# Snapchat Account Locked? How to Get Back In or Appeal > Snapchat locked your account? How to tell a temporary, permanent or compromised lock apart, when to wait, how the one in-app appeal works, and scams to avoid. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/snapchat-account-locked - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-09-29 - Topics: Snapchat, Account recovery, Malaysia - Related service: Recovery hub: https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions ## Short answer First work out which lock you have. A temporary lock ends on its own or through the Unlock option on Snapchat's accounts page, after you remove unofficial apps. A permanent lock can only be appealed once, with the Appeal Decision button in the app. A compromise lock goes through Snapchat Support Bot. Snapchat makes the final decision. ## Summary - Snapchat uses the word locked for three different things: a temporary lock, a permanent lock for breaking its rules, and a safety lock after a suspected hack. - For a temporary lock, remove any unofficial apps or plugins, then use the Unlock option at accounts.snapchat.com or wait for the time the notice gives. - For a permanent lock, the only route is the Appeal Decision button in the Snapchat app, and Snapchat allows one appeal per lock. - If the notice says your account looks compromised, use Snapchat Support Bot, change your password and check the email and phone number on the account. - Nobody outside Snapchat can unlock your account for you, so ignore anyone selling unbans and never share your password, login code or Recovery Code. - Snapchat makes the final decision, a denied appeal cannot be repeated, and some locked accounts do not come back. You open Snapchat to reply to a friend and a pop-up says your account has been locked. Your streaks and years of Memories are behind that message, and it gives you very little to go on. The short answer: first work out which kind of lock you have, because each one has a different door. A temporary lock usually ends on its own or through the "Unlock" option at accounts.snapchat.com. A permanent lock for breaking the rules can only be challenged through the "Appeal Decision" button in the app, once. A lock after a suspected hack goes through Snapchat's compromised account steps. This guide shows you how to tell the three apart, what to do for each, how to save your data, and the mistakes and scams that make a lock worse. Last checked: 29 September 2026. ## What Should You Do If Snapchat Says Your Account Is Locked? Screenshot the message and match it to one of three situations. Temporary lock: remove any unofficial apps or plugins, then select "Unlock" at accounts.snapchat.com or wait for the period given. Permanent lock for breaking the rules: tap "Appeal Decision" on the login pop-up; if that button is missing, the lock cannot be appealed. Compromise lock: use Snapchat Support Bot, then change your password and check the email and phone on the account. Only Snapchat can lift a lock. Nobody outside Snap, including AwareXone, can do it for you. ## Which Snapchat Lock Do You Have? Snapchat's help page on [locked accounts](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012315286164-My-Snapchat-account-is-locked) lists several messages you may see when you try to log in. The exact wording can vary by app version and region, so match on the key words rather than the full sentence. *Snapchat lock messages and the first step for each, based on Snapchat Support pages at the time of writing.* | What the message says | What it means | What to do | | --- | --- | --- | | Your account has been "temporarily locked due to unauthorized third-party app or plugin use" | Snapchat detected an unofficial app or plugin connected to your account | Check the message or your email for when the lock ends, uninstall the app or plugin, update Snapchat, then log in again | | Your account has been "temporarily locked" for another reason | A short lock, often after activity that looked suspicious, such as many friend requests in a short time | Wait 48 hours and try again, or use "Unlock" at accounts.snapchat.com | | Your account has been "permanently locked" for violating the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service | Snapchat has decided the account broke its rules; it cannot be unlocked by you | Tap "Appeal Decision" if the pop-up offers it; if not, the lock is not appealable | | Your account "looks like it was compromised" and was "locked just to be safe" | Snapchat thinks someone else may have access and has frozen the account to protect it | Use Snapchat Support Bot, then follow the compromised account steps below | | Error code SS18 or SS06 | The device itself is banned for abuse or repeated rule breaks | Only the in-app appeal applies; new accounts cannot be created on that device | | Error code SS07 | The device is banned because too many accounts have been used on it | Only the in-app appeal applies | | A request for a login code you cannot receive | Not a lock: this is two-factor authentication or an extra security check | Use your Recovery Code, or see the section on login codes below | ## Temporary Lock: How to Get Back In A temporary lock is the one you can usually fix yourself, through the Snapchat Accounts Portal. 1. Delete any unofficial Snapchat app, tweak or plugin from your phone. Snapchat names examples such as Wicked and IOTA. Modified versions of the app count too. 2. Update the official Snapchat app from the App Store or Google Play. 3. Check the lock message, and the email on your account, for how long the lock lasts. If it was for a third-party app, wait until the stated end time. 4. Open a browser, go to accounts.snapchat.com, log in and select "Unlock". 5. If the lock was for another reason and there is no end time, Snapchat says to wait 48 hours and try logging in again. 6. Once you are back in, stop whatever triggered the lock, for example adding large numbers of people you do not know in one go. ## Permanent Lock: The One Appeal You Get A permanent lock is Snapchat's decision that the account broke its rules. Snapchat's page on [locks for Community Guidelines violations](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/10215197231892-My-account-was-locked-for-violating-Snap-s-Community-Guidelines) says you will not be able to unlock it yourself, and that Snap may also remove content or ban your device. The appeal lives inside the app. Open Snapchat, try to log in, and tap "Appeal Decision" on the pop-up. If the pop-up has no such button, Snapchat says the lock is not eligible for appeal. There is no email address, web form or phone line that replaces it, and Snapchat asks people not to open support tickets outside this process because they will not speed anything up. Four facts from Snapchat's page on [how to submit an appeal](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/17988958753684-How-to-Submit-an-Appeal) shape how you should approach it: - One chance. You can appeal a lock on an account only once. If the appeal is denied, you cannot submit another. - Six months. You can appeal at any time within six months of the day you were told about the decision. - The lock stays while you wait. The original enforcement generally remains in place during the review. - Timing varies. Snap says it aims to give an outcome within two weeks, but calls this a rough estimate; its locked account page says the review may take up to 30 days. The result arrives by email or in the app. Because there is only one appeal, take an hour to prepare rather than tapping the button in a panic. ## Before You Tap Appeal Decision: A Checklist - A screenshot of the lock message, with the date and any reason shown. - Your username, display name, and the email and phone number on the account. - Access to that email inbox, because Snapchat sends the result there. - A short, honest account of anything unusual: an unofficial app you have since removed, a friend who used your phone, or a login alert you did not recognise. - If you believe you were hacked before the lock, the dates of any login alerts, changed details or messages you did not send. - Proof that any unofficial app or plugin is gone from every device you use Snapchat on. - A calm draft of three or four factual sentences you can paste if a text box appears. > Note: **Snapchat decides.** An appeal asks Snap to look again; it does not entitle you to the account. Snap may uphold, change or reverse the decision, and some locked accounts do not come back. ## Locked Because Snapchat Thinks You Were Hacked A compromise lock protects you: Snapchat has seen signs that someone else may be using the account. Its help page tells you to try Snapchat Support Bot for this message. Snapchat's page on [compromised accounts](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012305621908-My-account-is-compromised) lists the warning signs: login alerts from a device or place you do not recognise, an unknown session in "Session Management", a changed email or mobile number, a changed display name, two-factor authentication added by someone else, spam sent from your account, Story or Spotlight posts you did not make, and a data export you did not request. If friends are receiving strange messages from you, our guide to [a hacked account messaging your friends](https://www.awarexone.com/research/hacked-account-messaging-friends) explains how to warn them without causing more confusion. 1. Secure your email account first, with a new password and a check for forwarding rules you did not set. Whoever controls that inbox can reset Snapchat again. 2. Once you are back in, change your Snapchat password. Snapchat can send a reset link by SMS or email. 3. Open Settings and confirm the email address and mobile number on the account are yours. 4. Check "Session Management" and end any session or device you do not recognise. 5. Turn on two-factor authentication and create a Recovery Code, then store it offline. 6. If you still cannot get in, go back to Snapchat Support Bot and describe what changed and when. If you are not sure whether a strange login was really a hack, our guide to [what to do when someone logged into your account](https://www.awarexone.com/research/someone-logged-into-my-account) walks through how to check. ## When the Problem Is a Login Code, Not a Lock Being asked for a code you cannot receive feels like a lock, but it is a different problem. Snapchat's page on [login codes](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/44906175841556-I-can-t-receive-my-code-to-log-into-Snapchat) says the request comes either from two-factor authentication you set up or from an extra check when you log in from a new device. It suggests trying a device or Wi-Fi network you have used before with the account. If you lost the phone that received your codes, Snapchat's page on [Recovery Codes](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012350903188-How-do-I-use-a-Recovery-Code-for-Snapchat) says you need a Recovery Code created in advance. Enter your username and password, then the Recovery Code when prompted; this turns two-factor authentication off, so switch it back on afterwards. Snapchat says it does not offer support for lost Recovery Codes. A "Too many requests" error is usually a short block; Snapchat suggests waiting a few minutes. In Malaysia, a phone that suddenly shows "No service" while codes stop arriving can mean your number has been moved to another SIM. Call your mobile carrier from another phone straight away and ask them to check for a SIM replacement. ## Can You Still Save Your Memories? Sometimes. Snapchat's help page says you can request your data by logging in at accounts.snapchat.com in a browser, choosing "My Data", selecting what you want and the date range, confirming your email and tapping "Submit". Snapchat emails a link when the export is ready. It also warns that data may not be available for some locked account types, so try this early rather than after an appeal is decided. ## Mistakes That Make a Lock Worse - Reinstalling a modified Snapchat or the same plugin that caused a third-party app lock. - Opening a new account after a permanent lock. Snapchat says people whose accounts were terminated are not allowed to create new ones, and a banned device cannot create accounts at all. - Wasting your single appeal on an angry or vague message. - Creating support tickets outside the in-app process in the hope it speeds things up. Snapchat says it will not. - Letting the email on the account go unchecked, so you miss the appeal result. > Warning: **Unban sellers and fake Snapchat support.** Snapchat's own page says the only legitimate way to unlock an account is to do it yourself or through the in-app appeal, and warns against scammers who claim they can unlock it. Snapchat also says its staff will never ask for your password or My Eyes Only passcode. Messages in English, Bahasa Malaysia or Chinese offering to "buka semula akaun" are not from Snap. Never share your password, login code or Recovery Code with anyone. ## If You Paid a Scammer or Shared a Code in Malaysia Act on the money first. The government's [NSRC 997 hotline page](https://www.malaysia.gov.my/en/categories/safety-and-community/cybersecurity/nsrc-997-hotline) says to call 997 within 24 hours of discovering a scam so authorities can try to block the transactions, contact your bank, and make a police report at the nearest station. If the scam involved a fake Snapchat login page, a phishing link or a hacked email account, you can also report it to CyberSecurity Malaysia's [Cyber999 incident response centre](https://www.cybersecurity.my/portal-main/services/cyber999-overview), which takes reports by online form, email, phone and its mobile app. Then change the password on every account that shared the same password or email. ## What If Your Appeal Is Denied? A denied appeal is final inside Snapchat. Snapchat says you cannot submit a second appeal for the same lock, and its appeal page mentions a legal remedy under its Terms of Service, plus an out-of-court dispute route that applies only to residents of the European Union. For most readers in Malaysia, that means accepting that the account may not come back, saving anything you can through "My Data", and not trying to rebuild on a banned device. For Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, see our guide to [social media account recovery in Malaysia](https://www.awarexone.com/research/social-media-account-recovery-malaysia). ## When Expert Recovery Help Makes Sense Most Snapchat locks can be handled alone with the steps above, and Snapchat's own processes are the only ones that can lift a lock. A second opinion helps when a hack and a permanent lock are tangled together, when you are unsure whether to spend your one appeal now, or when the account matters to your work. SocialSafe by AwareXone, our recovery service, reviews what happened and tells you plainly whether an official route is still open, and sometimes the honest answer is that you already have everything you need. The [recovery hub](https://www.awarexone.com/all-types-of-social-media-problem-solutions) explains how that review works, and our [Trust Center](https://www.awarexone.com/trust) lists what we will never ask you for, starting with your password and codes. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How long does a temporary Snapchat lock last? For a lock caused by an unofficial app or plugin, Snapchat says to check the in-app message or your email for when it ends. For a temporary lock with another reason, it suggests waiting 48 hours before trying again. You can also try "Unlock" at accounts.snapchat.com. ### Why is there no Appeal Decision button on my Snapchat lock? Snapchat says that if the pop-up does not show "Appeal Decision", the lock is not eligible for appeal. Check first that the lock is not temporary or a compromise lock, which use different routes. ### Does reinstalling Snapchat or switching phones remove a lock? Snapchat's help pages do not list either as a fix. The lock sits on the account, and with an SS06, SS07 or SS18 error on the device too, so use the route that matches your message. ### Can I make a new Snapchat account if mine is permanently locked? Snapchat says people whose accounts were terminated are not allowed to create new accounts, and a banned device cannot create them. A new account risks being locked too. ### Can someone else unlock my Snapchat account for me? No. Snapchat says the only legitimate ways are to unlock it yourself or to appeal in the app, and it warns about people claiming otherwise. Anyone asking for your password or codes is not helping you. ## Official sources - [Snapchat Support: My Snapchat account is locked (read 29 September 2026)](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012315286164-My-Snapchat-account-is-locked) - [Snapchat Support: My account was locked for violating Snap's Community Guidelines (read 29 September 2026)](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/10215197231892-My-account-was-locked-for-violating-Snap-s-Community-Guidelines) - [Snapchat Support: How to Submit an Appeal (read 29 September 2026)](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/17988958753684-How-to-Submit-an-Appeal) - [Snapchat Support: My account is compromised (read 29 September 2026)](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012305621908-My-account-is-compromised) - [Snapchat Support: How do I use a Recovery Code for Snapchat? (read 29 September 2026)](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012350903188-How-do-I-use-a-Recovery-Code-for-Snapchat) - [Snapchat Support: I can't receive my code to log into Snapchat (read 29 September 2026)](https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/44906175841556-I-can-t-receive-my-code-to-log-into-Snapchat) - [MyGOV Malaysia: NSRC 997 Hotline (read 29 September 2026)](https://www.malaysia.gov.my/en/categories/safety-and-community/cybersecurity/nsrc-997-hotline) - [CyberSecurity Malaysia: Cyber999 Cyber Incident Response Center (read 29 September 2026)](https://www.cybersecurity.my/portal-main/services/cyber999-overview) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.