Snapchat Verification Code Not Received
If your Snapchat verification code is not arriving, check four things in order: whether your phone filtered the text, whether the number and country code are right, whether you hit Snapchat’s too-many-attempts lock, and whether your carrier or network is dropping the message. Snapchat can also call you and read the code out, which often gets through when a text does not.
Why is Snapchat not sending the code?
Match what you see to the likely cause. It makes no difference whether the screen says verification code, SMS code or one-time code (OTP).
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Codes from other apps arrive, Snapchat’s do not | Your phone filtered the sender | Check spam, junk or unknown senders |
| The number is accepted but nothing comes | Wrong country code or a leading zero | Re-enter the number in full international format |
| A “too many attempts” message | Snapchat’s limit on code requests | Stop requesting and try again later |
| No texts arrive from anyone | Poor signal, roaming, or a carrier blocking business texts | Move to a strong signal, check roaming, ask your carrier |
| Snapchat will not accept the number | An internet or VoIP number | Use a mobile number from a real carrier, a non-VoIP number |
The general reasons verification texts get lost, from sender IDs to carrier filtering, are covered in why an SMS code does not arrive. The steps below are the Snapchat-specific part.
What to try, in order
- Check the number Snapchat shows on the verification screen. One wrong digit sends every code to someone else.
- Enter it in international format, with the country picked from the list and no leading zero.
- Open your filtered messages. On iPhone look under Unknown Senders or Junk. In Google Messages look under Spam & blocked.
- Wait a full minute before tapping resend. Codes often arrive late, and two codes on screen make it hard to tell which one is current.
- Choose the phone call option if a second text does not come.
- Stop after a few tries. Repeated requests trigger the lock described below, and then nothing will send for a while.
Should you take the phone call instead?
Yes, if the number is your own. When a carrier filters the text, a voice call with the code travels a different path and can still reach you. Answer it and write the digits down as they are read out.
The call does not work on a rented number, because a rented number receives text messages only. On a rented number, wait for the SMS or request it again.
What does “too many attempts” mean?
Snapchat limits how often one account or number can request codes. After several requests in a short time it stops sending and asks you to try again later. The lock lifts on its own. Tapping resend while it is active does nothing, so close the app, wait, and make one careful attempt with the number checked first.
What if you cannot log in at all?
If your account uses two-factor authentication and the phone is gone, sign in with the recovery code you saved when you turned it on. If you only need a new password, request the reset by email instead of SMS.
When neither works, Snapchat Support’s login help page takes a request and checks ownership through the email and details on the account. Send it from a device you have used with Snapchat before.
When a rented number helps, and when it will not
A rented number does not help if you are locked out of an existing Snapchat account. Snapchat sends the code to the number already saved on that account, so a different number will not receive it. For that case, use the recovery steps above.
It does help in three situations. You are creating a new Snapchat account. You can still get in and want to change the phone number on file. Or your own line keeps refusing Snapchat’s texts. A rented number for Snapchat comes from a real mobile carrier range, usually receives the code within a minute, and is refunded automatically if no code arrives. A separate account for a business or a creator profile fits our acceptable use policy. Once it is set up, confirm an email and turn on two-factor with an authenticator app, so the account stops depending on that number.