What Do the Snapchat Emojis Mean? A Complete Guide
Since its launch in 2011, Snapchat has become one of the world‘s most popular social media apps, with over 300 million daily active users. One of the app‘s signature features is its emojis, which appear next to friends‘ names and stories. But what exactly do these little icons represent? Read on for a comprehensive guide explaining the meaning behind every Snapchat emoji.
Overview of Snapchat Emojis
Snapchat uses emojis to convey information about your relationships and interactions on the app. There are over a dozen different emojis that can appear next to a friend‘s username or Bitmoji. Some represent your snapstreaks, others signify friendship milestones, while certain emojis denote your best friends.
These emojis provide a fun way to visualize your connections and keep tabs on your conversations. However, the emoji algorithm is a closely guarded secret, ostensibly to prevent users from "gaming the system." Still, most Snapchatters have figured out the general rules governing each emoji based on experience.
In this guide, we will cover all the primary Snapchat emojis and what they represent, including changes in the latest updates. We’ll also give tips on how to maintain your friendships to unlock more emoji perks.
Yellow Heart 💛
The yellow heart is the highest friendship emoji on Snapchat. It indicates that you and your friend share a #1 best friend status with each other. In other words, you send the most snaps to this friend, and they send the most to you too, compared to all other friends.
To get the yellow heart emoji, you and your friend need to be consistently messaging each other more than other people on your Snapchat. There is no set number of snaps required; it’s based on your comparative interaction frequency.
Note that private chats count more towards your best friend score than group chats or story replies. The yellow heart typically appears within two weeks of frequent back-and-forth communication.
Red Heart ❤️
The red heart symbolizes that you have been #1 best friends with someone for two straight weeks. This means you’ve maintained your yellow heart status and kept up your snapstreak through consistent, loyal messaging.
To preserve the red heart with your #1 bestie, just continue snapping them regularly. If your red heart disappears, you’ll have to build back up to two weeks of #1 best friendship. But all it takes is actively keeping up your frequent snapping with this friend.
Pink Hearts 💕
The double pink hearts represent that you‘ve been #1 best friends with a person for two months straight. This milestone emoji takes dedication and commitment to making your friendship a priority.
To score pink hearts next to your BFF on Snapchat, simply maintain that red heart status for two months. Keep snapping actively with your #1 friend above all others, and the pink hearts will stay put. This emoji carries some bragging rights as a long-term friendship badge of honor!
Grimacing Face 😬
You may see the grimacing face next to friends whom you share a mutual #1 best friend. For example, if you and John are each other’s #1 best friends, and Hannah is also John’s #1 best friend, Hannah would have the grimacing emoji next to her name when you view your Snapchat friend list.
The grimacing face signifies close ties without direct best friendship. It’s possible for multiple people to share the same #1 best friend if this one person snaps them more than anyone else. The emoji suggests potential for a deeper friendship if you snap Hannah more often and try to become her #1 friend too.
Smirking Face 😏
The smirking face emoji means you and your friend share a mutual bestie. For instance, if Katie is your #1 best friend, and Katie’s #1 best friend is Clara, you’ll see the smirking face beside Clara’s name.
This suggests you and Clara have a mutual acquaintance but otherwise don’t talk much one-on-one. Share more snaps directly to connect beyond your mutual bestie Katie. Boosting those numbers could even make Clara appear as your #1 best friend instead.
Sunglasses Emoji 😎
The cool sunglasses emoji signifies another type of mutual best friend situation. It appears next to friends with whom you share a close bestie but may not be especially close with yourself.
For example, if Dan is your top friend and Megan is Dan’s #1 bestie too, Megan would have sunglasses next to her name when you view your list. To transform Megan from mutual bestie to your own #1 BFF, start snapping her directly more often than Dan or anyone else.
Fire Emoji 🔥
The fire emoji indicates you‘re on a snapstreak with a friend. A snapstreak begins when you and a friend have snapped each other within 24 hours for at least three consecutive days. The number beside the flame tracks how long your streak has lasted.
To maintain a snapstreak, you and your friend must continue snapping each other at least once every 24 hours. If you let over 24 hours lapse between snaps, your streak unfortunately ends, and the count resets to zero. Consistency is key for keeping those flames burning.
Hourglass Emoji ⌛
When your snapstreak is in danger of ending, Snapchat will warn you with an hourglass emoji. This symbol appears if it’s been almost 24 hours since you or your friend last sent a snap.
Once the hourglass pops up, send your pal a snap ASAP to avoid your streak dying. The emoji serves as a reminder to keep your mutual snapping alive before time runs out. If you miss the 24-hour deadline, your streak will sadly expire.
Birthday Cake Emoji 🎂
On friends’ birthdays, Snapchat displays a birthday cake emoji next to their username. Tapping this icon allows you to send them a custom birthday wish with the birthday cake Bitmoji lens.
This emoji automatically appears if a friend has their birthdate entered in their Snapchat profile. Once their special day is over, the cake disappears until the next year. Consider the cake both a fun celebration of your friend and a reminder to wish them a happy birthday!
Hundred Emoji 💯
The 100 emoji symbolizes that you and friend have snapped each other 100 times. You’ll typically reach this milestone with your #1 best friends first, although it can happen with any frequent snap buddy.
To score the coveted 100 status, simply continue snapping regularly with your top friends. Once you send each other 100 pics or videos, the triumphant 100 emoji pops up…then the countdown begins again to 200!
Baby Emoji 👶
When you add a brand new friend on Snapchat, their username initially shows up with a baby emoji next to it. This cute icon represents a newly blossoming friendship on the app.
As you begin snapping your new friend regularly, the baby emoji will eventually revert to the standard yellow or red heart. But if you stop talking, the baby could reappear again down the road upon restarting communication. Welcome your new Snapchat pal with some introductory snaps!
What the Unofficial Emojis Mean
Beyond Snapchat’s “official” friend and status emojis, there are a few unofficial emoji associations to note:
Zodiac emoji: An astrological symbol like ♉ for Taurus may display next to a friend who has their zodiac sign linked to their account. However, these symbols come and go unpredictably based on updates.
Favorite emoji: Friends may add their favorite non-Snapchat emoji like a soccer ball ⚽ next to their own username in their profile, which then displays publicly to all friends.
Bitmoji: If connected to Snapchat, a friend‘s personalized Bitmoji avatar can show up where an emoji would typically appear. This way you can see your actual friend in cartoon form!
Pro Tips for Unlocking More Emojis
Here are some expert tips for scoring more emoji badges of honor with your Snapchat squad:
Prioritize private snaps – Direct one-on-one messages carry more weight than group chats or story responses in the Snapchat emoji algorithm. Focus on personal snapping for the highest best friend potential.
Be the first to view stories – Watching friends’ stories right when they post (instead of letting them pile up) signals eagerness to connect. This engagement can give your Snapchat friendship a boost over time.
Spam responsibly – While snapping endlessly can inflate your numbers, low-quality spam snaps won’t improve your true bonding. Stick to meaningful content they’ll appreciate seeing.
Give compliments – Send positive feedback when friends post great stories to create feel-good vibes. The emoji algorithm tracks all interactions, including reactions.
Reminisce via Memories – Resurface old snaps from your shared stories. Replaying inside jokes and fond memories can strengthen your friendship.
Wrap Up
Snapchat emojis offer a unique system for modern digital friendships. The many icons let you know precisely where you stand with all your snap contacts. Strive to keep the red heart fire burning brightly with your #1 bestie by prioritizing frequent snaps.
Stay on top of your other close connections too. With some effort maximizing interactions, you can upgrade multiple friends to BFF status. Soon your roster will be filled with hearts, hourglasses, baby emojis and more as your bonds continue to grow and thrive.
