Fun fact: the Snapchat Generation now has around $4.4 trillion in spending power. If this figure tells us anything, it’s that your business should be leveraging the app to drive sales. But, if you want to get the gains from Snapchat, you’re going to need to learn the lingo.
You’ve probably noticed those little Snapchat symbols that appear beside certain users’ names in the chat tab. Well, they’re actually pretty important. Our guide to Snapchat emoji meanings breaks deciphers the major emojis you need to know and answers all your burning questions.
Let’s dive right in! 💪
What are Snapchat emojis?
Snapchat emojis are symbols that appear next to Snapchat usernames in your Friends list and beside Snapchat Stories on the Discover page.
Snapchat emojis aren’t just there for decoration, though. Snapchat assigns each emoji based on interactions with other users on the app. For instance, how often you communicate with a certain user or when you became friends with them.
Here’s a quick glimpse of Snapchat’s friend emoji guide:
Some Snapchat emojis are more commonly used than others. Namely, the pink, red, and yellow hearts, the grimace face, the sunglasses face, and the fire emoji.
Your 2024 guide to Snapchat emoji meanings
Are you having trouble decoding the meaning of Snapchat emojis? Never fear. We’re here to help 🙌.
We’ve put together a cheat sheet of the most common Snapchat emoji meanings that you need to know.
Baby emoji 👶
You’ll see the baby emoji beside someone’s name when you first become friends with them on Snapchat. After you’ve been Snapchat friends for a while, the baby emoji will be replaced by a different emoji.
Birthday cake emoji 🎂
This one is pretty obvious. When you see a birthday cake emoji beside a user’s name, it’s your friendly reminder that it’s their birthday. Don’t worry if you miss the emoji, you’ll also get a notification to remind you.
Face with sunglasses emoji 😎
You’ll see the sunglasses emoji next to a user’s name if you have mutual best friends. This emoji is most commonly seen next to people in your outer circle– friends of friends, colleagues, schoolmates, etc.
Fire emoji 🔥
The fire emoji means you’re in a Snapstreak with that user. It only appears if your Snapstreak has lasted for three days in a row (or longer). The number beside the 🔥 indicates the number of days your Snapstreak has gone on for.
To the uninitiated, a Snapstreak is when two users Snap (not Chat) back and forth for a 24-hour period.
Gold star emoji 🌟
If our school days taught us anything, it’s that gold stars are good. In the world of Snapchat, the gold star emoji comes up beside a user’s name if they have replayed your snaps in the last 24 hours.
Basically, lots of these 🌟 signal that your followers find your Snaps interesting. This is a good engagement indicator for your brand.
Grimacing face emoji 😬
Snapchat likes to stir the pot a little. Like the sunglasses face emoji, this symbol 😬 appears next to a user’s name when you share a best friend on Snapchat. The difference is that the grimacing face emoji signals your top best friend is also their top Snapchat bestie.
Hourglass emoji ⌛
The hourglass emoji shows that your Snapstreak with that user is about to finish. If you want to keep your Snapstreak going, you need to snap that user at least once in a 24-hour period. Get snapping!
One hundred emoji 💯
Congrats! Seeing the 💯 next to someone’s name means you have hit a Snapstreak for 100 days in a row. Now that’s impressive!
Pink hearts emoji 💕
Snapchat likes it when you keep your friendship streaks alive. That’s why you’ll see the pink hearts Snapchat emoji when you maintain a friendship streak for two months or longer. It basically symbolizes that this user is your Super BFF and Snapchat gives your friendship the ultimate seal of approval.
Pushpin 📌
The pushpin emoji shows next to conversations you’ve pinned to the top of your feed. You can pin both individual and group conversations on Snapchat, so you never miss a Snap from your faves.
Red heart emoji ❤️
The red heart Snapchat emoji appears beside someone’s name to let you know that you’ve been best friends with that user for two weeks straight. In the Snapchat universe, your best friend is the user you exchange the most Snaps with. Aww, that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Smiling face emoji 😊
Snapchat’s smiling face emoji is another way of saying that this user is your close friend. Snapchat only assigns this symbol to people you swap a lot of Snaps with.
Smirking face emoji 😏
We’ll be honest, we’re glad Snapchat did away with the smirking face emoji. It used to show up when you were one of their best friends, but they weren’t one of yours. Ouch.
Yellow heart emoji 💛
The yellow heart on Snapchat means that you and this user are besties. You share the most snaps with this person, and they’re probably your real-life ride-or-die. #BFFs
Snapchat emoji meanings: Decoder chart
We know, you’re busy. If time is of the essence and you don’t have time to read all of the Snapchat emoji meanings, here’s a chart to speed things up.
| Emoji name | Icon | Emoji meaning |
| Baby | 👶 | Appears beside new Snapchat friends |
| Birthday cake | 🎂 | It’s this user’s birthday |
| Face with sunglasses | 😎 | This user is also the best friend of your bestie |
| Fire | 🔥 | Snapstreak of three days or more |
| Gold star | 🌟 | Somebody has replayed your Snap in the past 24 hours |
| Grimacing face | 😬 | You are each other’s top best friend |
| Hourglass | ⌛ | Your Snapstreak is about to end |
| One hundred | 💯 | Snapstreak of 100 days in a row |
| Pink hearts | 💕 | You’ve been best friends with another user for 2 straight months |
| Pushpin | 📌 | A conversation is pinned to the top of your feed |
| Red heart | ❤️ | You’ve been best friends with another user for 2 straight weeks |
| Smiling face | 😊 | You’re one of this user’s top best friends |
| Smirking face | 😏 | Someone is your best friend, but you aren’t theirs |
| Yellow heart | 💛 | You’re top best friends with another user #cute |
Zodiac Snapchat emoji meanings
Astrology aficionados assemble! Snapchat’s zodiac emojis make it easy to see your friends’ signs. That way, you can get to know them even better. Is that your Gemini bestie oversharing again?
We’ve broken down each sign in the chart below for Astrology newbies.
| Zodiac sign | Emoji | Birth dates |
| Aquarius | ♒ | January 20 – February 18 |
| Pisces | ♓ | February 19 – March 20 |
| Aries | ♈ | March 21 – April 19 |
| Taurus | ♉ | April 20 – May 20 |
| Gemini | ♊ | May 21 – June 20 |
| Cancer | ♋ | June 21 – July 22 |
| Leo | ♌ | July 23 – August 22 |
| Virgo | ♍ | August 23 – September 22 |
| Libra | ♎ | September 23 – October 22 |
| Scorpio | ♏ | October 23 – November 21 |
| Sagittarius | ♐ | November 22 – December 21 |
| Capricorn | ♑ | December 22 – January 19 |
Snapchat takes astrology seriously. It even offers users custom astrological profiles. Simply head to your Snapchat profile and tap the astrology icon under your name to find yours.
How do Friend Solar Systems work?
Snapchat+ subscribers also have access to another cool feature–Friend solar systems. If you notice a “Best friends” badge with a gold ring on someone’s Friendship profile, you’re one of each other’s eight closest friends.
On the other hand, if you see a “Friends” badge with a gold ring around it, it means you’re one of their closest friends, but they’re not one of yours. #awkward
You can only view Friend Solar Systems if you and the other user have a linked Bitmoji.
Each planet represents a different position on their Best Friends list. Simply tap on the badge to see which planet you are in their solar system.
Let’s say your friend is the Sun and you’re Earth in their Solar System. This means you’re their third closest friend. (Better up your Snap game to nab that coveted Mercury badge!).
You’ll find a quick breakdown of the Friend Solar System emojis below.
Friend Solar System Friendmoji Guide
Want to know your position in your friend’s solar system? Here’s a quick guide to help you.
How to customise your Snapchat Friends emojis
Did you know you can customize your Snapchat friend emojis? Well, you can!
If you’re more of a 😺 than a 💛 kinda person, you can create your own Snapchat emoji code.
Here’s how to do it if you have an Android phone:
- Open Snapchat and head to your profile picture in the top left corner
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down and select Customize Emojis
- Select the emoji you want to edit
Now, here’s how to customize Snapchat emojis on an iPhone:
- Open Snapchat and head to your profile picture in the top left corner
- Tap Settings
- Scroll down to Additional Services and select Manage
- Hit Friend Emojis
- Pick a category to edit
- Assign an emoji to represent this category
- Tap the back arrow to save your changes
Snapchat emoji meanings: FAQs
We answer some of the most commonly asked questions about Snapchat emojis in 2024 ✍.
How long does it take to earn a yellow heart emoji on Snapchat? 💛
A yellow heart emoji on Snapchat is awarded to users who are each other’s number one friends. It means you send the most Snapchat messages to each other. If your budding Snapchat friendship lasts over two weeks, the heart will turn red to show that you’re still each other’s Snapchat bestie.
What does the eyes emoji 👀 mean?
On Snapchat, the eyes emoji signifies that users are rewatching your Snaps. The eyes emoji only appears when one or more people have rewatched your Snap, so if you see it, you know your content is gaining traction.
What does the sparkle emoji ✨ mean?
Snapchat recently released groups so you can chat and snap with multiple users. Seeing the sparkle emoji beside someone’s name indicates that you’re in a group with that person.
What does the smirking face emoji 😏 mean now?
Snapchat made the wise decision to save friendships everywhere and change the meaning of the smirking face emoji. It now appears next to the names of your most-messaged contacts on the app.
Final Thoughts
Snapchat is more than just a fun way to procrastinate. It’s also a powerful marketing tool for brands looking to connect with millennial and Gen Z audiences. With so much power, it’s important that your business knows how to decode Snapchat emoji meanings. That way, you can leverage its full potential and gauge your Snaps’ success.
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