Snapchat welcome screen on an iPhone X
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  1. Tap and hold on a person’s icon in Snapchat’s “Chat” screen.
  2. Carefully drag to the right (but don’t release) while you read the person’s message.
  3. Drag your finger to the left again and release to leave the message in an unread state.

Have you ever wanted to read a message on Snapchat without alerting the sender that you’ve read it? You can, with a half swipe (also called a half slide). Half swiping is possible in both the iPhone and Android version of Snapchat, and we’ll show you how.

Note: As of December 2022, we’ve confirmed that half swiping works on Snapchat. However, since it’s not an official feature, it may stop working anytime with future app updates.

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What Exactly Is Half Swiping on Snapchat?

A half swipe, as the name implies, is a swipe across your screen but not a complete one. This trick allows you stealthily read messages without senders knowing/

You may already know that Snapchat notifies the sender when you read their message. With a half swipe, you can read the message, but neither Snapchat nor the sender will know that you’ve done so. This is because you aren’t opening the message, technically, and so Snapchat won’t send a read receipt.

Note that this trick only works for reading messages; you can’t view Snaps with a half swipe.

RELATED: Is Snapchat Really Deleting My Snaps?

Performing a half swipe or half slide on Snapchat is easy, but you must do it correctly or you risk letting the sender know you’ve read their message.

Tip: Consider practicing half swiping on a message you don’t care about first.

To do a half slide, first, launch the Snapchat app on your iPhone or Android phone. Then, in the app’s bottom bar, tap the “Chat” tab.

Select the

On the “Chat” screen, find the conversation where you want to read a message. Don’t tap the conversation or you’ll end up opening it.

Next to your chosen chat, tap and hold the sender’s Bitmoji or profile icon and swipe to the right, but don’t release your swipe just yet.

You’ll see your chosen message being revealed when you swipe to the right. Keep your fingers on the screen while you read the message.

Note: If you attempt totake a screenshot while half swiping a message, you’ll notify the sender about it.

View a received Snapchat message by half swiping.
Make sure you don’t swipe all the way and release.

When you’ve finished reading the message, drag your finger back to the left so the open message is closed. Then, you may release your swipe.

If everything went well, then beneath your friend’s name on the “Chat” screen you’ll still see the “New Chat” label. This confirms you haven’t officially read that message, and the sender hasn’t been notified.

Want to learn more Snapchat tricks and tips? Learn how tosee who’s viewed and screenshotted your Snapchat Story, add music to stories and messagesorscan a snapcode.

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