Snapchat’s friends list allows you to see all your connections on the app and chat with them easily. Your friends list is located in the Chat section of the app, represented by the chat bubble icon on the bottom bar. Here’s a quick overview of how the Snapchat friends list works:
Adding Friends
There are a few ways to add friends on Snapchat:
- Search for usernames – You can search for specific people by username if you know their exact Snapchat handle.
- Add from Contacts – Snapchat can access your phone’s contacts and recommend friends who also have Snapchat. This makes it easy to find people you already know.
- Add Nearby – The Add Nearby section shows Snapchat users who are geographically close to you and allows you to add them.
- Snapcodes – Every Snapchat user has a unique Snapcode which can be scanned to add them as a friend. Snapcodes can be found in their profile or posted publicly.
- From Stories – You can add someone as a friend directly from their public Story by tapping the “Add” icon.
Once you find a user you want to add, tap the “Add Friend” button. This will send them a friend request. They’ll have to accept your request before they are added to your friends list.
Accepting Friend Requests
When someone sends you a friend request on Snapchat, you’ll see a notification for it. To view pending requests:
- Tap the profile icon in the top left corner
- Tap the gear icon to access Settings
- Go to Account Actions > Friend Requests
You can then tap to Accept or Decline each request. Accepting adds that person to your friends list while declining ignores the request.
Viewing Your Friends List
To see your Snapchat friends list:
- Tap the chat bubble icon on the bottom bar
- Tap My Friends at the top of the Chat screen
This will display all your Snapchat friends alphabetically. You can scroll through to see everyone you’ve added and chat with any friend by tapping their name.
Organizing Friends
Snapchat gives you a few ways to organize your friends list and prioritize your favorite friends:
- Best Friends – You can designate some friends as Best Friends and they will appear at the top of your list.
- Groups – Friends can be organized into custom Groups like “Close Friends”, “Family”, etc.
- Favorites – Favorite friends are also pinned at the top of your list for easy access.
To change your Best Friends, tap the profile icon > settings icon > Manage > Best Friends. You can add up to 8 Best Friends.
To create friend Groups:
- Tap the chat bubble icon
- Tap the gear icon in the top right
- Select Create Group
- Give the group a name and add friends
To Favorite a friend, swipe right on their name in your friends list. This pins them to the top.
Deleting and Blocking Friends
If you no longer want to be connected with someone on Snapchat, you can either delete them as a friend or block them:
- Delete – Deletes a friend from your list but does not block them. They can send you a new friend request in the future.
- Block – Blocks that user and also deletes them. They will be unable to contact you or view any of your content.
To delete a friend:
- Go to your friends list and tap their name
- Tap the gear icon in the top right of the chat
- Select Delete Friend
To block a user:
- Go to your friends list and tap their name
- Tap the gear icon in the top right of the chat
- Select Block Friend
Blocking someone will also remove them from your friends list. Be careful as blocking is permanent unless that user chooses to unblock you.
Adding Friends From Quick Add
The Quick Add section of your friends list recommends friends for you to add based on mutual connections, contacts, and other factors. This makes it easy to continue growing your Snapchat network.
To add friends from Quick Add:
- Open your friends list and scroll to the Quick Add section
- Review the suggested friends and tap “Add” on any you want to send a friend request to
Quick Add offers an easy way to keep finding relevant people to add on Snapchat, leading to a larger friends list and more Snapchat connections.
Appearing as a Suggested Friend
For other Snapchat users to find you through Quick Add, your profile needs to be optimized to appear as a suggested friend. Here are some tips:
- Fill out your Snapchat profile – Add a Bitmoji, custom username, and Snapcode to seem more approachable.
- Connect your Snapchat to Twitter and Instagram – This expands your social reach.
- Post publicly – Having a public Snapchat story and profile makes you more discoverable.
- Have mutual friends – Snapchat suggests friends who have multiple friends in common with a user.
Making your profile engaging and connecting your accounts gives Snapchat more data to recommend you organically to others. You can also share your Snapcode publicly to gain more friends.
Syncing Friends from Phone Contacts
Snapchat can sync your friends list with the contacts from your phone. This allows you to instantly find and add Snapchat friends you already know in real life.
To sync your phone contacts:
- Tap your profile icon in the top left
- Tap the gear icon to access Settings
- Tap Manage under the Account section
- Tap Sync Contacts
This will scan your phone contacts and match any that also have Snapchat. You’ll then see these matched contacts appear in your Quick Add and Add Nearby sections for easy adding.
Syncing contacts is useful for finding friends and family members you already know who also use Snapchat. Be aware that Snapchat may upload your phone contacts to its servers to match users across the platform, although it will not share your contacts with other users.
Friend Emojis
Snapchat displays custom emojis next to friends on your list based on how you interact. This provides context on your relationships:
- 💛 Yellow Heart – #1 Best Friend (most snapped)
- ❤️ Red Heart – #2-#8 Best Friend
- 🌟 Gold Star – Someone you frequently chat with
- 🔥 Fire – You have a Snapstreak going
- 💬 Hourglass – Your Snapstreak is in danger of ending
The emoji show who your closest Snapchat connections are at a glance. Keeping Snapstreaks going and regularly chatting with friends are ways to get special emojis to appear.
Snapchat Score
In addition to emojis, each friend on your list shows their Snapchat Score below their name. This is a number representing how active they are on Snapchat.
Snapchat Score is calculated based on:
- Snaps you send and receive
- Stories you post
- Chats you send and open
- Memories you upload
- Trophies you earn
A higher score means someone engages heavily with the app’s features. Score can indicate how immersed in Snapchat someone is compared to their friends. Snapchat does not provide an exact formula for how different actions impact your score.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s social network is based around building out your friends list. Once you connect with other users, Snapchat gives you tools to view, organize, and engage with your friends in a variety of ways. The app encourages constant communication through features like Snapstreaks and friend emojis. Your friends list is the foundation for the Snapchat experience, enabling you to have fun connecting with friends across the platform.