Among Snapchat’s many features is the Recents feature which helps users keep a record of who they have recently interacted with on the app.
For a quick one though, Snapchat’s algorithm focuses on profiles that you are often in touch with, although other profiles for some reason will show up in your Recents list.
The length that someone stays in your Recents is dependent on the level of interaction, and the reason they are appearing in the list.
In this article, I explore Snapchat Recents, with a focus on how long someone stays in your Recents; how to clear the Recents list, and what ‘Recents’ means on Snapchat.
What “Recents” means on Snapchat
“Recents” on Snapchat shows the top profiles you have been in contact with either through chat, liking or commenting on stories.
However, Snapchat’s Recents also sometimes shows random profiles that you may not know, or haven’t even contacted.
Snapchat displays profiles in your recent feed if;
- You have been in touch with the user whose profile is in your feed – either through sending a snap, or opening / viewing their story.
- You just added the user as your Snapchat friend or the other way around.
- The user commented on your story or post.
- You searched for the user on Snapchat.
- The user searched for your name on Snapchat.
- It is the user’s birthday.
- The user sent you a snap and likely deleted it afterwards.
- The user added you to a group.
- There is a temporary glitch in your Snapchat app.
So, if you were wondering why people you have never had a chat with are listed in your Recents, part of this list explains this situation.
Recents is not necessarily only about your direct interaction with a user, it is also the indirect and the unknown interaction.
How long does someone stay in your Recents on Snapchat?
The Snapchat “Recents” algorithm is designed to focus on profiles with whom you interact regularly.
As seen in the previous section, the Recents list includes users you have searched for, users who have searched for you, as well as users who have tried to be in touch with you, among others.
Snapchat stores searches, for example for 30 days, but if you are not active, your searches may be removed earlier.
Therefore, there is not a specific time that someone stays in your Recents, this will mostly depend on how often you interact with the person, or how active the other user is.
If you feel uncomfortable about a particular profile/ user being in your Recents however, you can do something about that.
Check the next section for a solution.
How to clear Recents on Snapchat
If you do not want certain profiles in your Recents on Snapchat, you can clear them by;
- Replacing: You can replace the profile with another by engaging or liking stories of another Snapchat contact.
- Deleting/ removing: You can also delete or remove profiles from your Snapchat Recents.
To do this;
- Open your Snapchat app and tap on the avatar profile pic in the top left corner of your screen.
- Tap on the Settings icon in the top right corner to get a settings menu
- Scroll down to account actions and tap on the clear conversation option. This should give you a list of profiles in your Recents.
- To remove the conversation, tap on the X icon. You will get a popup confirmation box
- Tap on clear to remove the conversation from your feed. This will only remove the conversation from your feed but will not delete any saved or sent messages.
- Clear recent searches: Clearing recent searches is another way of clearing your Snapchat Recents.
Since Snapchat includes your searches in the Recents list and can keep them for up to 30 days, it may be a good idea to clear your searches so they do not appear in the Snapchat Recents.
To clear Snapchat searches;
- Launch your Snapchat on your mobile device
- Go to Settings by tapping on your avatar in the top left corner, then on to the settings icon in the top right corner.
- Scroll down to account actions, then select clear search history
FAQs
Why did someone disappear from my Recent on Snapchat?
So you have been seeing a contact in your Recents on Snapchat, but the last time you checked they had disappeared.
This could be because:
The user deleted their account: When someone deletes their Snapchat account, their profile disappears and all activity associated with it.
So if someone all of a sudden disappears from your Recents list, it is possible that they left Snapchat.
The user blocked you: Another possibility is that you were blocked by the user whose profile disappeared from your Recents.
When someone blocks you, you can no longer interact with them, and their activities will not show in your feed, their name will disappear from your recent list.
The user has been inactive: As you interact with more users, the inactive ones move down the list.
If the user whose profile disappeared from your list has been inactive and you have not engaged with them for a while, they were probably pushed down the list until they disappeared from it.
Conclusion
Keeping Recents on Snapchat is a smart way to keep track of which users you have been often and/or recently in touch with.
However, it can be an inconvenience sometimes for some people who may want to keep their interaction private for one reason or the other.
As seen in this article, there is no specific time a contact stays in your Recents, it all depends on your interaction and the reason the contact appears in your Recents.
But no worries, if you are not comfortable with someone in your Recents list, you can clear the Snapchat list by removing the contact, interacting with other users or clearing your chat history.
Enjoy your chats and snaps with no worries.
