Snapchat’s friends list shows the people you Snap the most at the top, with your best friends at the very top. But how exactly does Snapchat determine your friend ranking? Here’s an in-depth look at how the Snapchat friends list works.
What Is Snapchat’s Friends List?
Snapchat’s friends list shows all the people you’re connected with on the app. Your friends are ordered based on your interactions with them, with your closest friends at the top.
The Snapchat friends page has a few sections:
- Best Friends: The people you Snap the most.
- Recents: Friends you’ve recently interacted with.
- Alphabetical: All your friends listed alphabetically.
The Best Friends section is the default view when you open your friends list. This shows your top 3 best friends at the very top, followed by your remaining best friends.
How Does Snapchat Determine Your Best Friends?
Snapchat has an algorithm that tracks your Snap activity to figure out who your closest friends are. There are two main factors that go into your friend ranking:
- Snap Frequency: How often you send Snaps back and forth with a friend. The more you Snap someone, the higher up they’ll appear in your best friends list.
- Recency: How recently you’ve interacted with a friend. Friends you’ve Snapped more recently will rank higher than those you haven’t spoken to in awhile.
Snapchat’s algorithm looks at your Snap activity over the past month to determine your friend ranking. So your best friends list provides a snapshot of who your closest Snapchat buddies are right now.
Your top best friend appears next to a yellow heart. This spot goes to the friend you’ve Snapped the absolute most over the past month.
How to Become Someone’s Best Friend on Snapchat
Want to make it to the top of your crush or BFF’s best friends list? Here are some tips:
- Snap them often. Aim to send them a Snap at least once a day.
- Reply promptly when they send you Snaps.
- Use visual communication. React to their Snaps with silly selfies, videos, Bitmojis, filters, etc.
- Double-tap to start a Snapstreak. This keeps your streak number rising.
- Chat regularly via text or video/audio calls.
- Send them personalized Snaps instead of mass Snaps to all friends.
- Reminisce by reacting to old Snaps in Memories.
- Play games together like Bitmoji Party.
The more you interact 1-on-1, the faster you’ll become best friends on Snapchat.
How Often Does Snapchat Update Your Friend Ranking?
Snapchat refreshes its friend ranking algorithm approximately once a month. So you’ll notice your top best friends changing on a monthly basis.
Of course, major shifts can happen more immediately if your Snap activity changes significantly. For example, if you stop Snapping your #1 best friend for weeks, they’ll quickly drop down in your ranking.
Do Both People See the Same Best Friends?
Not necessarily! Your #1 best friend doesn’t necessarily have you as their #1 best friend. Each person sees their own unique best friends ranking.
This is because your respective Snap activity may differ. You may be that person’s top Snapchat buddy, but they aren’t yours. Snapchat’s algorithm simply reflects your unique interactions.
Can You Manually Change Your Best Friends Order?
Nope, there’s no way to manually edit your Snapchat top friends ranking. The algorithm automatically determines this based on your Snap patterns.
Your only option is to organically change it by Snapping certain people more frequently. There’s no way to force someone to the top of your best friends against the algorithm’s will!
Do Best Friends See When Their Ranking Changes?
Nope! Snapchat doesn’t notify your friends when their ranking on your best friends list changes. The shifts happen silently in the background.
So if your bestie gets bumped down a few spots one month, they won’t get an alert about it. Their ranking will simply refresh to the new order next time they check your friendship profile.
Can You Hide Your Best Friends From Others?
Yes, Snapchat has a few options to customize who can see your best friends:
- My Friends: Only people on your friends list can see your best friends.
- Only Me: No one else can view your best friends ranking.
To change this setting:
- Tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
- Tap the gear icon to access your settings.
- Tap “See My Friends.”
- Select either “My Friends” or “Only Me.”
The default setting is “My Friends,” so anyone you’ve added can see your top Snapchat friends. But you can easily hide this if desired.
What Are Snapchat Friend Emojis?
In addition to your best friends ranking, Snapchat uses custom emojis to represent your relationships with friends. These appear next to friends’ names throughout the app.
Snapchat’s friend emojis include:
| Emoji | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 💛 Yellow Heart | #1 Best Friend |
| ❤️ Red Heart | You’ve been #1 Best Friends for 2+ weeks |
| 🔥 Fire | Snapstreak of 100+ days |
| 🌟 Star | One of your Best Friends |
| 🌕 Crescent Moon | One of your Best Friends, but you aren’t one of theirs |
| ⚡ Lightning Bolt | Your Snapstreak is about to expire |
| 💎 Gem | One of your Best Friends, and you’re one of theirs too |
| ❄ Snowflake | You send this person the most Snaps |
| 💫 Sparkle | You just became friends |
| 🌸 Cherry Blossom | You share a birthday |
| 🎂 Cake | It’s this friend’s birthday |
These emojis give you an at-a-glance look at your Snapchat friendships. They appear next to friends’ names, Bitmojis, and scores.
Can You Remove Snapchat Best Friends?
You can’t directly remove friends from your best friends list on Snapchat. The ranking happens automatically based on your interactions.
But if you want someone to disappear from your besties, you can simply stop Snapping them. If you don’t interact for a few weeks, they’ll drop off your top friends section.
Or you can block that person. This will immediately remove them from your Snapchat friends list and all sections, including best friends.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s friends page provides a fun way to see who your closest buddies are on the app. The ranking algorithm considers your Snap frequency and recency to determine who you interact with the most.
To move up in someone’s friends list, Snap them consistently and respond promptly. You can also boost your best friend status by chatting, video calling, playing games, and reacting to Memories.
While you can’t change the order manually, you can hide your top friends from others if desired. And customized emojis add a creative way to visualize your friendships!
So pay attention to those best friends, scores, emojis, and streaks. They showcase who your true Snapchat VIPs are!