When someone disappears from your Snapchat, it is usually one of two things: they removed you as a friend, or they blocked you. They feel the same at first - your snaps stop landing - but the signs are different, and you can usually work out which one happened without asking.
Removed vs blocked: the key difference
Removing you just unfriends you. You can still find the person by searching their username, and you can re-add them. Blocking is stronger: it hides them from you almost entirely, as if the account vanished from your view.
| Check | Removed you | Blocked you |
|---|---|---|
| Search their username | You can still find them | They do not appear |
| Your old chat history | Usually still there | Often gone from your chat list |
| Sending a snap | Goes to "Pending" | Cannot send - they are not findable |
| Re-adding them | Possible | Not possible while blocked |
The simple test
Search their exact username from your account. If the profile shows up, you were removed (or never friends) - not blocked. If it does not show up at all, blocking is likely. To be sure, ask a mutual friend to search the same username from their account: if it appears for them but not for you, that is the clearest sign you have been blocked specifically.
Why "Pending" does not always mean blocked
A snap stuck on Pending (a grey arrow) worries people, but it usually just means you are not friends - they removed you, never added you back, or have privacy settings that require a friend request. Pending on its own is not proof of a block. Combine it with the search test before you conclude anything.
If you just want to see their public content
Blocking only affects the relationship between two accounts inside the app. If the person has a public profile, their public stories are still on the open web regardless of your account. You can view those through a browser-based story viewer without being friends or logged in. For the related "did they unfriend me" signs, see how to know if someone deleted you.