Your Snapchat account has been banned and the first thing you need to figure out is what kind of ban you’re dealing with. A temporary lock and a permanent ban are handled completely differently. Do the wrong thing and you can make your situation worse.
The error code on your screen is your starting point. Every type of Snapchat ban has a specific code, and knowing which one you have tells you exactly what your options are before you waste time trying things that won’t work.
What Your Error Code Actually Means
SS06 and SS18 both mean Snapchat has banned the device you’re using due to abuse or repeated violations of Community Guidelines. SS07 means your device has been banned because too many accounts have been associated with it, and Snapchat Support cannot unban it.
SS02 means you’ve been temporarily banned from logging in due to repeated failed login attempts and you’ll need to wait before trying again.
Here’s the full breakdown of what each code means:
| Error Code | What It Means | Account or Device? | Can You Appeal? |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS02 | Too many failed logins temporary lockout | Device (temporary) | No — just wait |
| SS04 | Your specific account is locked | Account | Yes, if option appears in app |
| SS06 | Device banned for abuse or repeat violations | Device | Rarely — usually permanent |
| SS07 | Device banned — too many accounts linked | Device | No |
| SS10 | Device fails Snapchat’s integrity check | Device | No |
| SS18 | Device banned (same as SS06) | Device | Rarely usually permanent |
The account/device distinction matters more than most people realise. An account ban means your username is locked. A device ban means the phone or tablet itself is blocked and creating a new account on that same device won’t work.
Temporary Lock vs. Permanent Ban: What You’re Actually Dealing With
A temporary lock is Snapchat’s automated system reacting to something it flagged too many friend requests in a short time, logging in from a new country, or suspicious activity on your account. Snapchat recommends waiting 48 hours before trying to log in again, and making sure you’re following their Terms of Service. You don’t need to contact anyone or submit anything. It unlocks on its own.
A permanent ban is different. If you see a message that your account has been locked for violating Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, you will not be able to unlock it. Your only path is the in-app appeal — if that option is available at all.
When a Snapchat account has been locked for violating Terms of Service or Community Guidelines, Snapchat may also ban associated devices from accessing the platform. Users whose accounts have been terminated are prohibited from creating a new account.
This last point catches a lot of people off guard. If you’ve been permanently banned and you create a fresh account from the same device or phone number, that account gets banned too often within hours.
How to Check Why Your Account Was Banned
Before you appeal, check your Account Status. You can find your recent Community Guidelines violations in Settings tap the gear icon in your Profile, find ‘Account Status’ under the Shortcuts section, and you’ll see which category of Community Guidelines your content violated.
This tells you what Snapchat flagged. If it’s something serious content involving minors, harassment, threats, or repeated violations the chances of a successful appeal are low. If it looks like a mistake, an automated false positive, or something minor, an appeal is worth submitting.
How to Appeal a Snapchat Account Ban (Step by Step)
Accounts locked by Snapchat’s safety team for Community Guidelines violations can be appealed, if you have the option to do so from the login screen.
Here’s exactly how it works:
- Open the Snapchat app on your phone
- Try to log in as normal
- On the pop-up screen, tap ‘Appeal Decision’ to start the appeal process
- Explain your situation clearly be specific about what happened and why you believe the ban was wrong
- Submit and wait for an email from Snapchat
You can only appeal a lock once. If your appeal is denied, you cannot submit another one. This is the part people underestimate. Don’t waste your single appeal on a vague message. If you believe it was a false positive, say exactly why. Mention specific dates. If your account was compromised and someone else caused the violation, say that clearly.
If your appeal is successful, Snapchat will email you confirming your account has been reinstated and any strikes removed. If denied, they’ll email you to confirm the account will be deleted.
If you don’t see a pop-up with the ‘Appeal Decision’ option, your account lock is not eligible to appeal. That’s final.
One thing many people do wrong: The appeals process in the Snapchat app is the only legitimate way to appeal an account lock decision. Creating support tickets outside the approved process will not expedite your appeal or affect your account lock status. Emailing support, submitting web forms, messaging Snapchat on social media none of it helps, and Snapchat’s own support pages say so explicitly.
Common Reasons Snapchat Accounts Get Banned
Most people genuinely don’t know why their account was locked. These are the real reasons, confirmed in Snapchat’s Community Guidelines and enforcement policies:
Third-party apps: Modified Snapchat clients, screenshot-saving apps, and any tool that interacts with Snapchat’s systems outside the official app get detected quickly. This is one of the most common causes of unexpected bans.
Spam behaviour: Adding large numbers of users in a short period, mass-sending the same message, or using any kind of automation triggers Snapchat’s systems.
Content violations: Sexual content, nudity, violent content, hate speech, or anything involving minors results in an immediate permanent ban with no appeal option in most cases.
Multiple accounts on one device: You’re allowed to have more than one Snapchat account, but all accounts must follow the Terms of Service. If one account on your device violated the rules, it can affect your ability to use Snapchat on that device.
Compromised account: If someone gained access to your account and used it to violate guidelines, your account takes the hit regardless of who did it. This is worth mentioning specifically in your appeal.
Device Bans: The Harder Problem
A device ban blocks the phone or tablet itself, not just one account. It can happen when Snapchat detects activity from a device that violates Community Guidelines and it can unfortunately affect people who bought or received a phone previously used by someone else whose actions triggered the ban.
In most cases, Snapchat does not unban a device, even if you just bought the phone, it’s refurbished, you don’t know who used it before, or you believe the ban was a mistake.
If you bought a second-hand phone and you’re hitting SS06 immediately, your best step is to try logging into your Snapchat account from a different device. If you can log in and use your account normally on another phone, that usually means your account itself is fine and the issue is specific to that first device.
If your device has been banned and you want to access your data, you can download it by logging into accounts.snapchat.com on a desktop browser, selecting the data you want, choosing a date range, and confirming your email address. Snapchat will send you a download link once it’s ready.
What Doesn’t Work
Creating a new account after a permanent ban If your device has been banned, you will not be able to create new accounts on that device. And if your account was terminated, Snapchat’s rules prohibit creating a new one.
Submitting multiple support tickets: Confirmed by Snapchat’s support page as useless. It does not speed up your case.
Using a VPN to get around a device ban: A VPN changes your IP address, not your device’s hardware identifiers. It won’t lift an SS06 or SS18 ban.
If your account has been permanently terminated and the appeal was denied, the honest answer is that there is no further recourse through Snapchat. Some users choose to start fresh with a completely new account on a different device using a different email and phone number after waiting several weeks. This is not guaranteed to work but it is the only remaining option.
How to Protect Your Account Going Forward
The most common way people end up banned by mistake is using unofficial apps. Stick to the official Snapchat app from the App Store or Google Play. Don’t use third-party Snapchat clients, story-saving tools, or any app that asks for your Snapchat login.
Keep your behaviour on the platform gradual and natural. Suddenly adding 50 people in an afternoon, sending the same message repeatedly, or logging in from multiple countries in one day all look suspicious to automated systems.
Your recent Community Guidelines violations can be tracked through Account Status in your Settings tap the gear icon, find ‘Account Status’ under Shortcuts, and you can see the category of any content that was flagged. Check this periodically if you post a lot of content.
Useful Official Links
- Account locked: help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012315286164
- How to appeal: help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/17988958753684
- Device ban (SS06/SS18): help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/48008135555860
- Error codes when logging in: help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012325477268
- Download your data: accounts.snapchat.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Snapchat ban last?
A temporary Snapchat lock lifts automatically after 24 to 48 hours — you don’t need to do anything. Permanent bans don’t expire. The only way to reverse one is through the in-app appeal, if that option is available to you.
Can I make a new Snapchat account after being banned?
If your account was permanently terminated, Snapchat’s rules prohibit creating a new one. If your device was also banned, you can’t create a new account on that device either. Trying to do so usually results in the new account being banned within hours.
Why was my Snapchat account banned for no reason?
Most unexpected bans come from Snapchat’s automated systems, not a human decision. The most common causes are using a third-party Snapchat app, a compromised account used by someone else, or behaviour that looks like spam. Check your Account Status in Settings it shows which Community Guidelines category was flagged.
How do I appeal a permanent Snapchat ban?
Open the Snapchat app, try to log in, and tap ‘Appeal Decision’ if that option appears. This is the only legitimate route. You get one appeal make it specific, honest, and detailed.
What does SS06 mean on Snapchat?
SS06 means the physical device you’re using has been banned, not just your account. It happens due to abuse or repeated violations detected from that device. Snapchat generally does not lift device bans, including on second-hand phones.
Can Snapchat reverse a ban if my account was hacked?
A compromised account is one of the stronger grounds for an appeal. Use the in-app appeal, explain clearly that someone else accessed your account, and include relevant dates. There is no guarantee, but Snapchat does consider account compromise as a legitimate reason.
