Photo Credit: Neelabh Raj
Snapchat not working? Try these simple methods to troubleshoot just about any issue you’ll encounter.
Snapchat consistently rates high among teens and young adults as a fun way to keep in touch with friends and family. But when Snapchat isn’t working, it’s easy to feel left out of the loop. We’ve compiled a list of the best ways to troubleshoot Snapchat and get it working again.
Why is Snapchat Not Working?
Whether you access Snapchat on a mobile phone or tablet, or the recently-added web edition, it needs an internet connection to work properly. Any app that connects to the internet can run into issues working correctly if your device is in airplane mode or your WiFi or data connection isn’t working. Checking that your connection is strong is a good first step in determining whether the issue is specific to Snapchat not working or the internet overall.
Refresh, Restart
If you’re accessing Snapchat through a web browser, your next step should be to refresh the page using your browser’s Reload button. If that doesn’t fix the problem, close the browser tab and try opening Snapchat in another tab or window.
Ensure that your browser is up to date; using an old version of a web browser can interfere with it working correctly. See if you can reproduce the same problem in a different browser — try logging in using Safari or Chrome if you usually use Firefox, for example.
Closing and relaunching the app should be your first step if you’re on a tablet or mobile device. If that doesn’t fix the problem, try restarting your device — especially if it’s been a while since you’ve done so.
To restart most Android and iOS devices:
- Hold down the power button on your device.
- Tap the restart button on the screen when it appears.
- Confirm and wait for your device to restart.
- Open Snapchat and confirm that it’s working.
Clearing Snapchat’s Cache
If restarting things doesn’t solve the issue, your next step should be to clear the app’s or browser’s cache. Much like cleaning your desk is a great way to clear your mind so you can work more efficiently, clearing an app or browser’s cache gets rid of old files and other junk the app has downloaded while in use to save time, helping it to run better. It can also be a great way to fix many issues.
To clear an app’s cache:
- Tap and hold the Settings app icon.
- Select Apps and find Snapchat.
- Choose Storage and Clear Cache.
- Restart the app and sign back in.
If you’re accessing Snapchat on your computer’s browser, press Ctrl-Shift-Delete (Windows) or Command-Shift-Delete (Mac) to open menus to clear your cache, cookies, and browser history. Please be aware that you must sign back into Snapchat after clearing your cache or web cookies.
Reinstall Snapchat
If you’ve tried everything above and the Snapchat app still isn’t working, uninstalling and reinstalling the app should be your next move. Occasionally, an app’s files can become corrupted during an update, so a fresh install will fix most issues with an app that aren’t related to connectivity.
- Open the App Store or Play Store and search for Snapchat.
- Select Snapchat and Uninstall under the available options.
- Confirm and then click Install to reinstall it.
- Sign back in and confirm that Snapchat is working.
If that doesn’t work, you may need to wait for an update to the app. Sometimes updates to an app can create problems on specific devices until developers release a fix, especially with older devices.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you continue having issues with Snapchat. Feel free to comment if you have a question or experience another problem or solution not covered here.