Hey, Can Snapchat See Our "My Eyes Only" Snaps?

Social media has proven to be a great way for everyone to stay in contact and communicate with each other. As the world becomes more connected to each other this way, even with people from different areas of the world, it's becoming more used as a way to start or continue relationships. 

Sometimes this means sending messages or photographs you don't want anyone else to see. Several platforms have a similar feature, but can Snapchat see your "My Eyes Only" snaps? Here's what we know. 

In Snapchat, which is a popular social platform to use for people who are dating or looking for something romantic, there are a lot of features to keep things private. One of those features is the "My Eyes Only" which helps the user keep any videos, selfies, or photos super private. In order for anyone to see the private image or video, there needs to be a password entered.

This feature makes sure that when people look at your Snapchat Memories section, anything that's been marked as "My Eyes Only" won't be found. But, even with them being hidden, you can still access them using the required password. 

The private feature was first introduced to the app in the summer of 2016. Inc writer Salvador Rodriguez recalled an awkward conversation he had with Snapchat's CEO, Evan Spiegel, discussing how the app is sometimes used for romantic reasons. While it's not clear why the new feature was launched then, it made sense and has been one of the features that remains pretty unique to Snapchat. 

With this section most likely containing very sensitive information, it's not a surprise that people want to know if anyone else, even people who don't have the password, can gain access to these private areas. It makes sense to send the passcode to the person intended for the photo, but can Snapchat see these photos too?

According to Snapchat's help page on this feature, they don't explicitly say that the company doesn't have access to the photos. So, there's always still a small chance that somewhere in their whole tech system, the images are around. However, the company does say that they're unable to help recover any snaps where the user forgets the password. 

"You can only access your Snaps and Stories in My Eyes Only by entering your passcode!" the company writes in its page detailing this feature. "If you forget your passcode, Team Snapchat cannot help you access or recover Snaps in My Eyes Only."

If you forget your passcode, Snapchat says there is a way to change the code — which is usually a 4-digit code — and create a new one so users can continue to send these private snaps. However, in doing so, the current "My Eyes Only" photographs will disappear. The company writes, "You can reset your passcode, but everything in My Eyes Only will be permanently deleted."

Snapchat suggests users create a passcode that they'll remember and they always urge people to only share the code with those that they really (really) trust.