Across the never-ending spread of social media that so has defined the digital era, how many times have you come across the phrase, “Add me on Snapchat now!” Unless you’ve been awfully selective in your viewing, you’re likely to encounter it more than once a day, but have you ever done just as asked, and swiped over to Snapchat to add your newfound friend?
There are plenty of ways to go about building and strengthening your contact list in Snapchat. The wealth of contacts that you already have in other social media corners–as well as your own list that’s on your mobile device–can all help you to compile a list of people that you’d like to share your snaps and messaging with. However, there are more prolific ways of doing so than stalking Facebook feeds and sending text messages to people that you already know. In this guide, we’ll introduce you to a few handy ways to get more activity for your Snapchat experience, and possibly even help you to break into communities that you didn’t even know existed!
The way that we’ll do this is to take advantage of the spiderweb that is the social internet. Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, we’ll show you how to use them all, so that you can get in on the same trending versatility and connectivity that creates such phrases as, “Add me on Snapchat now!”
First things first, however–we need to go through some of the built-in features offered by Snapchat which will allow you to present yourself and your profile to the wider world. Additionally, you’ll learn a fair bit about how other people are selling themselves through their Snapchat presence in ways that you didn’t even recognize. The app isn’t rising so sharply in popularity without several ways of allowing its posts and posters to “go viral” with their profiles just as often as they do with their content.
Add Your Friends to Snapchat
Since you have a few different ways to add friends in Snapchat, let’s explore each of them for the sake of better understanding. After, we’ll look at some ways to put those methods to use as you build up your contact list. Like many messaging and social media apps, Snapchat has added tools that allow you to advertise yourself wherever you’d like, however, you’d like, without remaining within the confines of the app itself.
Snapcodes
Though they’re not the first method of adding contacts that you’ll run into when signing up for Snapchat, they’re definitely the most prevalent that you’re going to see online. These uniquely generated graphics give other people instant access to you, no matter how they acquire. Additionally, they look pretty cool.
To acquire your own Snapcode, simply tap the Snapchat icon at the top of the main window. You should see it almost immediately, and it will allow you to take a selfie to fill in the Snapchat-ghost silhouette that will be featured in the middle of your Snapcode. It’s useful to put a face to an image, after all, and what better way to personalize your code than your own face. After you’ve taken a certainly flattering selfie, look to the “share” button located in the corner of the screen. From this menu, you can upload your Snapcode anywhere that you want to, or even save it as an image that you can place wherever you’d like!
If you’re face-to-face with someone that you want to add to your contact list, your Snapcode can help you out with this as well. Using the same method, simply display your selfie-blessed code to whomever you want to add, and allow them to use their mobile device’s camera to scan it within the Snapchat app. Voila! Instant contacts.
Your Device’s Contacts
You very likely ran into this method when you were starting up the Snapchat app for the very first time. When the app requested access to the contacts list on your mobile device, this is what it was after. The app will automatically scan your contacts by examining their email addresses and phone numbers so that it can let you know which of them is already using Snapchat.
Just because this feature made itself known upon your first use of the app doesn’t mean it’s gone anywhere, however. You can still access it from the very same menu that you used to create your Snapcode. Simply select “Add Friends” and then tap “Add from Address Book.” You’ll need to give the app permission to access your contacts in the first place, but once this is done, Snapchat will automatically search your contacts for viable friends to add to your list.
Add by Username
It doesn’t get much simpler or more traditional than this. If you know someone’s username, and their privacy settings allow for it, you can simply type in their username and find them. Keep in mind that your username is going to be different from your display name, so it may not be enough to know the name or nickname that your friend goes by. Instead, you’ll want the username they created when setting up their Snapchat profile.
You might as well take advantage of this moment and make sure that you know your own username. When you want someone else to be able to search for you, it’ll be handy to know it right off the top of your head, right?
Add Nearby
Feeling adventurous? You can eschew Snapcodes and usernames and, privacy settings withstanding, use local Wi-Fi networks to determine who is using Snapchat close to you! This can be found from the same menu that we’ve been using for your other friend-adding options, though if you select this, you’ll be given a prompt warning letting you know that your name will be displayed to anyone that you try to add through this feature.
It’s a give and take, right? You might meet some new people, but it wouldn’t be fair if they didn’t get a chance to meet you too. You’ll still have plenty of opportunities to confirm or deny additions to your contacts; you don’t need to end up with a whole host of strangers if you don’t want to. Why not throw caution to the wind and give this method a try?
Add Me on Snapchat!
Now that you’re familiar with the onboard methods that Snapchat has for you to add friends, let’s delve into a few lesser-known methods that will broaden your Snapchat presence to the larger web. From here, we’ll be jumping off from usernames and into other social media presences that you may already be taking part in. Remember the phrase that started this guide: “Add me on Snapchat now!”
If you’re not familiar with hashtags, then you’re not spending enough time on Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr! These popular social media feeds (as well as many others) all use hashtags in order to denote the particular interests attached to whatever you’re posting or sharing. The next time that you’re browsing your feed watch out for them. #Snapchat. #AddMe. *Snapchatter. If you’ve seen similar hashtags attached to any of your friends’ posts, then you know you’re looking in a place where you can pick up some new contacts.
It’s as simple as constructing a single post. You can attach a selfie, a Snapchat logo, an emoji, or even your Snapcode, and simply place #AddMe amongst your usual repertoire of included hashtags.
Profile Posts
Just as much as everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, everyone is on Facebook, now. If you’re not on Facebook, you’re on something like it, so inescapable is the world of social media. However, the spiderweb of network and community that we immerse ourselves in provides a pretty excellent way to generate contacts for your messaging apps. Just as easily as you can post any type of media to your social network feed–which is then viewable by anybody you know–so too can you upload a picture of your Snapcode, broadcasting that image to your entire social media network.
It’s a bit different than selling yourself through hashtags and pictures on Instagram and other media-based, short-form apps. People tend to have a wider, more intimate network of friends and acquaintances in places like Facebook, and so sharing your Snapcode there might garner the interest of an entirely different set of people. On the off chance that none of your friends are currently using Snapchat, the sight of that Snapcode could very well invite them to do so!
Part of the joy of our digital-era interconnectedness is the fact that we can all easily share in the same things, all while doing our own thing. Not only do we carry our contacts with us wherever we go, we give them a controlled window into our lives with apps like Snapchat. Those moments that we choose to share can be no less intimate, important, or fun based on the number of people we share them with, so toss out a “#AddMe on Snapchat now!” the next time that you feel the urge to share your Snapchatting experience with more people.
