Today, social media has revolutionized how people live their lives. It has changed the way we interact and communicate with each other. That said, the conveniences come with all sorts of caveats. As a result, social media companies like Snapchat have to deal with many potential problems.
Snapchat allows you only one personal account per email address, to which you can also link a business account. This is the app’s way of preventing fake accounts and bots. So if you want multiple accounts, you’ll need multiple email addresses.
There are a couple of inconveniences caused by this measure. First, it is a hassle for users with a legitimate reason to use more than one user account. Let’s look at the limitations that Snapchat has in place, why they have them, and whether you can circumvent them.
How Many Snapchat Accounts Can You Have on the Same Email?
You can have one personal user account with a linked business account registered to the same email account. Because of how Snapchat works, the business account is more of an advertising portal.
If you want more accounts, you need more email addresses. In addition, you need unique login credentials for every account, including your phone number. Furthermore, you can only sign in to one account at a time via the app on your phone.
It may sound counterintuitive for a social media platform to implement restrictions on user accounts. However, there are some excellent reasons.
Bots
Bots are accounts linked to programs that auto-generate posts on social media. They are the bane of any social media platform because it devalues content.
It does not improve user engagement, and the type of content is usually either unhelpful or entirely obscene. Bots also contribute to the following issue.
Inflated Statistics
If you do not need to add credentials, it is easy to create quick throwaway accounts. You might do this without ill intent, while some people may do it for more nefarious reasons.
Whether the intention is benign or malign, the result is the same, another user account in the platform’s statistics. When enough people do so, it subverts the company’s true value, confuses its algorithms, and corrupts just about any statistic the platform uses.
Inflated numbers equate to a less effective advertising platform. It is a statistic that can sway advertisers, which you can think of as unintentional fraud. An example is Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.
Requiring a unique email account exponentially decreases the likelihood of fake and burner accounts.
Verification and Personalized Advertising
Although using an email address and phone number may still seem private, most social media companies can identify you and your web activity. They also know your real identity, where you live, and where you work, along with many other details.
These are “data points,” and we give social media companies much more information than we realize. For example, your email address is a great data point to identify you and much of your stored data.
It is that data that Snapchat and other social media companies use to sell their direct advertisement services.
Difference Between Personal and Business Snapchat Accounts
Your personal Snapchat account does as it says. It is a personal account from which you can interact with your contacts and send messages. A business account offers options for advertising your business on Snapchat.
Such paid advertising is a primary revenue source for most social media platforms. Therefore, a Snapchat business account is more of a portal for marketing.
How to Add a Second Snapchat Account
If you want to add a second personal account to Snapchat, you must create it from scratch. You will not be able to use the same credentials.
As such, you must first create a new email account. Once you have done so, it is a matter of repeating the process you did when setting up your first Snapchat account. In this step, you may also breach your email service’s terms of service.
The Inconvenience of Managing Two Snapchat Accounts
Snapchat is built for smartphones. It uses your phone’s cameras, mic, and other sensors. Therefore, you should want to log in on your phone.
Unfortunately, you can’t stay logged in to more than one account as you can on Twitter. Every time you want to switch users, you must completely log out of the current account that you are using.
That brings us to the question of why one may need more than one account and whether or not it can get you into trouble.
Reason and Risk
There are obvious reasons why some users may want a second personal Snapchat account. For example, influencers may want a private account for communicating with people they know personally.
Similarly, performers or anyone that uses a persona as part of their celebrity may want separate accounts for their private lives.
As for the risks, if the intention and purpose are defensible, you are unlikely to get in serious trouble. On the other hand, if you are using a second account for questionable purposes, you could face legal prosecution.
Multiple accounts are covered in Snapchat’s terms and conditions, and officially you may not do, attempt to do, enable, or encourage anyone else to do any of the following:
“Create more than one account for yourself, create another account if we have already disabled your account, attempt to access the Services through unauthorized third-party applications, solicit login credentials from other users, or buy, sell, rent, or lease access to your account, a username, Snaps, or a friend link.”
From that, it is clear that you can only adhere to the terms and conditions by sticking with one account.
FAQs
Can I Use More Than One Snapchat Account at a Time?
It is possible to have multiple accounts on one device, but it will require separate credentials. You will also need to log out of one account to log into the other. Having two or more personal accounts breaches Snapchat’s terms and conditions.
How Do I Create a Second Account Linked to the Same Email Address as the First?
Unfortunately, you can only have one private and one business account linked to the same email address.
Is There an Age Requirement for Using Snapchat?
Under the terms and conditions, you must be older than thirteen to use Snapchat. Furthermore, if you are under the legal age of consent in your country or state (usually eighteen), you need express permission from your legal guardian.
Said Guardian must also discuss all of the terms of service before you can legally use any of Snapchat’s services.
Is it Safe to Use a Third-Party App to Stay Logged into Multiple Accounts?
Third-party apps are banned according to the conditions outlined in the Snapchat terms of service documentation.
Furthermore, there is no way you can be sure a third-party app is secure and free of malware, stalkerware, and other unwanted software.