Snapchat is among the most popular social media platforms in the market today. With Snapchat being a platform that relies primarily on image-based communication modes as opposed to text, it makes for an interesting and engaging way to communicate.
However, it also comes with its own share of risks. Users must be extremely cautious about who they talk to, share images with, along with other private information. Apart from the risks associated with sharing private information with one’s contacts and friends on Snapchat, there is also that of being a victim to someone using spy apps to monitor Snapchat.
This article guides into the various ways in which one can ensure their safety on Snapchat. Read on to find out more.
6 Ways to Stay Safe on Snapchat
Maintain a Friends-Only Policy
People use Snapchat for many different reasons. Friends use it to chat and communicate with each other, while couples use it as a way to see and be with each other even if they can physically be present around one another. Sometimes, however, people also connect with strangers for various reasons, which can put them at the risk of being harassed, bullied, or having their privacy violated.
The first thing to ensure to keep yourself safe on Snapchat is to only keep your friends on Snapchat and not allow any strangers. This ensures that you only have those people on your list who you implicitly trust with your pictures or any other private information.
Block Anyone Who Is Inappropriate
Another way to stay safe is to report someone if they are inappropriate. Since Snapchat is a visual means of communication, it is possible for people to send you private messages and images. If this happens, you should report the user to the chat provider. This will allow them to block the person permanently, which means they can’t get into your snapshots or messages anymore.
Never Give Out Personal Information, Especially to Someone You Don’t Trust
You should also never give out any personal information in your Snapchat messages. If someone asks you to give them your name or phone number, then never agree to it. They may try to contact you and persuade you to join groups where they can sell their products to you. If you don’t want to be contacted by random strangers, then you should remove your name from their contact list. This is a precaution that you should take every time you sign up for a new Snapchat account.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
You must always ensure that you’ve turned on the right privacy settings on Snapchat. If someone makes an unauthorized login into your Snapchat account, you could be at serious risk of having your private information hacked and stolen. This becomes particularly easy when users don’t enable two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication makes sure that you are the only person who can log into your account whenever you need to.
Here’s how you can enable this – Go to Settings > Click on the Cog icon > Select Login Verification > Tap Continue > Select Verification via text or an authentication app > enter the verification code supplied to you.
Don’t Accept Random Requests
Every social media platform has two sides to it. There are those users who are good, and there are those who are not. These people might be trying to hack into your account to access your private information or might even be intending to harass or bully you. As a result, one of the best things to do is always to accept only those people who you know are genuine and don’t pose any risk.
People often tend to get random requests on their Snapchat accounts that they might think are innocuous. However, these people could be internet predators or could even be trying to harass you or hack your account. While you could always choose to block them, it’s always best to ensure that there’s no way they find themselves in your contact list.
Always Use a Strong Password
Last but not least, the best way to keep your Snapchat account safe and secure is to always use a strong password. This means you must never use your birthday or simple combinations like 1234 or 9999 as your password.
The ideal password should be a combination of upper and lower case characters and must ideally be alpha-numeric. These make it hard for anyone trying to hack your account to access it.
In Conclusion
Guarding your Snapchat account is of fundamental importance given the kind of data regularly shared on it. The practices listed above are probably the most essential yet significant approaches to guarantee that your Snapchat account is never hacked and that you never have a terrible experience while using it.
In case you’re a parent, you must look into celltrackingapps to teach your youngster about the significance of safe practices on the web to guarantee they never succumb to bullies, hackers or criminals.
