years creating optimized content for SaaS, tech, and entertainment publications like MakeUseOf and GameRant. With a solid background in Mechanical Engineering, he strives to devise content that informs and helps people leverage the technology around them. Furthermore, as a Top Writing Voice on LinkedIn, he regularly contributes to the growing body of content knowledge, helping budding writers find their footing.