Have you ever wanted to share silly selfies or inside jokes on Snapchat, but only with your closest friends rather than all followers? Or collaborate on group Stories without everyone seeing?
Private Snapchat Stories allow exactly that.
I‘m going to walk you through everything you need to know to make a private Story on Snapchat in 2023.
An Overview of Private Snapchat Stories
Before we dive in, let‘s make sure we‘re on the same page about what private Stories are.
While your default Snapchat Story is public, private versions allow you to handpick who can view it. You get complete control over the audience.
Benefits include:
- Stronger connections with close friends
- Inside jokes stay between your chosen group
- Privacy around location sharing or group discussions
- Collaborative Stories with select people
According to Snapchat, over 90 million users engage with Stories daily. And as a cybersecurity writer, I can attest private Stories are safer. Public oversharing raises risks of stalkers, employers seeing content, and reputational damage.
Posting privately mitigates those downsides.
Next, let‘s explore step-by-step how to actually create these exclusive Stories!
Step 1: Access the Snapchat Camera
Open the Snapchat app on your iOS or Android device. The first step for either creation method is accessing your camera:
If you aren‘t automatically on the camera tab, tap the circle icon at the bottom of the screen or swipe over.
Pro Tip: If the camera isn‘t working, check app permissions and restart your device.
Step 2: Capture or Upload Content
Once in camera view, you have two options for content to include in the private Story:
Take Photo/Video Directly
Simply capture a snap using the app itself. Tap the circular button to take a picture or hold it down for video.
Get creative with selfies, food pics, scenic views…anything fun!
Upload Existing Media
Don‘t have any new material? No worries!
Tap the upload icon in the bottom left and select a photo or video saved from your camera roll.
Upload memes, throwbacks, or any media to reuse.
Step 3: Select Story Recipients
Here‘s where you designate who can actually view this exclusive Story:
- Tap the "Send To" icon after capturing/uploading media
- Choose the "New Story" option
- Tick friends to include from the list
Selected friends will display a blue verified checkmark. Tap names again to remove anyone.
Customize based on who you want seeing this specific Story!
Step 4A: Name Story (Snap Tab Method)
If creating the Story directly within Snapchat‘s camera, continue by naming it:
Tap the text field to replace "My Story" with a custom name.
Examples like "Bestie Content!", "Fam Time", or "Trivia Team".
Step 4B: Finalize Settings (Profile Method)
If building the private Story from your profile, first name it under "New Story":
Then toggle autosaving and hit Create Story.
Name, settings, done!
Share Away on Your Private Snapchat Story!
The private Story will now appear in your list to add photos/videos the same way as public stories.
Continue snapping and enjoy insider Story time with your chosen friends.
Now that you know how to generate private Snapchat Stories, here are helpful tips to master them:
| Goal | How To |
|---|---|
| Add more snaps | Open camera, select "Send To", choose the private story to continually add content |
| Change viewing audience | Edit the story‘s settings to change selected recipients |
| Let friends contribute | Enable collaboration so others can post too! |
| Fix issues loading | Double check app permissions and internet connectivity |
| Delete stories | Tap the 3 dots icon by any story name, then choose delete |
Additionally, take advantage of other Snapchat tools:
- Privately show your location or travel destinations to your circle
- Use fun filters and lenses to spice up shareable moments
- Send video and voice notes beyond just pictures
Integrate stickers, Bitmoji, timestamps and more to enrich your private stories!
As you can see, generating a customized private Snapchat Story to share inside jokes, locations, or collaborate on content takes just a few taps.
Now that you know how to do it from both the Snapcamera and profile, what will you privately start snapping about first? A squad trip? Family shenanigans? The possibilities are endless.
Choose recipients, create unique stories, and strengthen connections through the app every day this year!
