OMG you guys! Have you ever opened up your app to look at your Snapchat best friends list and been, like, completely bewildered?!
Like, why is the person I sat next to in science class yesterday now my #1 Bestie with the yellow heart, but my real BFF from my childhood is nowhere to be found?
It’s SO confusing and really, a bit stressful. But you guys don’t take the stress because I have learned so many secrets of this app.
Today I am going to tell you everything about it so you can become a Snapchat pro like me!
What is Snapchat
Okay so just in case you live under a rock or something, Snapchat is this really fun app on your phone.
It’s not like Instagram where you post perfect photos. It’s for sending ridiculous, goofy, or just plain random photos and videos (known as ‘Snaps’) to your friends that vanish after they’ve looked at them!
It’s all about the living in the moment. And, of course, the filters are the BEST. Who doesn’t love dog ears or super huge sparkly eyes, right?! And then there is Streaks, where you and your friend send a snap to each other daily.
What is the Snapchat Best Friends List?
So, when you’re about to send a snap, you get the list of people at the top under a heading that reads ‘Best Friends’. This is your Snapchat best friends list. It’s essentially Snapchat’s attempt to try to figure out who your closest friends are on the app.
It’s not one that you create yourself, the app does it all for you through a mystery formula. It can display up to eight of your best friends.
It’s sort of like a secret report card of your friendships on the app, and only YOU have access to it. Thank God, because imagine the DRAMA if everyone could view it?!
Also read: What Does the Green Dot Mean on Snapchat
How Does Snapchat Actually Determine Your Best Friends?
This is the great mystery everyone is trying to figure out! It ain’t magic, it’s math lol. It is all about the algorithm of the app, which is like an extremely intelligent brain that monitors how much you chat to your buddies.
The more you Snap, chat, or maintain a Snapstreak with someone, the greater the chances they will appear on your list.
Snapstreaks is when you and your best friend Snap each other back and forth every day, and you’ll notice a fire emoji with the amount of days you’ve done it.
The algorithm considers what you’re doing over a couple of weeks, and more recent conversations or Snaps carry more weight. So, if you’re snapping your BFF constantly, they’ll likely be ranked number one!
Essentially, Snapchat provides you and every friend with a secret “friendship score.” The bigger the score, the higher up they appear on your list.
But group chats don’t much affect individual rankings, keeping the focus on personal relationships.
The Secret Language of Snapchat Emojis Explained!
This is the fun part! Beside your best friends’ names, you’ll find tiny emojis. They aren’t by chance! Each one indicates something special about your friendship. It’s like a secret code.
- Yellow Heart: This is level one! It indicates that you are both #1 Best Friend to each other. You send the most snaps to them and they send the most snaps to you. Aww!
- ❤️ Red Heart: Great! You have leveled up! You’ve been each other’s #1 Best Friend for two weeks in a row. This is getting serious!
- Two Pink Hearts: This is the ultimate achievement! It means you’ve been each other’s #1 Best Friend for two MONTHS straight. This is for real Snapchat soulmates. It’s super hard to achieve.
- Smiling Face: They are one of your Best Friends, but not your #1. They are on your top 8 list.
- Smirk Face: Alright this one is the DRAMATIC one. It means you are one of their best friends… but they don’t do the same for you. This means they snap you tons more times than you snap back to them. Awwkwarddd.
- Fire Emoji: This is the Streak emoji! It indicates you and your best friend have snapped each other daily. On the side of it, you’ll find a number, which indicates how many days your streak has lasted. Don’t let it go!!
How to See Your Snapchat Best Friend List
It’s easy to access your Best Friend List:
- Ok guys, first open your Snapchat app.
- Then tap on your Bitmoji or profile icon at the top-left corner.
- Scroll down to Friends section then click on My Friends.
- Your Best Friends appear at the top, marked with emojis to indicate their status.
If you have fewer than eight friends, they will all appear as Best Friends provided you frequently engage them. The list is private and accessible only by you, so your social dynamics remain personal.
What About the Snapchat Solar System?
So, just recently, for those who have Snapchat+ (the paid tier), they came out with something even cooler called the Snapchat Solar System.
It’s like an elevated best friends list! In this, you are the Sun, and your friends are the planets. The closer a friend is to you in the solar system (such as Mercury or Venus), the closer your friendship is on the app!
It’s another way to be entertained at viewing who you chat with most. Your #1 Best Friend with the hearts would be Mercury. It’s a really nice feature, I wish they make it free for everyone one day.
Can Other People See My Snapchat Best Friends List?
NOPE! A few years back, anyone could view anyone’s top friends and it caused so much drama and fighting (particually in school and college).
It was the worst. Snapchat caught on and now your best friends list is totally private. Nobody else can see it except for when you view it on your own account. Phew!
Tips to Manage Your Best Friends List
There comes time when you don’t want some people included in your Snapchat best friends list or you wanna keep it drama-free. Here’s how to do it:
- Snap Less: If you don’t want someone to stay on the list, just stop snapping or chatting with them that much. The app kind of notice it and maybe push them out.
- Focus on Others: Snap your other friends more to shift the list around.
- Block or Remove: If you really don’t want someone there, you can block or remove them from friends. But that’s like a big step, so better think about it before.
- Don’t Stress: The list keeps changing all the time, so no need to panic if someone goes out of it. It’s really just about who you’re snapping most at the moment.
Also, don’t get too worked up over the list—it’s supposed to be enjoyable, not a popularity poll!
FAQs (Things I Get Asked Over and Over)
- How many Best Friends can I have on Snapchat?
You can have up to eight Best Friends that appear on your send screen. - How can I get a person off my Best Friends list?
The only method is to start snapping other individuals more than them, or simply snap them less. Your friendship score will decrease and they will drop from the list eventually. You can also block them, but that is a bit of an extreme measure lol. - Why did my yellow heart vanish?
The yellow heart vanishes if either you or your friend begin snapping someone else more. If they become your new #1, or you become theirs new #1 with someone else, the heart will dissipate. - Will sending snaps in a group chat improve my streak with one person?
No! To maintain a streak, you need to send a snap straight to that one person. Group chat snaps won’t count for streaks.
My Final Thought
So, the Snapchat best friends list is a super fun (and sometimes little stressful) feature. It’s a cool way to know who you connect the most with on the app.
But don’t stress it too much. Just because your #1 on Snapchat isn’t your actual best friend doesn’t mean they’re not your actual best friend.
It’s all just an app in the end! Your actual friendships are what matters most. But still, it is kind of awesome to receive those two pink hearts huh?! Happy Snapping.
