Snapchat not working? Here are the top 7 solutions you should try

Snapchat is one of the most popular social networking sites around the world with reportedly over 100 million users just in the US. Whether you use it to share pictures/images and messages that expire after a short period of time, or for video chats, it can be frustrating when the service is offline or doesn’t seem to work. If you are having trouble with Snapchat, there are several ways you can try to make it work again.

In this article I will explain the top 7 methods you can use if Snapchat isn’t working.

Basic Troubleshooting

If Snapchat isn’t working properly, there are a number of possible causes. The most common solution is to restart the app and if that still doesn’t work then you should try restarting your phone. Nine out of 10 time that should fix the issue. If that still doesn’t work then you should try clearing the app cache and deleting conversations. If you are still experiencing problems with Snapchat then continue reading this article with the top 7 Snapchat solutions.

Top 7 Snapchat not working solutions

When Snapchat isn’t working, there are generally a handful of possible causes. Typically the best approach to solve the problem is by trying the simpler solutions, one at a time, starting with the easiest or quickest to test. Here are seven things to try next time you’re having trouble with Snapchat.

1. Check your Snapchat permissions

Snapchat mostly works, but are there some things you can’t do in the app? For example, suppose you can’t take a photo or can’t use filters. It seems like a permissions problem, in the sense that you haven’t given the app the right permissions to use all the features of the phone. Open the permissions settings and make sure to turn them all on.

If you have an iPhone, do this:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to the app list and tap Snapchat.
3. Activate each permission by sliding the button to the right – important permissions to check include Location, Photo, Camera, Cellular Data, and Microphone.

If you have an Android:

1. Launch the Settings app and tap Apps & Notifications.
2. Find Snapchat in the app list – you may need to tap View all apps.
3. Tap Permissions.
4. Check each permission and activate them.

2. Restart Snapchat

If a software glitch occurs, often the quickest way to fix it is to simply “restart” the app. In other words, close Snapchat and then restart it. If doing so doesn’t fix your problem, try restarting your phone. Often, restarting the phone can fix a problem with an app like Snapchat.

3. Check if the Snapchat servers are working

Snapchat is a very reliable service. Typically, if you’re having trouble accessing the service, you can assume that the problem is probably with your phone, not Snapchat. But no service can be “always on,” so it’s worth checking if Snapchat servers are working. You can easily check Snapchat’s network status page on DownDetector or search for “Snapchat not working” on Google.

4. Make sure you have an Internet connection

It might seem obvious, but make sure you have a good internet connection. Make sure you have a Wi-Fi connection or at least a good cellular signal. If you’re using cellular data to use Snapchat, make sure you’ve turned on cellular data permission – see the first section of this article.

If you’re having trouble with your WiFi connection, restart your router or modem, turn both off for at least two minutes, then turn them back on. If it still doesn’t work, there may be a service outage in your area, you should contact your internet service provider to see if there is a problem.

5. See if there is an update available

If you haven’t updated your apps recently, you may have an older version of Snapchat that has a bug or incompatibility with your phone’s operating system or some other software. It’s a good idea to leave automatic updates turned on in your phone’s Settings app, but if you need to update Snapchat, you can turn on automatic updates on your iPhone or update the app on your Android phone .

6. Empty the cache

If you’re still having trouble getting Snapchat to work properly, you may have a Snapchat app data problem, in a nutshell with the app cache. Okay: you can clear the cache. If you are using an Android phone, the steps to clear the cache may vary slightly depending on the version of Android you are running, but here is the general procedure:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Tap Apps & Notifications.
3. Go to the app list (tap See all apps if needed) and tap Snapchat.
4. Tap Memory & Cache.
5. Tap Clear cache.

If you are using an iPhone, there is no way to clear Snapchat cache directly. Instead, you have to uninstall the application and reinstall it from the App Store.

7. If Snapchat still doesn’t work, delete the conversations

If you’ve restarted the app and cleared the cache or reinstalled Snapchat and it’s still not working properly, specifically you can’t send Snaps to one or more people, you might have a fairly rare problem with the conversation cache. The solution? Delete the conversations associated with the friend who caused you the problem and try again. The downside to deleting conversations is that you will lose those messages, including unopened Snaps.

1. In Snapchat, tap your account avatar on the top left of the screen.
2. Tap the Settings icon (in the shape of a gear) in the top right.
3. Tap Clear Conversations.
4. In the friends list, tap the X to the right of the conversation you want to remove.