How to Make a Public Profile on Snapchat

Spread the love

If you’re interested in growing your subscriber base on Snapchat, having a public profile can help. This tutorial shows how to make a public profile on Snapchat so that you can be discovered more easily.

Good to know: learn all about Snapchat emoji meanings to check your friendship levels and more.

Content

Table of Contents

What Is a Public Profile on Snapchat?

A Public Profile on Snapchat is a user profile that’s visible to everyone using the app. The option is available to users 18 and older and enables their profiles to become more discoverable.

Snapchat’s Public Profile offers access to Stories, Lenses, follower count and more, helping you find, connect, and interact with new followers.

Your Public Profile is only accessible through the Snapchat mobile app (Android, iOS) and not through the Snapchat desktop client.

To start using your Public Profile on the social media platform, you must check whether it’s been activated for you.

In the Snapchat app, press on your profile picture in the upper-left corner.

Tap on My Public Profile on your profile page. On iPhone, you’ll find this option further down the page.

You’ll be taken to your Public Profile and can start customizing your page.

Tip: confused by Snapchat’s many abbreviations? We demystify them for you in this guide.

Editing Your Public Profile

Tap on your avatar or profile image to change it, then take a selfie using the numerous filter options, and use that as your Public Profile image.

Press on the image icon at the top to add a cover to your profile. Select from the images on your device.

To add personal information to your profile, such as bio or location information, press on the pen icon at the top. You can also enable the Show Follower Count toggle, and view a preview of your profile.

Start adding new Stories by pressing Add a story to your Profile.

Check out the Insights tab for information regarding the number of profile views, followers, and more.

There’s also the option to add Spotlights to your Public Profile, but you’ll need to do so from your account page. Swipe to the bottom of the screen to the Spotlight & Snap Map section, and tap on Add to Spotlight.

Snap your picture, then press Send To.

Select the My Story – Public option, then press the Send button at the bottom.

Tip: if you want to create a private Snapchat Story, follow these steps.

The Spotlight will appear underneath the My Public Profile section. Once users start viewing your Spotlights, they’ll appear on your Public Profile, too.

FYI: did you know that Snapchat also lets you create chat groups? Learn how to set up your own.

Eligibility Requirements for Public Snapchat Profiles

In most countries, Snapchatters 18 years of age (or above) automatically have access to the Public Profile feature. If you create a Public Profile when your birthday shows you are 18 or older, but later change your age to under 18, your Public Profile will be automatically deleted.

For those 18 or older, you will no longer view the Everyone privacy option under View My Story in Story settings. But you can take advantage of your Public Profile, and post Stories that are visible to everyone including your followers. You’ll notice a New Shared Story button under My Story on your Snapchat account page to help you post public Stories easily.

Note that you won’t see any replies to your Stories coming from Snapchatters younger than 18 unless you have a Snap Star Public Profile or have enabled the Contact Me privacy settings. To modify your privacy settings, tap on your profile image and the gear icon to open Settings. Go to Privacy Controls -> Contact Me, and select who can contact you: Friends or Friends and Contacts.

Keep in mind that you’re by no means obliged to use your Public Profile if you don’t want to. Opt to post solely to your Friends when you create a Story, Spotlight, etc.

Tip: get up to speed with effective methods of increasing your Snapchat Snapscore.

Want to expand your Snapchat following even further? Learn how to use your Snapchat location to find friends and Stories near you. At the same time, you may want to learn how to use Snapchat Memories to save Snaps and Stories.

Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox

Sign up for all newsletters.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy. We will not share your data and you can unsubscribe at any time. Subscribe

Alexandra Arici –
Staff Writer

Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.