You’re scrolling through Snapchat, looking for a specific story, and suddenly you see a face you haven't thought about since tenth-grade chemistry. Or maybe it’s your dentist. Or worse, your ex’s new roommate. It feels invasive. It’s that "Quick Add" section—the "Snapchat you may know" feature that seems to have a direct line into your social anxieties. People often freak out thinking Snapchat is recording their real-world conversations to suggest friends, but the reality is much more about data points and digital footprints than it is about your microphone.
Honestly, the way Snapchat pieces together your social circle is pretty fascinating. It isn't just a random shuffle of people in your zip code.
The Algorithm Behind the People You May Know
Snapchat doesn't just guess. It uses a specific set of signals to decide who shows up in that Quick Add list. The biggest one? Your contacts. If you’ve granted the app permission to see your phone’s contact list, it’s constantly cross-referencing those numbers with other users. If you have "Dave" in your phone, and Dave has Snapchat, Dave is going to show up.
But it goes deeper. Mutual friends are the heavy hitters here. If you and a stranger share fifteen friends, Snapchat assumes you probably move in the same circles. It’s basic network theory. If person A knows person B, and person B knows person C, there is a statistically high probability that person A and person C have met or should know each other.
Then there’s the "Contact of a Contact" factor. This is where it gets creepy for some. You might see someone you don't have in your phone, but they have you in theirs. This happens all the time with work acquaintances or people you met once at a party. Because they have your number saved, the algorithm flags a potential connection.
Location plays a role too, though Snapchat is usually a bit more tight-lipped about the specifics. If you are frequently in the same "Map" vicinity as someone else—think a college campus or a specific office building—and you share even one mutual friend, the algorithm's confidence score for that suggestion shoots through the roof.
Why Do Random Strangers Show Up?
Sometimes the "Snapchat you may know" list feels broken. You see someone from a different country or someone with zero mutual friends.
This usually happens because of Search History or Public Profiles. If you’ve recently searched for a specific username—even if you didn't add them—Snapchat might put them in your Quick Add later as a "just in case" reminder. Additionally, if you are a member of a large Public Story or a specific "Community" (like a university group), the app will suggest other members of that community. It’s trying to drive engagement. The app wants you to have a big "Friends" list because people with more friends on the platform stay on the app longer. Period.
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Another weird quirk? The "Added Me" section. If someone adds you, and you don't add them back, they might eventually drift down into the Quick Add area.
The Privacy Problem with Quick Add
Not everyone wants to be "known." There are valid reasons to stay hidden. Maybe you're a teacher who doesn't want students finding your personal Snap. Maybe you just value your privacy.
Snapchat allows you to opt out, but they don't make it the default. You have to go into your settings to turn off "See Me in Quick Add." If you don't do this, anyone who has your phone number or shares a few mutual friends with you can see your Bitmoji and display name. It’s a bit of a vulnerability.
How to vanish from the list
If you’re tired of being suggested to others, you have to be proactive.
- Tap your Bitmoji in the top left.
- Hit the gear icon for Settings.
- Scroll down to Privacy Controls.
- Find See Me in Quick Add.
- Uncheck it.
Once you do this, you’ll stop popping up on other people's screens. It won't necessarily stop them from appearing on yours, but it cuts the bridge from your side.
The "New to Snapchat" Tag
You’ve probably noticed the little "New to Snapchat" label next to some names. This is a high-priority suggestion. Snapchat’s data shows that if a new user doesn't find friends within the first 24 to 48 hours, they are likely to delete the app. So, the algorithm pushes "New" users to everyone they might possibly know. If your cousin finally joins the app, you’re going to see them at the top of your list for days.
Managing Your Suggestions Effectively
The Quick Add list isn't permanent. You can "hide" people. If you see someone you absolutely do not want to interact with, just hit the little "X" on the right side of their name in the Quick Add menu. This tells the algorithm, "Hey, this was a bad guess." Do this enough times, and the algorithm actually learns your preferences. It starts suggesting people who fit a different profile.
It’s also worth pruning your own contact permissions. If you uploaded your contacts three years ago, Snapchat still has that data. You can go into your settings and "Clear Linked Contacts." This effectively resets the baseline for who the app thinks you know in the real world.
Actionable Steps for a Cleaner Feed
To take total control over your "Snapchat you may know" experience, follow these specific steps:
- Audit your "See Me" settings: Go to Settings > See Me in Quick Add and toggle it off if you want to be a ghost.
- Clear your contact data: In Settings, go to "Contact Syncing" and turn it off, then use the "Delete Shared Contact Data" option to wipe the slate clean.
- Aggressively use the 'X': Don't let unwanted suggestions sit there. Hiding them manually is the only way to train the algorithm to stop showing you your high school rivals or random colleagues.
- Check your 'Ignore' list: Sometimes you might have accidentally ignored someone you actually want to see. Periodically check your "Hidden from Quick Add" list in settings if you feel like you're missing out on actual connections.
- Limit Location Sharing: If you don't want "nearby" suggestions, keep your Ghost Mode on in the Snap Map. This reduces the geographic data points the app uses to suggest friends.
By understanding that these suggestions are based on a mix of mutual friends, contact scraping, and location clusters, you can make the app feel a lot less like a surveillance tool and more like a simple messaging platform.