If you’ve been making friends on Snapchat, you’ve probably seen a message saying added by username. Though this may seem like the obvious way to add new friends, it’s actually one of several possible ways to make new Snap contacts. Here’s a look at what added by username means and how it differs from other befriending methods.
Snapchat | What does added by username mean?
Added by username on Snapchat means someone added you as a friend by typing your username into the search bar. This doesn’t mean they searched for your real name or any aliases, however. You can only be added by username if someone knows the specific name you use for your Snapchat account.
There are several different ways to add friends in Snapchat, and being added by username is among the most common. Your Snapchat username is visible any time you are mentioned in a story; after all, typing it out is how to tag someone in a Snap. It’s possible for users to simply note your username and then type it into the search bar. If they follow the mention link, you’ll be added by mention instead.
Snapchat users may be able to see your username if you post to public stories. Public stories will show the display name of anyone who sends in a Snap. If you don’t change your display name to something different than your username, then everyone can see your username next to your Snaps. This can be a concern, especially considering there’s no way to change your Snapchat username.
Snapcodes, the dotted icons like the one featured in the image above, also tend to display usernames. If you use one as a sticker on your Snaps, you can always cut the text portion out. That way they’ll have to scan the code to add you, which will result in added by Snapcode.
Added by username only appears when someone searches for your specific Snapchat username. That means they either found it somewhere, were told what it was, or in rare cases, simply guessed. If you haven’t been sharing your Snapchat username with anyone, it’s worth asking where your new friend learned the information.
