Snapchat has had a tough time in 2020, but the company seems determined to stay relevant and its new addition of features implies that it just might work. Among these new features is the ability to create a public profile. But didn’t we already have that ability? Let’s find out.

Eligibility Criteria for a Snapchat ‘Public Profile’

For now, it seems that anyone can create the basic tier Public Profile in Snpachat, provided that you are a regular user with an account that is at least a few months old. To get a Public Profile that is tier 2 and comes with Analytics and insights for your content, you will need to have at least 5000 Subs and apply to Snapchat’s program using a Google form available on their website.

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How to create a Public Profile

Its been more than a week since Snapchat rolled out basic Public profiles to everyone. However, this update is being released in batches across different regions and might take a few days to show up in your app depending on your region. Either way, you will have to first go public with your current profile to create a tier 1 Public Profile for your account subsequently. Let’s take a look at how you can create a ‘Public Profile’ once this feature is available to you.

Step #1 Going Public

Open Snapchat and tap on your profile icon in the top left corner of yoru screen.

Now tap on the ‘Gear’ icon in the top right corner again.

Scroll down to the ‘Who can…’ section and make the following changes to each setting under it.

  • Contact Me: Everyone
  • Send Me Notifications: Everyone
  • View My Story: Everyone
  • See My Location: My Friends
  • Use My Cameos Selfie: Everyone
  • See Me in Quick Add: Turned On

Once you have made the changes, close Snapchat and start it again.

And that its! You have just gone public with your profile and anybody in your friend circle will see you in suggestions and will have the ability to contact you.

Step #2 Create a Public Profile

Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left.

You should now have a new option called ‘Add to Snap Map’ under ‘Stories’ or the ‘Spotlight & Snap Map’ section depending on your device and version of the app. Tap on the ‘3-dot’ icon beside this option.

Now tap on ‘Create Public Profile’.

Note: If the ‘Create Public Profile’ option is not available to you, then you can try changing your location to the USA using a VPN. This trick seems to work only for some users. In case it does not work for you, you will need to wait a few days for Snapchat to officially roll out Public Profiles in your region.

Snapchat will now introduce you to all the new features offered by a Tier 1 Public Profile. Tap on ‘Continue’ at the bottom of your screen to proceed to the next step.

Now tap on ‘Get Started’ at the bottom.

Snapchat will now show you a disclaimer about creating a Public Profile for one last time. Tap on ‘Create’ to proceed to the next step.

You will be taken back to the ‘Settings’ page and there should now be a new section called ‘Public Profiles’ with a new ‘My Public Profile’ under it. Tap on it to get started.

Now tap on ‘Edit Profile’ to edit all the details included in your public profile.

And that’s it! You now have a new Public Profile on Snapchat!

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What are the perks of a ‘Public profile’?

There are different kinds of public profiles on Snapchats, mainly used to differentiate between different tiers of creators. Most of these profiles have an approval process that requires you to submit applications but creating the basic public profile is completely free and a new addition for all Snapchat users. Let’s take a look at its main features.

  • Exposure on content added to Snap Map and Public Stories
  • A subscribe button for your viewers
  • Highlights section
  • Your name will be visible on all Snaps posted publically
  • Your Lenses will also be made public (This includes your creations as well as favorites)

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Difference between ‘Going Public’ and a ‘Public Profile’

Going Public implies changing the privacy of your current profile in Snapchat. This has been a feature for a while and going public allows your connections and groups to view your stories and snaps publically. This also allows users that are not a part of your contact list to view your latest stories and snaps as long as they have your username.

While a great way to connect with people, this leaves you at the mercy of Snapchat’s algorithm which can suggest your profile virtually to anyone who might be associated to your Snapchat circle. Additionally, going public will not help you reach newer audience but rather connect with the friends of your friends and so on.

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The ‘Public Profile’ on the other hand is among the new slew of features introduced by Snapchat. Apart from this Snapchat has the ‘Snap Star’ profile which offers more perks when compared to a Public Profile.

A Public Profile is essentially a new take on your current account that allows you to post content differently. Your public profile will be a completely new section with its own privacy settings, stories, and highlights. This platform can then be used by users to promote their talent, make some interesting content, and more.

The move comes after the mediocre reception of the Snapchat TV feature that was exclusively rolled out to certain verified profiles that met Snpachat’s criteria. While a great way to share content on the platform, it was only available to a select few users. Snapchat seems to have realized the importance of providing such platforms to upcoming artists and thus the new ‘Public Profile’ feature seems to be a take on the same.

I hope this guide helped you understand the difference between going public and the basic public profile on Snapchat. If you face any issues in creating a public profile, feel free to reach out to us using the comments section below.

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