Snapchat
MEDIUM RISKData breach — January 2014
In January 2014 just one week after Gibson Security detailed vulnerabilities in the service, Snapchat had 4.6 million usernames and phone number exposed. The attack involved brute force enumeration of a large number of phone numbers against the Snapchat API in what appears to be a response to Snapchat's assertion that such an attack was "theoretical". Consequently, the breach enabled individual usernames (which are often used across other services) to be resolved to phone numbers which users usually wish to keep private.
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What happened in the Snapchat data breach?
In January 2014 just one week after Gibson Security detailed vulnerabilities in the service, Snapchat had 4.6 million usernames and phone number exposed. The attack involved brute force enumeration of a large number of phone numbers against the Snapchat API in what appears to be a response to Snapchat's assertion that such an attack was "theoretical". Consequently, the breach enabled individual usernames (which are often used across other services) to be resolved to phone numbers which users usually wish to keep private.
The exposed data included 3 types of personal information. Learn more about what a data breach means for you.
Quick answer — was Snapchat hacked?
Yes. Snapchat was breached in January 2014. The breach exposed 4,609,615 records including geographic locations, phone numbers, usernames. This breach has been independently verified. If your email was involved, your data may still be at risk today. Check if you were affected.
Why was the Snapchat breach so dangerous?
The Snapchat breach exposed 4,609,615 records — that is 4.6M people whose personal data is now circulating on the dark web. The combination of geographic locations, phone numbers, usernames makes this a medium-risk breach that should be addressed promptly.
Don't wait to find out — check if your email was exposed in this breach now.
What data was stolen in the Snapchat breach?
Geographic locations — may be combined with other breach data to build a profile for targeted attacks
Phone numbers — enables SIM swapping attacks and targeted SMS phishing scams
Usernames — used to build profiles and target you with personalised scams
Is the Snapchat breach still dangerous in 2026?
Yes. Stolen data from the Snapchat breach remains dangerous years after the incident. Research shows that over 65% of stolen credentials from older breaches have never been changed by the account holders. Attackers routinely compile data from multiple breaches to build complete profiles, and credentials from 2014 are still actively used in credential stuffing attacks today.
Personal information like email addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth never expire. Even if you changed your Snapchat password, the other exposed data can be combined with information from other breaches to target you. Learn more about how long stolen data stays dangerous.
Frequently asked about the Snapchat breach
Approximately 4,609,615 user records were exposed in the Snapchat breach in January 2014.
Yes. Leaked credentials are actively used in credential stuffing attacks years after a breach. If you reused your Snapchat password elsewhere and haven't changed it, those accounts remain at risk today.
Enter your email in the free checker on EmailLeaked. We scan 12 billion+ breach records including the full Snapchat dataset and tell you instantly whether your email was exposed and what data was taken.
Change your Snapchat password immediately, change any other account where you used the same password, enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts, and monitor for phishing emails over the next 90 days.
Who was affected by the Snapchat breach?
The Snapchat data breach affected approximately 4,609,615 users who had accounts with the service. While not the largest breach on record, it still represents a significant number of compromised accounts in our database of 970+ known breaches.
If you ever created an account with Snapchat or used their services, your data may have been included in this breach. Check your email now to find out. You can also read our guide on what to do immediately after a data breach.
If your email was in the Snapchat breach
Change your Snapchat password immediately
Go to Snapchat and change your password right now. Use a strong, unique password that you have never used anywhere else.
Change any account sharing that password
If you used the same password on other sites, change it on every one of them. Attackers test stolen credentials on hundreds of popular sites within hours.
Enable two-factor authentication
Turn on 2FA on Snapchat and every important account. Even if your password is known, attackers cannot get in without the second factor.
Check your other accounts for this breach
Run a full email check to see every breach your email appears in — not just this one.
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