We‘ve all hastily sent a snap only to instantly regret it. Whether it was an ugly selfie you didn‘t mean to share widely or a video that was intended just for your best friend, having snap regret is a unique social media peril.
In the heat of the moment, you dash off a quick snap without considering who might end up seeing it. But post-send, panic sets in. You frantically wonder – is there any way to retrieve an already-sent snap? Does Snapchat finally have an unsend feature?
Unfortunately, no. Unlike Instagram, WhatsApp, and other messaging apps, Snapchat still does not allow users to recall already-delivered content. Once you hit send on a snap, it is permanently out of your hands…or is it?
While Snapchat doesn‘t have a true unsend feature, you can delete personal snaps in the brief window before recipients view them. It takes some quick action, but removing embarrassing snaps from Snapchat‘s servers is possible if you know the steps.
Let‘s investigate exactly how Snapchat handles (or doesn‘t handle) the need to unsend.
What Happens When You Send Snaps on Snapchat?
Before we explore undo options, it helps to understand precisely how snaps operate in Snapchat.
Snaps refer to any temporary photos or short video clips captured within the Snapchat app and shared with friends. Over 332 million people use Snapchat every day to send their moments to friends as visual communications that expire after being viewed once.
Users also rely on features like Stories to share daily highlights in a 24-hour rolling feed. Snapstreaks – denoted by cute little fire emojis next to friends‘ names – also drive habitual Snapchat sharing, tracking how many days in a row you‘ve snapped that person.
This ephemeral sharing dynamic helps users feel more comfortable broadcasting silly, casual content instantly knowing it won‘t stick around forever…usually.
Sometimes you share a snap more widely than intended or send an ugly, unflattering selfie by mistake. And unlike other messengers, Snapchat lacks any post-send controls to pull back embarrassing goofs.
Or so users previously thought…
So wait – is there any way to unsend an already-delivered snap?
I Tried Everything to Attempt to Unsend Snaps
When I first wrecklessly shared personal snaps with unintended audiences, I desperately wondered how to undo my snap sending mistake. In a panic, I tried every questionable Snapchat hack, loophole, and sketchy third party app that claimed snap unsending powers.
And I‘ll save you the trouble now – none of them actually work.
Over the years, some clever workarounds did briefly enable unsending on Snapchat:
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Blocking the recipient then unblocking
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Deleting your Snapchat account
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Logging out and clearing cached app data
But Snapchat engineers were quick to seal up those loopholes. The company confirmed that no current Snapchat features or hacks permit permanently destroying already-delivered snaps.
"We get why people would want to unsend snaps, but it‘s just not a capability Snapchat plans to enable," says a Snapchat spokesperson. "Once you hit send, that snap is out of your hands whether you immediately regret it or not."
Fellow Snapchat users also report trying every supposed hack and third party app to no avail. Diehard fans keep requesting an unsend feature, but so far, Snapchat refuses.
"I swear I‘ve tried literally everything under the sun someone online recommended to unsend snaps," laments loyal Snapchatter Tabitha L. " Deleting my whole account, blocking people – it just doesn‘t work! Now I live in fear of the ugly faces I‘m sure I drunkenly sent snaps of."
But Wait…You Can Delete Snaps Before They‘re Opened!
While Snapchat still doesn‘t allow undeleting of opened snaps, they have enabled the ability to remove delivered but yet-to-be-opened snaps from their servers.
It takes some quick maneuvering, but deleting snaps within this small window does permanently destroy them before eyes can see the damage.
When exactly is this magic deletion window? Here‘s a quick peek behind the Snapchat scenes:
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You hit send on an ugly, embarrassing snap by mistake. Drat!
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The app immediately labels it "delivered" since it has departed your hands and reached Snapchat‘s servers in the recipient‘s direction.
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But the recipient has not yet actively opened that snap to trigger viewing, downloading, and automatic server deletion.
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For a brief period until they do open it, that mortifying snap remains retrievable if you act fast to delete it!
This is truly your last chance to avoid catastrophe and save face.
Ready to seize that tiny unsend window of opportunity? Then let‘s continue!
Here are the steps to deleting delivered but yet unopened snaps.
Step 1: Locate the Snap You Need to Delete
Open Snapchat immediately upon realizing you‘ve made a regrettable snap mistake. Tap the chat icon, then find the name of the person you incorrectly snapped.
Tap to open your one-on-one chat history with them. Locate the embarrassing snap and verify it says "Delivered." This confirmation means they have not yet viewed your shameful media. Hurry!
But a status indicating "Opened" means you likely can‘t save face. At least you can still try deleting the evidence from your chat…
Step 2: Long Press the Snap to Delete
Keep firmly holding down on that disastrous delivered snap for a couple seconds until a "Delete" option surfaces. Swiftly tap to choose death over disaster!
Step 3: Confirm Deletion
After tapping delete, Snapchat considers this action permanent and irrevocable. Tap OK to complete the chosen snap‘s annihilation.
Once executed on your end, the recipient gets an automatic notification that something in your mutual chat vanished. But they remains blissfully unaware of what cringey content you hid.
But Does This Finally Delete Snaps Forever?
You may be wondering whether this deletion method actually destroys all traces of your embarrassing media on Snapchat‘s famously extensive servers.
The answer is yes…mostly. By rapidly deleting snaps before recipients view them, you force Snapchat to immediately scrub all cached and backed up copies from their systems. No eyes should ever see that unreadable selfie again!
However, Snapchat does caution that under certain limited circumstances, deletions might not succeed. For example, if your recipient is offline, still logged in from a previously used device, or opens the snap incredibly quickly, remnants could potentially still remain in their account.
But barring an instantaneously speedy recipient, quick deletions should reliably wipe unwanted snaps from existence forever!
Recap: Act Fast, Delete Unopened Snaps ASAP
While true reversals remain impossible on Snapchat, deleting snaps pre-open does reliably eliminate unwanted shares before it‘s too late. You retain one brief golden window to act before your sloppy snaps trigger ruin.
So remember:
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Immediately long press delivered snaps
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Tap to delete before they get opened
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Breathe easy knowing your mistakes vanished!
Snapchat clearly understands users desperately want more control after sharing something in error. Who knows – an official unsend feature may finally arrive one day owing to popular demand.
But for now, rapidly deleting snaps before they are viewed will have to suffice the next time you have regrets over that ugly facial expression or unintentional song lyric share. What snap recipients don‘t see can‘t humiliate you!
So be vigilant, act fast, and delete quickly to avoid social media remorse. Ready to master responsible Snapchat sharing? Then go forth, share freely, and delete that occasional oopsie before it unravels your Snapstreak!