How to Add Someone to Your Snapchat Story: A Comprehensive Guide

Snapchat, the ephemeral messaging and multimedia platform, has revolutionized the way we share moments with friends, family, and the world. Central to the Snapchat experience is the “Story,” a compilation of photos and videos that disappears after 24 hours. While initially a solo endeavor, Snapchat now offers ways to collaborate on Stories, allowing you to add other Snapchatters to your narrative. This opens up a whole new realm of creative possibilities and shared experiences. But how exactly do you add someone to your story on Snapchat? This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, covering everything from Collaborative Stories to Mentions and beyond.

Table of Contents

Understanding Snapchat Stories and Collaboration

Snapchat Stories are collections of snaps that you share with your friends or the public. They offer a glimpse into your day, your thoughts, and your adventures. Initially, only you could contribute to your own story. However, Snapchat introduced features to allow others to participate, enhancing the social aspect of the platform. There are primarily two ways to get others involved: Collaborative Stories and Mentions.

Collaborative Stories: The Shared Narrative

Collaborative Stories allow multiple Snapchatters to contribute to a single, shared story. This is ideal for events, group projects, or any situation where you want multiple perspectives represented. Collaborative Stories can be created with custom titles and geofences, making them perfect for specific events or locations.

Creating a Collaborative Story

The first step is to create the Collaborative Story itself. Here’s how:

Open Snapchat.
Swipe up from the camera screen or tap your profile icon in the top left corner to access your profile page.
Tap the “+” icon next to “My Stories” or scroll down to the “Shared Stories” section.
Tap “Create Shared Story”.
Give your story a name. Choose something descriptive and engaging, so people know what the story is about.
Select who can view and contribute. You can choose “Friends,” or “Custom” to select specific friends.
If desired, set a geofence for the story. This means that only people within a certain geographical area can contribute.
Tap “Create.”

Once the Collaborative Story is created, you can invite others to contribute.

Inviting Friends to Contribute

After creating the Collaborative Story, you’ll need to invite your friends to participate. Here’s how:

Go to your profile page.
Locate the Collaborative Story you created.
Tap on the story title.
You’ll see a list of your friends. Tap the “+” icon next to their names to invite them to contribute. You can also use the search bar to find specific friends.

Once your friends accept the invitation, they can start adding their own snaps to the Collaborative Story.

Contributing to a Collaborative Story

Contributing to a Collaborative Story is similar to adding a snap to your own story.

Open Snapchat.
Navigate to the Collaborative Story.
Tap the “Add to Story” button.
Take a snap or choose one from your camera roll.
Add any desired filters, text, or stickers.
Tap the “Send” button to add the snap to the Collaborative Story.

All contributors can view and add to the Collaborative Story, creating a shared narrative that disappears after 24 hours.

Managing a Collaborative Story

As the creator of the Collaborative Story, you have certain administrative privileges. You can:

Remove Snaps: If a snap is inappropriate or doesn’t fit the theme of the story, you can remove it.
Remove Contributors: If someone is abusing the Collaborative Story feature, you can remove them as a contributor.
Delete the Story: If the Collaborative Story is no longer needed, you can delete it altogether.

To manage the story, simply tap on the story title from your profile page, then tap the three vertical dots to access the management options.

Mentions: Giving Credit Where It’s Due

Mentions provide a simpler way to involve others in your story without granting them direct contribution access. When you mention someone in your snap, they receive a notification and viewers can easily add the mentioned user.

How to Mention Someone in Your Snap

Mentioning someone in your snap is a straightforward process:

Open Snapchat.
Take a snap or choose one from your camera roll.
Tap the “Text” icon (the “T” at the top of the screen).
Type “@” followed by the username of the person you want to mention. Snapchat will suggest usernames from your friends list as you type.
Select the correct username from the suggestions.
Position the mention text on your snap.
Add any other desired filters, stickers, or drawings.
Add the snap to your story.

When viewers see your story, they can tap on the mentioned username to view that person’s profile or add them as a friend.

Benefits of Using Mentions

Mentions are a great way to:

Give credit to someone who is featured in your snap.
Direct your viewers to another Snapchat user’s profile.
Encourage viewers to connect with your friends or collaborators.

Tips for Effective Story Collaboration

Adding others to your Snapchat story can be a powerful way to enhance engagement and create more dynamic content. Here are some tips to make the most of this feature:

Establish a Clear Theme: Whether you’re creating a Collaborative Story or simply using Mentions, ensure that your content has a clear theme or purpose. This will help keep your viewers engaged and prevent the story from feeling disjointed.
Communicate with Collaborators: If you’re creating a Collaborative Story, communicate with your contributors to ensure everyone is on the same page. Discuss the theme, the desired tone, and any specific guidelines.
Moderate Content: If you’re the creator of a Collaborative Story, be sure to moderate the content to ensure that it is appropriate and aligns with the story’s theme.
Use Mentions Strategically: Use Mentions to highlight key individuals or to direct viewers to relevant profiles.
Promote Collaborative Stories: Share your Collaborative Story with your friends to encourage them to contribute and spread the word.
Geofilters are Key: Utilize geofilters to add a geographical context to your story, especially beneficial for events and location-based narratives.
Consider Time Zones: When collaborating across different time zones, be mindful of posting times to ensure maximum visibility for all contributors.
Engage with Viewers: Respond to messages and reactions to your story to foster a sense of community and encourage further interaction.
Vary Content: Mix photos and videos to keep viewers engaged. Use different filters, stickers, and text styles to add visual interest.
Maintain Quality: Encourage contributors to maintain a high level of quality in their snaps. Blurry photos or poorly lit videos can detract from the overall experience.
Adhere to Snapchat’s Guidelines: Always follow Snapchat’s Community Guidelines when creating and contributing to stories.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While adding someone to your story on Snapchat is generally straightforward, you may encounter some issues. Here are some common problems and how to troubleshoot them:

Cannot Find a Friend’s Username: Ensure that you have the correct username. Usernames are case-sensitive. If you still can’t find the user, they may have blocked you.
Cannot Add Someone to a Collaborative Story: Make sure that the person is on your friends list. You can only invite friends to contribute to Collaborative Stories. Also, check the story settings to see if contributions are limited to specific users.
Snaps Not Appearing in the Collaborative Story: This could be due to a temporary glitch. Try closing and reopening the Snapchat app. Also, ensure that the snap meets the Collaborative Story’s guidelines.
Mention Not Working: Ensure you’re typing the “@” symbol correctly followed immediately by the username. If the username doesn’t appear in the suggestions, you may not be friends with that person or they may have blocked you.
Story Not Visible to Others: Check your story settings to ensure that it is visible to your friends or the public, depending on your desired audience.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Story Features

Snapchat offers several advanced features that can enhance your story collaboration experience.

Snapchat Spotlight: While not directly related to adding people to your story, Spotlight allows you to share your most creative snaps with a wider audience. Consider repurposing content from Collaborative Stories for Spotlight.
Lenses and Filters: Experiment with different lenses and filters to add visual interest and humor to your snaps. Encourage your collaborators to do the same.
Stickers and Bitmojis: Use stickers and Bitmojis to personalize your snaps and add personality to your stories.
Snap Map: Use the Snap Map to discover public stories and events happening near you. This can be a great way to find inspiration for your own stories.

Conclusion: Embrace the Collaborative Spirit of Snapchat

Adding someone to your Snapchat story, whether through Collaborative Stories or Mentions, is a powerful way to enhance engagement, share experiences, and connect with your friends and followers. By following the steps outlined in this guide and embracing the collaborative spirit of Snapchat, you can create more dynamic, engaging, and memorable stories that leave a lasting impression. So, go ahead and start collaborating, and watch your Snapchat stories come to life! Remember that experimentation is key. Try different approaches to see what works best for you and your audience. And most importantly, have fun!

FAQ 1: What does it mean to “add someone to your Snapchat Story”?

Adding someone to your Snapchat Story means allowing them to contribute content to your public or custom Story. Instead of only you posting snaps to the Story, they can also add their photos and videos, making it a collaborative narrative. This feature is useful for events, trips, or any shared experience you want to document together from multiple perspectives.

When someone is added to your Story, their name and profile picture will be visible to viewers as contributors. They have the same posting privileges as you within that specific Story, and their contributions are subject to Snapchat’s community guidelines, just like yours. You retain the power to remove contributors if necessary, and the added person can also remove themselves.

FAQ 2: What are the different types of Snapchat Stories I can add someone to?

You can add someone to two main types of Snapchat Stories: Custom Stories and Community Stories. Custom Stories are private stories that you create and invite specific friends to view and contribute to. This is ideal for smaller groups or close-knit events where you want a controlled audience.

Community Stories, on the other hand, are public Stories focused on a specific location or event. These stories are visible to anyone within the specified area, making them suitable for larger gatherings or public happenings. When creating a Community Story, keep in mind that anyone in the relevant geographic location can potentially view and contribute, although Snapchat moderates these stories to some extent.

FAQ 3: How do I add someone to a Custom Story on Snapchat?

First, you need to create a Custom Story. Navigate to your profile page, tap the “+” icon next to “Custom Stories,” and name your Story. Next, choose who can view and contribute to the Story by selecting friends from your contacts list. Ensure you enable the “Contributors” option when setting up the Custom Story, adding those you wish to participate.

Once your Custom Story is set up with the contributors, they will receive a notification indicating they’ve been added and can start contributing. To check who is currently added to the story, simply go to your Profile, find the custom story, and click the three dots menu icon to show who is able to contribute. Contributors can post snaps to the story just like you would.

FAQ 4: Can anyone view a Story I’ve made with contributors?

The viewership of a Story you’ve made with contributors depends on the type of Story. For a Custom Story, only the individuals you’ve explicitly added as viewers (which can include your contributors) can see the Story. This ensures a private and controlled audience for your collaborative content.

For a Community Story, the visibility is wider. Anyone within the geographical area associated with the Story will be able to view it, regardless of whether they are friends with you or your contributors. However, contributors still need to be added by the Story creator for their contributions to be included.

FAQ 5: What if I no longer want someone to contribute to my Snapchat Story?

If you no longer wish for someone to contribute to your Custom Story, you can easily remove them as a contributor. Navigate to the Custom Story in your profile, tap the three dots icon to open the settings menu, and then select the option to manage contributors. From there, you can remove the person you no longer want involved.

Removing a contributor prevents them from posting any further snaps to the Story. Their previously added snaps will remain visible, unless you choose to delete them individually. The removed person will not be notified directly, but they will no longer be able to add content to the Story, indicating their removal.

FAQ 6: Can I add someone to a Snapchat Story if I’m not friends with them on Snapchat?

Adding someone to a Custom Story generally requires them to be your friend on Snapchat. Custom Stories are designed for sharing content with a select group of friends, so having them in your friends list is typically a prerequisite for adding them as a contributor. This helps maintain control over who can view and contribute to your Story.

However, for Community Stories, the requirement for being friends is less stringent. Because Community Stories are focused on location or event, anyone within that geographic location can potentially view and contribute, regardless of friend status. To be a contributor to the community story, they must still be added as a contributor in the settings to actually post to the story.

FAQ 7: How do I delete a Snapchat Story I’ve created with contributors?

To delete a Custom Snapchat Story you’ve created with contributors, go to your profile and locate the Story. Tap and hold on the Story title, and a menu will appear. Select the “Delete Story” option, and confirm your decision. This will remove the entire Story, including all snaps contributed by you and your invited collaborators.

Deleting the Story is permanent, and all associated snaps will be removed from Snapchat’s servers. There is no way to recover a deleted Story, so ensure you are certain before proceeding. Be aware that this action will affect all viewers and contributors, as they will no longer have access to the Story content.