How to use Snapchat only for chats and friends’ Stories (and what you can’t hide)

Watch friends’ Stories from the Chat screen

1. Swipe right from the Camera to open the Chat screen.
2. Look for a circular preview next to a friend's name. That means they updated their Story. No circle means you're up to date.
3. Tap the circle to watch.
4. To watch a Story again, tap the friend's Bitmoji to open their Friendship Profile, then tap their circular Story.

This way you see friends' Stories without scrolling the Stories screen, where Discover content sits below your friends.

Using the Stories screen

Your friends' Stories are tiles at the top of the Stories screen. After one friend's Story, Snapchat shows a preview of the next friend's Story. Tap to watch it, swipe to skip, or swipe down to exit, which is the point to stop if you only came for friends.

Accounts you follow show up in the Discover section, and Snapchat says you may see more Stories like them. To cut that down, tap the three dots at the top right of the Stories screen, tap Manage Accounts I Follow, then Edit to remove accounts. You can also press and hold an account's Story and tap Added to unfollow.

What you can hide, one item at a time

• A Story or Show in Discover: press and hold the tile and tap Hide this Content. To undo, tap the three dots on the Stories screen, then View Hidden Stories and Un-Hide.
• A friend's Story you don't want at the top: on the Chat screen, press and hold the friend's name, tap Story Settings and turn on Mute Story. You can still watch it, and the friend isn't told.
• A noisy chat: press and hold the name, tap Chat and Notification Settings, then Notification Settings, and turn on Mute Chats or Mute Calls. Messages still arrive without a push notification.

What can’t be hidden in Snapchat

• Discover as a whole. Snapchat's help says you can't completely disable a topic, a theme or the Discover section, and that not all Stories content can be hidden.
• Spotlight. We found no setting in Snapchat's help that removes the Spotlight tab. See how to turn off Snapchat Spotlight for what does and doesn't help.
• The tab Snapchat opens on, unless you pay for Snapchat+. Subscribers can open My Account, tap their Snapchat+ membership card, tap Home Tab and pick a tab. The other tabs stay.

Snapchat also says some people see a version of the app with fewer tabs, depending on region, age and when the account was created, and that chatting with friends and viewing friend Stories remain available in it. Its help does not describe a way to choose that version.

Snapchat with only Chat and Stories in minulo

minulo is an iPhone app that opens Snapchat's website inside the app. Install it, tap Add a service, choose Snapchat, then tap the gear next to Snapchat and turn on hiding for Spotlight and Discover. minulo's Snapchat screen has two tabs at the top, Chat and Stories, and Stories opens your friends' Stories. Hiding is free. Snapchat is marked BETA in the app.

If you keep opening the official Snapchat app, minulo can lock it with Screen Time and send you to minulo when you tap its icon. That is free for up to 2 hours per block. While the official app is locked its notifications don't arrive, and minulo sends none of its own. minulo Pro adds schedules by day and time, longer blocks, Hard Mode and multiple block lists. minulo is iPhone only.

Can I use Snapchat only for chats and friends’ Stories?

Not with a Snapchat setting. You can watch friends' Stories from the circles on the Chat screen so you rarely open Stories or Spotlight. To have Spotlight and Discover hidden, open Snapchat in minulo, where this is free.

Can I turn off Discover on Snapchat?

No. Snapchat's help says you can't completely disable the Discover section. You can press and hold a Story or Show and tap Hide this Content, one item at a time, and unfollow accounts in Manage Accounts I Follow.

Can I remove Spotlight from Snapchat?

We found no setting for it in Snapchat's help. Snapchat+ subscribers can change the Home Tab the app opens on, but Spotlight stays in the tab bar.

Why does my Snapchat have fewer tabs?

Snapchat says feature availability can vary by region, age and when you created your account, so some people see a version with fewer tabs. Chatting with friends and viewing friend Stories still work in it.

How do I mute a friend’s Story on Snapchat?

Swipe right from the Camera to the Chat screen, press and hold the friend's name, tap Story Settings and turn on Mute Story. Their Story stops appearing near the top, and they are not told.

Sources

1. Snapchat Support: How do I view a Story on the Chat screen on Snapchat?
2. Snapchat Support: How do I view a friend’s Story on Snapchat?
3. Snapchat Support: How to Hide or Unhide a Story in Discover
4. Snapchat Support: How to Follow or Unfollow a Story on Snapchat
5. Snapchat Support: How do I mute someone on Snapchat?
6. Snapchat Support: Why do I see fewer tabs in Snapchat?
7. Snapchat Support: How do I change my Home Tab with Snapchat+?
8. App Store (US): minulo