How to Half-Swipe on Snapchat in 6 Easy Steps [w/ Pictures]
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon- To half-swipe on Snapchat, open the app and go to Chats. Hold on the user's Bitmoji and slowly swipe your finger towards the right of your screen and read the chat while still holding.
- Don't go farther than about 80% as doing so will trigger the read receipt and the sender will know you've read their message.
- Half-swiping is a moral grey area but it's not illegal since anyone can do it. Snapchat has never released any official statement on it either so don't feel guilty when doing it.
Snapchat is a platform that takes user privacy very seriously. Anything considered a breach of privacy is immediately conveyed to the other users. This includes taking screenshots of snaps or chats, replaying snaps, reading messages, and saving snaps, pictures, or messages.
Despite all this, there is a feature “Half-Swipe” that allows users to read the messages from a chat, without notifying the sender.
In this article, we are going to take a detailed look at how you can perform a Half-Swipe and answer all the questions you might have regarding this process. So, without further ado, let’s dive straight into it.
Table of Contents
How To Perform Half-Swipe On Snapchat?
Follow the below-listed steps exactly as they are listed. Also, while performing the steps first time use a dummy chat so that even if you make a mistake, you don’t face any consequences.[/box]
Step 1: Open Snapchat and Navigate to Chats
In case you have the app in your Recents, clear it from there. Then launch the Snapchat application and once it loads up, tap on the chat icon located at the bottom left of the screen. This will reveal your chat list.
Step 2: Press the Profile Icon
From the chat list, locate the chat and now long press on the Bitmoji of the user. If the user does not have a Bitmoji, there will be an empty profile icon, long press on that icon.
Step 3: Slowly Swipe Right on the Screen
This is the part where it gets technical. Slowly move your finger toward the right side of your mobile screen. As you continue you will start seeing your chat with the user and a keyboard will appear.
Step 4: Stop at Eighty Percent!
As you are swiping there will be a point that almost eighty percent of your screen will be your chat. Do not swipe further, as there is a chance you will open the actual chat.
Step 5: Don’t Remove Your Finger
The most crucial thing is NOT TO REMOVE your finger from the screen, especially if you have swiped more than 50 percent. Read the messages the other user has sent. As you must have realized, you cannot scroll up or down the chat but only read the messages that fit the screen.
Step 6: Swipe Left on the Screen
Once you are done and have read all the messages that fit the screen, it is time to properly close the chat. Simply without lifting your finger, start swiping left on the screen. As you do so your chat list will start to appear again. After you close seventy percent of the chat, lift your finger off the screen and the chat will close by itself.
Limitations of the Half-Swipe Method
The Half-Swipe Method on Snapchat offers a unique way to read messages without sending a read receipt, but it’s important to be aware of its limitations:
- Partial Message Visibility: The technique doesn’t allow users to read the first word of every line due to the nature of partial swiping.
- Notifications for Screenshots: Users need to be cautious, as taking screenshots during the Half-Swipe will notify the other party.
There’s also uncertainty about whether this method is an official feature or a bug, as Snapchat hasn’t made any official statement on it. This ambiguity leaves open the possibility that it might be removed in future updates.
As mentioned before, you can’t scroll through the chat as that would require you to remove your finger, which completely opens the chat, and delivers the read status. Moreover, if you take a screenshot at any point in this process, the other user will be notified. If your screen’s length is a bit short, you won’t be able to fully swipe right on the screen, consequently revealing less chat.
READ MORE: 2 Quick & Easy Ways to Get Rid of My AI on Snapchat ➜
Why You Might Need to Use the Half-Swipe Method
Basically, any user will use Half-Swipe when they are avoiding the other person. The reasons for this vary, and can include:
- Feeling angry with the sender.
- Needing a break from the conversation.
- Considering ending the relationship with the sender.
Some people might consider this unethical as the sender won’t be aware that you have read their messages. It creates a sense of incomplete engagement, potentially leaving the sender feeling ignored or undervalued, disrupting the intended social exchange.
However, it is a feature available to all Snapchat users. So, if you are doing it to a user, it could also happen to you. This is not a scenario like using a GB Whatsapp, where the other user might be at a disadvantage, so don’t feel guilty.
Besides, the main purpose of a message is to convey something and if that is fulfilled it doesn’t really matter whether the sender becomes aware of it or not.
READ MORE: What Makes Your Snap Score Go Up? ➜
Conclusion
There you have it the complete, detailed process for using the Half-Swipe method. We hope you will be responsible while using it. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them below. Until next time. Ciao
FAQs
The status of Half-Swipe remains uncertain, as Snapchat has not officially addressed its existence. It could be perceived as a bug or an unofficial feature.
The snaps sent between users do not appear in the chat unless saved. As this feature can only be used to view what is in the chat, you can’t view snaps using this.
No, the Half-Swipe method limits your interaction to the messages that fit on the screen. Attempting to scroll would require lifting your finger, which would fully open the chat and notify the sender.
If a screenshot is taken at any point in the Half-Swipe process, the other user will be notified.
Yes, this process will work on all Android and iOS devices.
While some may argue that it creates an incomplete engagement and could be perceived as unethical, others may view it as a personal choice within the available features of Snapchat.
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon
