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Snapchat Emoji Meanings Explained

One of the unique things about Snapchat is that it assigns different emojis to your contacts based on how often you contact them. This is why you see different emojis next to the name of other Snapchat users in your friend list.

Now the question is, what do these Snapchat emojis mean? If you are curious to know the meanings of these Snapchat emojis, you are in the right place.

What is the use of a Snapchat Emoji?

Snapchat emojis are called friend emojis. The platform uses it to define your friendship with other Snapchat users in your friend list.

Snapchat assigns emojis based on the friendship you share with the other person. It depends on the frequency of messages and snaps you send each other.

Snapchat Emoji Meanings

Snapchat uses a variety of emojis, and each of them has a different meaning. We have detailed the meaning of all the Snapchat emojis for your convenience.

Smiley Face 😊

You will see the smiley face emoji next to the name of multiple Snapchat users. It indicates that the person is one of your many best friends. Snapchat will assign this emoji to a person if you send them snaps frequently. But remember, this emoji doesn’t mean that you both are besties.

Red Heart ❤️

If you are top friends with someone for two consecutive weeks, Snapchat will assign a red heart next to their name. You need to be consistent in your friendship to get a red heart.

Yellow Heart 💛

Yellow heart is for best friends. If you are a top best friend of each other, you will notice that the yellow heart emoji is assigned to the person. It indicates that the person is your best friend. This happens if you chat with someone very frequently.

Two Pink Hearts 💕

Two pink hearts are the symbol of a super BFF. This emoji is awarded when you remain each other’s top best friends for over two months. It is considered the ultimate symbol of friendship on the platform.

Grimace 😬

The grimacing emoji will appear when your top best friend is also their top best friend. This happens when there are three or more people in the friend group. This emoji is proof that you guys are close to each other.

Smirking Face 😏

If you see the smirking emoji beside a person’s name, it means that you are that person’s best friend, but your best friend is someone else.

PS: Snapchat has removed this emoji due to obvious reasons.

Sunglasses Face 😎

If you see this emoji beside a person’s name, it means that the person is the best friend to one of your best friends. So you might want to grow your friendship with that person. After all, your best friend’s bestie is your best friend too!

Baby 👶

This emoji appears as soon as you become friends with someone on Snapchat. The baby face emoji is assigned to all the new friends you make on the platform. Soon this emoji will change into a smiley emoji, yellow heart emoji, depending on how frequently you contact that person.

Sparkles ✨

The sparkles emoji appears when you snap with more than one friend in a group. This will help you identify all the friends included in the group. The bigger the group, the more fun.

Fire 🔥

If you snap all day with a person for several days, you will notice a fire emoji next to that person’s name. This emoji indicates that you are on “Snapstreak”. The Snapstreak number beside the fire emoji will increase if you continue to chat with that person.

100 💯

You will notice the 100 emoji beside the fire emoji when you snap all day long with the person for 100 days in a row. It could mean the start of a new friendship!

Hourglass ⌛

If you see an hourglass emoji about to run out soon, your Snapstreak will be over soon. Once your Snapstreak expires, the hourglass will disappear. You can save your Snapstreak by starting to snap again. This will save the hourglass emoji from running out.

Also read: How to Recover a Lost Snapchat Streak & Get It Back

Birthday Cake 🎂

The birthday cake emoji is very obvious. If you see this emoji next to someone’s name, it means it’s their birthday today. So you should wish them a happy birthday by sending them a snap.

Gold Star 🌟

You will also see a gold star emoji on Snapchat. This emoji appears when someone has replayed one of your friend’s snaps in the last 24 hours. Depending on your friendship dynamics, you can take it as an excellent excuse to start a conversation with the person.

Zodiac Emoji

You will see the zodiac sign emoji on every Snapchat user’s profile. The zodiac sign emoji will vary depending on the user’s birth date. We have laid down the meanings of each zodiac sign below:

  • Aries ♈: 21st March to 19th April
  • Taurus ♉: 20th April to 20th May
  • Gemini ♊: 21st May to 20th June
  • Cancer ♋: 21st June to 22nd June
  • Leo ♌: 23rd July to 22nd August
  • Virgo ♍: 23rd August to 22nd September
  • Libra ♎: 23rd September to 22nd October
  • Scorpio ♏: 23rd October to 21st November
  • Sagittarius ♐: 22nd November to 21s December
  • Capricorn ♑: 22nd December to 19th January
  • Aquarius ♒: 20th January to 18th February
  • Pisces ♓: 19th February to 20th March

How to Customize Your Friend Emoji on Snapchat?

If you are unsatisfied with your Snapchat friend emoji, change it from the Settings section. We have explained the steps below if you are unsure how it’s done.

Steps to Customize Your Friend Emoji for Android Users

  1. Launch the Snapchat app and tap on the Profile icon in the screen’s upper-left corner.
  2. Select the Settings icon from your profile screen.
  3. Go to the option “Customise Emojis” and select it. You will be shown the option to set up custom friend emojis.
  4. Tap on a friend category and customize the emoji for it.
  5. Select an emoji from the given list and save your selection by tapping the back button at the upper-left corner of the screen.
  6. You will follow the same steps to change the emojis of other friend categories.
  7. You can return to the default emojis by pressing the “Reset to default” option at the bottom and selecting Yes when the confirmation prompt shows.

Steps to Customize Your Friend Emoji for iPhone Users

  1. Launch the Snapchat app and select the profile icon.
  2. Once you are on your profile page, tap the Settings gear icon on the upper-right edge of the screen.
  3. Under Additional Services, select Manage to access the Snapchat emoji page.
  4. Select Friend Emoji to customize the emojis.
  5. Choose a friend emoji category and select a new emoji of your choice.
  6. After making your selection, press the back button to save your changes.
  7. Press “Reset to default” and select Yes to confirm to return to the default emojis.

Now that you know the meaning of Snapchat emojis, it will be easier to understand who you are close to, who you chat with most, and so on. You can upgrade your Snapchat friend emoji by snapping more with them.

Also read: 30 Cool Snapchat Tricks You Should Know About

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Snapchat Friend Emojis Used For?

Snapchat friend emojis indicate the level of friendship you share with that person.

Can you change your Snapchat Friend Emoji?

If unsatisfied with a Snapchat friend emoji, change it from the app settings.

What does the Red Heart ❤️ Emoji Mean?

The red heart emoji indicates that you have been best friends with that person for two weeks straight.

What is the meaning of the Smirking Face 😏 Emoji?

The smirking face emoji means you are that person’s best friend, but they are not your best friend.

When does the Birthday Cake 🎂 Emoji Appear?

The birthday cake emoji appears next to a person’s name when it’s their birthday.

How to Keep a Snapstreak Going?

To keep a Snapstreak going, both Snapchatters must send snaps back and forth to each other for 24 hours.

Can One Person Keep a Streak Going?

Each user can have a streak with another user. The streak breaks if the other person fails to reply or stops snapping.

Is Snapchat Good?

Snapchat is a great messaging app with many unique features you won’t find in other messaging apps.

Is Snapchat Suitable for Kids?

No one below the age of 13 is allowed to use Snapchat.

What is the meaning of the Babyface 👶 Emoji?

The baby face emoji means that you have newly added that person to your friend list.


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Mehul Boricha
Mehul Boricha
Mehul Boricha is the driving force behind Tech Arrival. He is a computer and smartphone geek from Junagadh, Gujarat, India. He is a Software Engineer by Education & a Blogger by Passion. Apart from technology geek, his free time is dedicated to cybersecurity research, server optimization, and contributing to open-source projects.

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