How to disable story notifications on Snapchat
You can turn off notifications for Snapchat stories in your phone's settings without touching the app itself. Go to your phone's main Settings, find Notifications, locate Snapchat in the list, and toggle off the notification permission. This stops all Snapchat alerts — including story notifications — from reaching your lock screen or notification center.
If you want to keep some Snapchat notifications (like direct messages from friends) but silence only story alerts, you'll need to use Snapchat's built-in controls instead. The app lets you mute notifications from specific people or turn off story-only alerts while keeping other notifications active.
Key Takeaways
- Disabling Snapchat notifications entirely in your phone's Settings stops all alerts, including stories, but also blocks messages and friend requests.
- Snapchat's app settings let you mute individual friends' stories while keeping notifications from others active.
- You can turn off story notifications specifically without affecting message alerts by adjusting notification preferences inside the app.
- Story notifications come from people you follow, so removing followers or unfollowing accounts also stops their story alerts.
Mute story notifications from specific friends in Snapchat
Open Snapchat and go to your Friends list. Long-press the name of any friend whose stories you don't want notifications for. A menu will appear with several options — tap "Mute Story Notifications" or "Mute." This silences alerts when that person posts a story, but you can still see their stories if you open the app and look for them manually.
You can mute as many friends as you want this way. If you change your mind later, long-press their name again and select "Unmute Story Notifications." The muted friend won't know you've muted them, and they can still message you normally.
Turn off all story notifications while keeping message alerts
Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner. Scroll down and tap "Notifications." Look for the section labeled "Stories" or "Story Notifications" and toggle it off. This stops story alerts from reaching you while leaving notifications for direct messages, friend requests, and other Snapchat activity turned on.
The exact wording and location of this setting can shift between app updates, so if you don't see a "Stories" toggle, look for "Notifications" in your settings menu and check what options appear. You may also see toggles for "Best Friends Stories" or "Public Stories" — turn off whichever types you don't want alerts for.
Disable notifications at the phone level
On iPhone, go to Settings, tap Notifications, find Snapchat in the list, and tap it. Toggle off "Allow Notifications." On Android, go to Settings, tap Apps or Application Manager, find Snapchat, tap Notifications, and toggle off "Allow Notifications" or "Show Notifications."
This method stops every Snapchat notification from reaching you — stories, messages, friend requests, everything. You'll still get alerts if you open the app manually, but nothing will pop up on your lock screen or in your notification center. Use this approach only if you want to silence Snapchat completely.
Unfollow or remove friends to stop their story notifications
If you don't want to see or hear about a specific person's stories at all, you can remove them from your friends list. Long-press their name in your Friends list and select "Remove Friend." They won't be notified that you removed them, but they also won't be able to message you or see your stories unless you add them back.
Alternatively, you can unfollow someone without removing them as a friend. This option appears on some accounts — swipe left on their name in your Friends list and tap the unfollow icon. You'll no longer see their stories in your feed, and you won't get notifications about them, but you'll still be friends and can message each other.
Check Do Not Disturb and Focus modes
If your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode (iPhone) or Do Not Disturb mode (Android), Snapchat notifications may already be silenced depending on your settings. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap Focus, and check which apps are allowed to notify you during active Focus modes. On Android, go to Settings, tap Notifications, and look for Do Not Disturb settings.
You can create a custom Focus or Do Not Disturb schedule so notifications turn off automatically at certain times — like during work or sleep — without you having to remember to toggle them manually. This doesn't stop story notifications specifically, but it prevents them from interrupting you during hours you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know if I mute their story notifications?
No. When you mute someone's story notifications, they have no way of knowing. You'll still be friends, they can still message you, and you can still view their stories manually — you just won't get alerts when they post.
Can I turn off story notifications but keep message notifications on?
Yes. Open Snapchat, go to your profile, tap Notifications, and look for a toggle specifically for Stories or Story Notifications. Turn that off while leaving other notification types enabled. The exact menu layout varies by app version, but the option is always in your Notifications settings.
What's the difference between muting and removing a friend?
Muting silences their story notifications but keeps you friends — you can still message each other and see their stories if you look for them. Removing them deletes the friendship entirely, and they can't message you or see your stories unless you add them back.
If I turn off Snapchat notifications on my phone, will I still see stories in the app?
Yes. Turning off notifications only stops alerts from appearing on your lock screen or notification center. You can still open Snapchat and view stories, messages, and everything else normally — you just won't be notified when new content arrives.
Why am I still getting story notifications after I muted someone?
You may have muted notifications from that person but not their stories specifically. Check that you selected "Mute Story Notifications" rather than just "Mute." If story notifications are still on in your main Notifications settings, turn those off too. If the problem persists, try closing and reopening the app.