Had Your Snapchat Account Locked? Causes and Potential Solutions

Received the dreaded “Your account has been permanently locked” or “Your device has been banned…” notification from Snapchat? These messages alone are enough to make anyone’s heart sink. You work hard to grow your account, only to see your efforts go down the drain in a flash.

Snapchat account locks are more severe and far-reaching than bans on other platforms. The truth is, getting your account back can be challenging. However, it’s not impossible, if you know how to approach each type of account lock.

This guide looks at why you may have had your Snapchat account locked. It also explores the different types of Snapchat account blocks, potential recovery options, and ways to protect your account going forward.

Types of Snapchat Account Bans

A Snapchat ban is a restriction on your account, typically imposed for rule violations and suspicious activity, such as excessive friend requests. There are various types of account locks, including:

• Permanent lock: An indefinite block on your account. The chances of recovering a permanently banned account are slim to none.
• Temporary lock: A short-term account block. Snapchat typically lifts these bans after 48 hours.
• Network block: A ban that affects every device on your WiFi network. Usually, you can’t access Snapchat unless you change your network or IP address.
• Device ban: A restriction on your device. With this type of ban, you’ll be unable to access Snapchat even after changing your IP address or using a different account login.

We know what you’re thinking: how can Snapchat ban an IP address or device? Well, the platform doesn’t just monitor your account activity. It also collects network and device information, including your IP address, geolocation, device model, and IMEI. As such, it can recognize your account not just by its login details but also by its device and connection. This makes it virtually impossible to access the platform with the same device or IP address if it’s blocked.

Why You May Have Had Your Snapchat Account Locked

Snapchat is aggressive with account locks. But, they don’t happen without reason. Some of the most common causes of bans include:

Violations

Most people get their accounts locked for violating Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. Snapchat is pretty clear about what it allows and what it doesn’t allow on the platform. You may get your account locked if you post any of the following:

• Threats
• Glorifications of self-harm
• Depictions of violence
• Pornographic content
• Content that points to the exploitation or abuse of minors
• Illegal products or activities, such as advertising regulated drugs, weapons, and human trafficking
• Manipulative or malicious information, such as AI images or videos intended to disrupt civic processes
• Undisclosed paid or sponsored content
• Content that glorifies or attempts to sanitize terrorist or extremist groups

Community guideline violations almost always result in permanent account bans, especially if they’re repeated. In some cases, Snapchat bans your device on top of locking your account to prevent you from creating new ones.

Suspicious Activity

Spammy behavior, such as sending too many friend requests within a short period, often results in temporary account locks.

Snapchat may also flag your account for:

• Sending excessive unsolicited content.
• Unauthorized logins from multiple locations (or devices) within a short period.
• Too many failed login attempts.

Suspicion of Compromise

Snapchat sometimes locks accounts if they’ve been hacked to protect its users.

The platform encourages Snapchatters to change their passwords if they suspect their accounts have been compromised. If this doesn’t work, it recommends contacting support, who may then lock your account if they’re unable to help you recover it.

Restricted Third-Party Apps

Snapchat does allow the use of some third-party apps. However, it restricts others, such as:

• Snapchat Plus or Snapchat++
• Emulator
• SnapTools
• SnapEnhance
• Emulator
• Wicked
• Phantom
• FMSC

The platform generally restricts these apps because they can compromise your account and other Snapchatters’ accounts.

Banned Device

As mentioned earlier, Snapchat can ban an entire device from the platform. Attempting to log in from such a device results in an automatic account lock.

How Do You Know You’ve Been Banned From Snapchat?

Snapchat doesn’t leave room for speculation. If you’ve been banned, the platform will let you know by sending notifications.

Here’s a look at the messages and error codes you may receive, and what they mean:

• “Your account has been permanently locked…”: This is an indefinite ban on your Snapchat account. You’ll typically get this if you’ve severely violated the platform’s community guidelines or terms of service.
• “This device is not allowed to access Snapchat…”: This is a device-level ban that also comes as an SS18, SS06, or SS07 error code. Snapchat sends SS18 and SS06 codes for community guideline violations, and SS07 if you’ve logged in to too many accounts with the same device.
• “Your network is blocked…”: This type of ban affects not only you but also everyone else using your network. It may be triggered by suspicious login and activity patterns associated with your IP address, such as creating and signing in to too many accounts within a short period.

Does Snapchat Shadowban Accounts?

Officially? No Unofficially? Yes. While Snapchat doesn’t officially use the term “shadowbanning,” it can limit your content’s reach on Map, Stories, and Spotlight. If this happens, you’ll see a significant drop in your views and engagement.

Snapchat runs a tight ship when it comes to recommending content beyond your friends and family. To receive algorithmic support on spaces like Spotlight, your content must comply with the standards outlined in the Content Guidelines for Recommendation Eligibility. If it doesn’t, your reach will be limited.

What Should I Do After an Account Ban?

It depends on the type of restriction you’re facing. Here’s a look at how you can recover your account:

Permanent Account Ban

The only way to recover a permanently banned account is to appeal the ban. To do this, open the Snapchat app and try to log in. You’ll receive a pop-up notification containing an “Appeal Decision” button. Tap the button and provide the required information. Snapchat’s team will review your appeal and unlock your account if the ban was in error.

However, there are a few things to note with this type of ban:

• The appeal option isn’t available for all accounts. If your violation was too severe, you’ll be ineligible to appeal.
• It might take up to 30 days for Snapchat to review your appeal.
• There’s no guarantee of account recovery. Snapchat might uphold its decision. If this happens, you’ll be ineligible to appeal again. Further, the platform will delete your account.
• You can only appeal via the in-app pop-up notification. So, don’t try to contact support.

Temporary Account Ban

If your account has been temporarily locked because of using an unauthorized third-party tool, uninstall the tool and update your Snapchat app to the latest version. Then, wait out the ban period. Snapchat typically notifies users when their lock periods will end via email or in-app pop-ups.

If you’ve been temporarily banned for another reason (Snapchat will let you know), wait 48 hours and try to unlock it yourself. To do this, open the Snapchat Accounts Portal, log in to your account, and tap Unlock.

Device Ban

Snapchat uses an advanced fingerprinting system to identify devices. So, the only workaround for this type of ban is to get a new device.

The problem? Getting a new device for Snapchat alone isn’t financially feasible. That’s where GeeLark comes in. GeeLark is an antidetect platform offering both antidetect browsers and cloud phones.

For device bans, cloud phones are your best bet. Each GeeLark cloud phone has a unique fingerprint, making it appear as if you’re on a different device. The icing on the cake? These phones support proxies, so you can also change your geolocation data to further reduce the risk of device linking.

Network Ban

The simplest solution to this type of ban is to switch to another network. Try using a different WiFi connection. If this doesn’t work, switch from WiFi to mobile data.

However, these are temporary solutions. If the network ban is recurring, use a proxy to mask your IP address. If you’re using GeeLark cloud phones to access Snapchat accounts, assign unique proxy details to each phone profile.

How to Prevent Future Account Bans

As cliché as it may sound, prevention is better than cure. The truth is, you may not always be able to recover your account after a ban.

You can, however, reduce your risk of getting locked out by doing the following:

• Follow Snapchat’s rules: Review and adhere to the platform’s community guidelines and terms of service. This means no bullying behavior, harassment, sexually explicit content, violent posts, or illegal activity.
• Be careful when using third-party tools: Avoid unauthorized tools and plugins, such as modified versions of Snapchat or bots.
• Steer clear of spammy behavior: Avoid anything that Snapchat might perceive as spam, such as sending unsolicited messages, mass-adding friends, or creating too many accounts within a short timeframe.
• Isolate your accounts: If you have multiple Snapchat accounts, use an antidetect solution like GeeLark to isolate them. Also, use different email addresses during sign-up, and remember to customize your proxy settings for each account.

Using GeeLark to Isolate Accounts and Handle Device and IP Bans

GeeLark cloud phones simulate real Android environments, each with a unique identifier to help circumvent device bans and isolate multiple accounts. The platform also helps isolate networks by allowing you to configure proxy settings for each phone profile.

To get started with GeeLark:

1. Download the GeeLark app.
2. Sign up for an account and log in to your dashboard.
3. Go to New profile.
4. Customize proxy settings — use unique details on each cloud phone profile for network isolation.

5. Configure your cloud phone profiles: select your preferred phone version (GeeLark supports Android 9-15), set device parameters such as your network type, device brand, device model, etc.

6. Head to Applications and search for Snapchat.
7. Install the app and log in to your accounts, like you would on your standard mobile device. Be sure to assign each account to a different cloud phone.
8. Click Start when you’re done.

Manage Snapchat Account Bans With GeeLark

Snapchat is one of the most aggressive platforms when it comes to locking accounts. It can ban not just actual profiles but also associated IP addresses and devices, restricting your access even when you attempt to sign up for new accounts. Fortunately, antidetect solutions like GeeLark can help.

With GeeLark, you can quickly set up cloud phone profiles, each with a unique device fingerprint and proxy settings. This makes it appear as if you’re on a different device and network, allowing you to regain access to Snapchat.

GeeLark doesn’t just help with recovery. It can help minimize the risk of getting banned in the first place by isolating your accounts (if you have multiple). All you need to do is set up a unique cloud phone or an antidetect browser profile for each account.

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