Snapchat’s “last seen” feature allows your friends to see when you were last active on Snapchat.
However, sometimes this stops updating properly for you. If your friends notice your last seen is not changing or updating, there are a few things you can try to get it working again.
Conversely, Snapchat’s “last seen” feature allows you to see when your friends were last active on Snapchat. However, sometimes this stops updating properly.
If you notice your friends’ last seen is not changing or updating, there are a few things you can try to get it working again.
Why Your Snapchat Last Seen May Not Be Updating or Inaccurate
There are a few common reasons why your Snapchat last seen may not be updating properly:
You Have Your Privacy Settings Enabled
You can control whether your last seen is visible to friends. You may have your privacy settings enabled to hide your last seen from some or all friends.
To check, go into your Snapchat settings and see if you have your last seen hidden. If so, you will need to adjust your privacy settings to make your last seen visible to friends again.
You Aren’t Using Snapchat
If you haven’t opened Snapchat for a while, your last seen will remain the same. Snapchat only updates your last seen when you are actively using the app.
If you haven’t been on Snapchat recently, that explains why your friends haven’t seen your last seen update.
There’s a Glitch or Bug
Like any app, Snapchat can sometimes glitch out. A technical bug could be preventing your last seen from updating properly. Trying the troubleshooting steps below often resolves any glitches.
Your Account is Glitched
In rare cases, there may be a glitch specifically with your account that is stopping your last seen from updating. The troubleshooting steps below should also help identify and fix any account-specific glitches.
Troubleshooting Your Snapchat Last Seen Not Updating
If your Snapchat last seen is not updating, try these troubleshooting steps:
Force Close and Reopen the App
A simple app reset will often fix minor glitches. To do this:
- Double tap the Home button on your iPhone to bring up the multitasking view. For Android, tap the Recents button.
- Locate Snapchat in the list of recent apps and swipe up on it to force close it.
- Now reopen Snapchat – this restarts the app and reconnects you.
Check your last seen time again. If force closing fixed it, the last seen should now show a updated time.
Update the Snapchat App
An outdated version of Snapchat could be the issue. Update Snapchat to the latest version and try again:
- Go to the App Store on iOS or the Play Store on Android.
- Pull down to refresh the list of apps. This loads new update information.
- Check if Snapchat has a pending update. If so, tap Update to download it.
- Once updated, open Snapchat and check your last seen again.
Restart Your Phone
If force closing Snapchat didn’t work, try restarting your entire phone:
- Hold down the Power button on your iPhone or Android phone until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to turn off your phone completely.
- After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power button again to restart your phone.
- Once restarted, open Snapchat and see if your last seen has updated.
A full restart will often clear out minor glitches that force closing alone didn’t fix.
Log Out and Log Back Into Snapchat
Logging out and back in syncs your account data and resets local glitches. To try this:
- Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left.
- Tap the Settings (gear) icon in the top right.
- Scroll down and tap Log Out. Confirm you want to log out.
- Close Snapchat completely. Then reopen it and log back into your account.
- Check your last seen again – it should now show an updated time.
Delete and Reinstall Snapchat
If other troubleshooting steps failed, deleting and reinstalling Snapchat can fix issues with Snapchat last seen not being accurate.
Note: This will log you out and reset Snapchat entirely – you’ll need to log back in and set Snapchat up again.
To delete and reinstall:
- Hold down on the Snapchat app icon until it starts wiggling. Then tap the X to delete it.
- Go to the App Store or Play Store and re-download Snapchat.
- Once installed, set up your account again and log in.
- Check if your last seen now updates properly.
Reinstalling the app often resolves persistent glitches and account issues that other steps don’t fix.
Contact Snapchat Support
If you still can’t get your Snapchat last seen to update after trying all troubleshooting, you’ll need to contact Snapchat Support:
- Open Snapchat and go to your profile. Tap the Settings (gear) icon.
- Scroll down to the bottom and tap Support.
- Tap Contact Us and select Need help with Memories, Groups, Profiles, Friends & Added Me.
- Explain that your Snapchat last seen is not updating. Detail the troubleshooting steps you have tried.
- The Snapchat team can further investigate and resolve any account issues preventing your last seen from updating.
Getting help directly from Snapchat is the best way to fix unresolved problems with your last seen.
Why Won’t Your Snapchat Last Seen Update for One Friend?
If your Snapchat last seen works fine for most friends but is stuck for just one, the issue is likely with their account settings or app. Ask them to check their privacy settings and troubleshoot on their end.
You can also ask the friend to delete and reinstall Snapchat to reset their account. If the problem persists, have both of you contact Snapchat support for help identifying any account-specific issues.
When to Try Troubleshooting Again
Keep in mind that Snapchat last seen does not update in real time. It typically takes up to 2 hours for it to refresh after you are active on Snapchat.
Before troubleshooting, give it some time after you were last on Snapchat – your last seen may just be slow to update. But if it’s been over 2 hours, try the troubleshooting steps to identify and resolve any stuck last seen issues.
Preventing Snapchat Last Seen Problems
To help avoid Snapchat last seen issues in the future:
- Keep Snapchat updated to the latest version.
- Routinely force close and restart the Snapchat app.
- Restart your phone 1-2 times per week to clear out glitches.
- Don’t overload your phone storage, as that can cause performance issues.
- Resize/offload Snaps stored locally on your device.
- Log out and back into Snapchat occasionally to sync your account.
- Contact Snapchat support as soon as you notice an ongoing last seen problem.
Following best practices for app maintenance will help minimize technical issues that can affect Snapchat features like your last seen.
When to Contact Snapchat Support
If you still can’t get your Snapchat last seen to update properly after thorough troubleshooting, reach out to Snapchat Support for help. Be prepared to provide:
- Screenshots showing your stuck last seen time
- Details of troubleshooting steps you performed
- Any error messages you see
- Your Snapchat version and device details
This info will help Snapchat Support investigate and pinpoint the cause, whether it’s an account settings issue or bug. They can directly access your account data and logs to troubleshoot further.
The Bottom Line
Your Snapchat last seen not updating is usually caused by your privacy settings, inactivity, or a minor technical glitch. Try force closing the app, updating Snapchat, restarting your phone, and reinstalling the app to fix most issues.
For ongoing problems, contact Snapchat Support to identify and resolve pesky account or app bugs. With some simple troubleshooting, you can get your Snapchat last seen updating properly again.
