Worried about your Snapchat account security? Maybe you should be. I’m going to teach you how to know if your Snapchat is hacked and the good news is it is easy to find out, no tech skills required.
I’ll cover how Snapchat can be hacked in the first place and then tell you what signs to look for to tell if your Snapchat account is hacked.
Finally I’ll explain what you can do to fix this.
Snapchat has become one of the most popular and widely used video sharing apps worldwide. Its main draw was that images were deleted shortly after being sent but it has introduced many other features along the way including filters, cameos and voice calls.
But with its popularity comes the risk of it being hacked whether you are a private citizen or a public figure. Both Kylie Jenner and more recently Gigi Hadid have supposedly been the victims of their Snapchat accounts getting hacked.
How Can Snapchat Be Hacked Including Your Password
There are several ways Snapchat can be hacked. One is through the site itself getting hacked. As recently as 2018, 55,000 Snapchat accounts were compromised using a phishing attack.
This would be a classed as a public hack of Snapchat when lots of data is compromised from many users.
Secondly, Snapchat can be hacked using spy software when apps such as mSpy and FlexiSPY have been downloaded and installed on a mobile phone or tablet device. Many people falsely believe only phones can be hacked but mobile devices such as tablets and iPads are vulnerable to spy apps also.
These hacks are much more targeted – personal Snapchat hacks. For this to happen someone needs to gain access to your cell phone or tablet and physically install a spy app.
In some cases you can be hacked remotely if someone has access to your iPhone backups in your iCloud account. The mSpy app can do this but to work, someone needs to know your iCloud account username and password.
Find out how to view a Snap without opening it using a phone spy app in this guide. You need to be aware of how easy this can be and what to look out for.
Check out my article Snapchat Hack – How to Hack Someones Snapchat to find out in great detail how hackers can gain access to your Snapchat data.
Signs Your Snapchat Account is Hacked
You now know it is possible for Snapchat to be hacked but how do you know if it has happened to you? You could be a victim of a public hack of Snapchat itself or you could be targeted by spy apps. First let’s look at signs your Snapchat account has been hacked.
There are several tell tale signs that your Snapchat is hacked:
1. Unusual / Strange Snapchat Activity
If you are a regular user of Snapchat you will be aware of how your account looks and behaves and will be aware of any changes. These can include changed settings, a new display name or even a new set of friends you didn’t know you had. Any and all of these changes can be signs your account may have been hacked.
2. Frequent Account Authentication Requests
Accessing your Snapchat account is usually straight forward once you have logged in as it tends to keep you logged in for a while. If however you find you have to log in by with your username and password more often this can be a warning sign. A hacker may be logging in from another deice thereby rendering your login void.
If you are constantly being asked to authenticate your account this is something to be concerned about.
3. Snapchat Alerts – Sign of a Compromised Account
You might receive an email from Snapchat asking if you have logged in from a different location or device. If you have not done either of these things this could be a sign someone else has!
The hacker might even try to change your email address or mobile phone number. In this in case Snapchat should notify you of any changes to your account. It is important to check your settings for any changes you did not make.
So these are signs to look for relating to your Snapchat account and activity – but what about your phone – is it also hacked?
Signs Your Phone is Hacked – Including a Hacked Snapchat Account
If you phone has been hacked by someone using spy apps or any other hacking method, everything you use or do on your phone could be compromised. This includes your Snapchat account – others can see your Snapchats and History including Snaps that have been deleted.
There could be changes to how your phone performs that may indicate it has been hacked. I will list a few things to look out for:
Battery Drain
Are you constantly looking for your charger because your battery is running low or draining faster than normal? Is this change sudden? This can be down to general wear due to the age of the battery or because low quality Spy apps are running in the background!
Random Shut Down
So you are in the middle of using your phone and it shuts down! Another time it randomly re-starts! This is definitely suspicious and it could be down to the fact the system is overloaded because of a spy app or other hack.
Phone Overheating
Does your phone seem much warmer than usual? If it appears to be overheating it may be because there is a background program running – sending your personal information and data from your phone for example.
My main article on Ways to find out if Your Phone Is Hacked goes into much more detail if you need it. It covers in depth the signs to look for to tell if your device has been hacked.
Depending on the kind of phone you have you might also like to check out – How to Tell if Your Android is hacked and How to Tell if Your iPhone is Hacked.
One other thing – some websites tell you that you can check if your phone is hacked using codes – USSD codes. You should read my article – Using Codes to Check if Your Phone is Hacked or Tapped – it exposes the weaknesses in this theory.
Other Ways Snapchat Can Be Hacked
I have told you how your phone can be hacked using a Spy app but there are other ways hackers can gain access to your phone or device. It is useful to learn some other methods that can be used.
1. Public Wi-Fi Hack
Many of these public Wi-Fi hotspots are unsecured leaving you vulnerable to getting hacked. You suddenly remember a bill you forgot to pay, you log in to your bank account to pay the bill while sitting in the coffee shop and you have left yourself open for hacker to see everything you are doing!
Even your home router can be hacked if it is left unsecured. Always have a strong password to protect your home Wi-Fi router.
2. Bogus / Fake Charging Stations
Scammers and hackers have discovered a new way to see or steal your information. They use fake USB charging stations in places such as airports. It is known as “juice jacking”.
When you plug your device into them you can be vulnerable to a malware attack or sensitive data can be exported to the hackers.
Avoid using public charging stations if you can and instead invest in a power adapter.
3. Phishing Attacks
These are done by sending an email or sms to your phone or device with a link or download file. If you click on the link a malicious file can be downloaded and your data can be compromised. Phishing attacks can be quite sophisticated and many fall victim to these hacks.
My Snapchat Account Is Hacked – What to Do?
This depends on how the hack has happened. If it is a data breach through Snapchat itself you should be advised to change your password. Their customer support will reach out to warn you with instructions of what to do.
This usually fixes the matter going forward but of course the hackers may already have your private information. See my article on How to Unhack Your Phone for details of the steps you can take to remove any sort of hack on your phone or tablet device.
It is a good idea to enable two factor authentication 2FA on your accounts for an added layer of security. Although even this is not fool proof! Read that article to find out why.
If on the other hand it has been hacked using a spy app this will need to be removed. I have an article on How to Remove Spy Apps which details the steps you need to take.
When the spy software app has been removed from your phone you should re-set all of your passwords including on Snapchat to prevent future hacks.
If you have serious problems you should take a look at my Premium Security guide. It covers in great detail how to spot spy apps, remove them and secure your phone going forward. Check it out below:
FAQ – Answers to Common Questions
Here, I cover a few frequently asked questions I get from users. It gets updated regularly so if you have a question just reach out using my contact page and I’ll do my best to answer it here.
Can Snapchat be hacked easily?
Yes Snapchat can be easy to hack by using a phone spy app. These programs make it very easy for anyone to hack into and monitor everything you do on Snapchat.
Can someone find out my Snapchat password?
Yes it is possible to have your Snapchat password and user ID hacked. Again spy software can have a keylogger function that records every keystroke on your phone and will reveal your password.
Could someone else send Snaps using my account?
It is possible for someone to send Snaps or messages from your account once they have got hold of your login details including password.
Can you tell who logged into your Snapchat account?
It will be very difficult to find out who has logged into your Snapchat account. No real evidence will be visible and spy apps are hard to detect. Tracing an individual will be almost impossible.
To Sum Up
The main threats to a Snapchat hack are either through a data breach on the site or from a phone hack. These can be from spy apps, scamming or phishing methods.
But don’t panic-here at AcisNI.com we have lots of information and Online Security articles to help you and even if your Snapchat has been hacked you can always remove the hack and get it up and running again.
Of course other social media accounts and apps are also vulnerable to hacking check out some of my other security guides – How to Tell if Your Instagram Account is Hacked.
Thanks for reading!
