What does SnapViewer collect?
Very little. You do not sign up, you do not give a name or email to use it, and you never type a Snapchat password. Beyond what a web request needs to work, the only thing our code records about you is one row per page view in a first-party visit log, described below.
This policy is written from the site's actual code, not a template. It covers snapviewer.me and its tool, and was last checked against the code on 2026-10-30.
| Data | Stored? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name, email, account | No | No sign-up exists |
| Snapchat login | No | Never asked for, never needed |
| The username you type | Not logged | Sent to our server to read the public profile |
| Saved files | Passed through | Streamed from Snapchat, not stored |
| Cookies set by our code | No | None |
| Third-party analytics or ad trackers | No | None |
| Visit log (page views) | Yes | First-party, deleted after 90 days |
| Emails you send us | Yes | Used to reply to you |
What happens to the username I type?
It travels to our server so the server can open that public profile page on snapchat.com. Our code does not write it to a database, a file or a log; it is used to build the answer and then discarded.
The request to Snapchat comes from our server, not from your device, so Snapchat does not receive your IP address for that lookup. The public answer for a username may be cached by our hosting network for up to five minutes, keyed by the username, not by you.
When you look a profile up, the page address changes to end in ?u= and the username, so you can share or reload it. That address stays in your browser history like any other page, and it is marked noindex so search engines do not list it. The visit log never records the part after ?.
Who are the profiles shown on SnapViewer?
People and brands who chose to make their Snapchat profile or Story public. We show only what Snapchat shows to everyone on that public page, we do not build a database of profiles, and we never create pages about individual users. An account owner can ask us to stop showing their profile at any time; see the opt-out procedure.
Does SnapViewer store the files I save?
No. Each Download button holds a signed link valid for one hour. It contains the file's address on Snapchat's servers, the account name, the expiry time and a signature, so it cannot be altered or reused for other files. It contains nothing about you.
When you click, our server checks the signature, fetches the file from Snapchat's media servers (sc-cdn.net) only, and streams it to your browser, marked as not to be cached. No copy is kept.
Does my browser talk to Snapchat directly?
Yes, for previews. Profile pictures, thumbnails and videos you play load straight from Snapchat's media servers, which see your IP address as with any image on the web and handle it under Snap's own policies.
Images are requested with no referrer, so Snapchat is not told which SnapViewer page you were on. Videos are requested with only our site's address (snapviewer.me) as referrer, not the full page address, because our pages tell browsers to send only the origin to other sites. Downloads go through our signed link.
Does SnapViewer use cookies, analytics or ads?
Our code sets no cookies, loads no third-party analytics, tracking or advertising script, and shows no ads at launch. Pages use only the site's own files and fonts. Our code keeps only two things in your browser:
- A random session ID in sessionStorage, used to group the page views of one visit in the visit log. The browser deletes it when you close the tab.
- A cache kept by a service worker (sw.js): the site pages you open and the site's /assets/ files, so the site can start offline and work as a home-screen app. It never caches /api/ lookups or downloads.
If we ever add third-party analytics or advertising, this policy will be updated before it goes live, naming the provider and what it collects, and any consent required by law will be asked for.
What does the visit log record?
On every page view, your browser sends a small beacon to /api/t on snapviewer.me itself. It goes to our own site, not to a third party, and sets no cookie. Our code stores one row per page view in Cloudflare D1, the database service of our host, with these fields:
- A random page-view ID and the random per-tab session ID described above
- The time, the site and the page path (the address without the part after ?, so a username in the address is not recorded)
- Your IP address, and the country and city Cloudflare derives from it
- The referrer (the page that sent you here), when your browser shares it
- Your user agent (browser and device), browser language and screen width
- The visible time spent on the page, sent when the tab is hidden and capped at 2 hours
Nothing is sent when the browser reports that it is automated (navigator.webdriver), requests from known bots are ignored, and nothing is recorded on preview copies of the site.
The log is used only for aggregate statistics for the site owner: how many people visit, from which countries, which pages they read and which sites or search engines sent them. It is not sold, not shared, not used to build an advertising profile and not used to follow you across other sites.
Raw rows are deleted automatically after 90 days; daily totals (counts of visits, pages, countries and sources, with no IP address) are kept. Separately, 1 in 10 requests to /api/ adds to an anonymous daily counter that stores only the date, the site and the request type, with no IP address.
What does the Paste button read?
The text on your clipboard, only when you press it, and only to put it in the box. It uses the browser's Clipboard readText() method, and some browsers ask your permission first. Nothing is sent until you press the button next to it.
Who hosts SnapViewer and what do they see?
The site and its functions run on Cloudflare's network. Like any host, it must process your IP address and basic request details to deliver pages. That processing is done by the host under its own policies.
Our pages also tell browsers to block camera, microphone and location access.
What happens when I email SnapViewer?
If you write to [email protected], we receive your email address and whatever you put in the message. We use it only to answer you and handle your request (including opt-outs). We do not sell it, add it to a mailing list or share it.
We keep messages as long as needed to handle your request and any follow-up. You can ask us to delete them at any time.
What are my rights over my data?
Data protection laws such as the UK GDPR give you rights over personal data an organisation holds about you. GOV.UK summarises their purpose this way.
“Data protection legislation controls how your personal information is used by organisations, including businesses and government departments.”
In practice this concerns the visit log, emails you sent us and, for account owners, whether your public profile is shown. Visit-log rows are keyed by IP address and time, so to ask for yours to be deleted, write to [email protected] with your IP address and the approximate time of your visit.
Frequently asked questions
Does SnapViewer need my Snapchat login?
No. It only reads public profiles and never asks for a password.
Does SnapViewer keep the videos I save?
No. Files stream from Snapchat's servers through a link that expires after one hour, and no copy is stored.
Does SnapViewer record which usernames I look up?
No. The username is used for the lookup and discarded, and the visit log stores the page path without the ?u= part.
Does SnapViewer use cookies?
No. Our code sets no cookies. It keeps a random per-tab ID in sessionStorage and a service-worker cache of pages and assets.
How do I get my visit data deleted?
Email [email protected] with your IP address and the approximate time of your visit; we delete the rows we can identify.
Sources
- Data protection — GOV.UK