Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among young people. One of Snapchat’s key features is its emphasis on ephemeral messaging – snaps, videos, and chats are only available for a short time before they disappear. This makes Snapchat feel more private, intimate, and authentic compared to other social media sites.
Given Snapchat’s popularity, many users wonder – does Snapchat notify you when it’s someone’s birthday? Can you find out when your Snapchat friends’ birthdays are? Snapchat does have some birthday notifications, but they are limited. In this article, we’ll walk through exactly what Snapchat tells you about birthdays and what it doesn’t.
Does Snapchat notify you it’s your birthday?
Yes, Snapchat will notify your friends if it is your birthday. On your birthday, your Snapchat friends will receive a notification saying “Today is [your name]’s Birthday!” This notification shows up right under your name when friends are looking at their list of chats.
The notification does not include your specific age or birth year, just the fact that it is your birthday. This birthday notification will go out to all friends you have a Snapchat chat history with. Snapchat determines it is your birthday based on the birth date you entered when creating your account.
So in summary – yes, Snapchat friends are notified when it is your birthday via an in-app notification.
Does Snapchat have birthday filters or lenses?
In addition to notifications, Snapchat also celebrates birthdays with special birthday filters and lenses. On your birthday, you will unlock birthday-themed filters and lenses which you can use when taking snaps and videos.
Some examples of Snapchat birthday filters include:
– Filters with birthday hats, cakes, balloons, and other birthday images
– Filters that say “Happy Birthday!”
– Lenses that add virtual birthday hats or cakes to your videos
These special birthday filters and lenses will be available to use all day on your birthday. They help highlight and celebrate your big day in a fun way with friends!
Can you see friends’ birthdays on Snapchat?
Unlike other social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat does not display friends’ birthdays on their profiles or anywhere in the app. The only birthday indicator is the notification that goes out on the day itself.
There is no birthday calendar or list that shows all your Snapchat friends’ birthdays. You will only know it’s someone’s birthday when Snapchat tells you on the day of.
Some reasons why Snapchat does not reveal friends’ birthdays include:
– Privacy – Snapchat wants to keep birthdays private and special between friends.
– Emphasis on ephemeral experience – Since content disappears, there’s no ongoing record or calendar.
– Avoid social comparison – Friends can’t compare whose birthday gets more likes, comments, etc.
So in summary, Snapchat purposefully does not share friends’ birthdays except for the notification on the day itself. It’s part of Snapchat’s ephemeral, privacy-focused approach.
Does Snapchat do anything else for your birthday?
In addition to notifications and special lenses/filters, there are a couple other birthday experiences Snapchat provides:
– Custom emoji – On your birthday, any emoji you use in chats will be replaced with a custom birthday version. For example, the heart emoji will appear as a heart topped with birthday candles.
– Birthday stories – Snapchat will create a birthday story for you with snaps/videos from friends wishing you happy birthday. Friends can submit messages to be included in your birthday story.
– Snapchat birthday parties – Snapchat has partnered with restaurants, bars, clubs, etc to host special Snapchat birthday parties. These are in-person parties catered to those celebrating their birthdays.
So in summary, in addition to notifications and lenses, Snapchat also provides custom emoji, birthday stories, and birthday parties – but only on your actual birthday.
Can you see your own birthday in Snapchat?
Snapchat does not show users their own birthday within the app. There is no profile section or settings page that has your birthday.
The only way to confirm your birthday within Snapchat is when your birthday notification goes out to friends on your special day.
If you want to see your birthday as entered in Snapchat, you would need to look back at the information you entered when creating your Snapchat account. Snapchat does require entering a valid birthday upon account creation.
Some reasons why Snapchat does not reveal your own birthday to you include:
– Simplicity – Snapchat wants to minimize settings and profile information.
– Avoid self-centeredness – Unlike other platforms like Facebook, Snapchat avoids constantly reminding users about their own birthday.
– Security – If you forgot your birthday, it ensures only you entered it when creating your account.
Overall, Snapchat purposely makes birthdays about friends, not about yourself. Your birthday is revealed through friends’ messages, not through your own profile.
Can you find out Snapchat friends’ birthdays outside the app?
Since you can’t see friends’ birthdays within Snapchat, is there another way to find out Snapchat friends’ birthdays? There are some workarounds and tricks users have come up with:
– Ask friends directly – Simply asking friends is the most straightforward way to learn their birthday. However, this assumes friends are willing to share it.
– Check their Facebook – If you are also Facebook friends, birthdays are visible there. But not all Snapchat friends necessarily connect on Facebook.
– Look up public records – Online public records from voter registration databases sometimes include birth dates. But this is more likely for adult friends, not younger users.
– Review old messages – Go back through your message history around the time of their suspected birthday. See if Snapchat showed the birthday notification.
– Check their ID – If you have a chance to see a friend’s driver’s license or ID, their birthdate is often listed there.
In summary, the only surefire way is if friends voluntarily share their birthdate or it is visible on another public platform like Facebook. Otherwise, there are limited ways to uncover Snapchat friends’ birthdays outside the app.
Pros and cons of Snapchat’s approach to birthdays
Snapchat’s limited and ephemeral approach to birthdays has some advantages:
Pros:
- Keeps birthdays intimate and private
- Avoids friends competing over likes and comments for birthdays
- Lets each day feel special, not just birthdays
However, there are also some disadvantages:
Cons:
- You may forget friends’ birthdays entirely
- Hard to wish friends happy birthday if you don’t know the date
- Not as special for friends whose birthday is forgotten
Overall, Snapchat’s birthday features aim to maintain the app’s fun, casual, ephemeral experience rather than provide a permanent record of friends’ birthdays. The focus is on enjoying each day’s Snaps rather than emphasizing certain dates.
Conclusion
In summary, here’s a quick rundown of what Snapchat does and does not tell you about birthdays:
Snapchat does:
– Notify your friends on your birthday via in-app notification
– Unlock special birthday lenses and filters to use on your birthday
– Show custom emoji and create a birthday story on your birthday
Snapchat does NOT:
– Show friends’ birthdays in the app (except notification on the day)
– Provide your own birthday within the app
– Maintain any permanent record or calendar of birthdays
The limited birthday features are part of Snapchat’s general approach to privacy and ephemerality. Overall, Snapchat aims to live in the moment – birthdays and other dates come and go as just another snap.