Snapchat’s Best Friends feature shows you your closest friends on the app based on how frequently you snap each other. But is it an accurate reflection of real-life best friends? Not always. While Snapchat’s algorithm does its best, there are a few factors that can skew your Snapchat Best Friends list.
How Snapchat Best Friends Works
Snapchat determines your Best Friends using a secret algorithm that calculates your snapping habits with other users. The more frequently you send snaps back and forth with someone, the higher up they will appear on your Best Friends list. So in theory, your real life besties who you snap every day should top your in-app Best Friends list.
But Snapchat’s algorithm pays attention to more than just snap frequency. It also considers factors like how quickly you respond to each other’s snaps and the total duration of snaps sent between you. So someone you snap back and forth with all day long will likely rank higher than someone you only send a snap to once a day, even if the total number of snaps is the same.
Why Snapchat Best Friends Isn’t Always Accurate
There are a few key reasons why your Snapchat Best Friends might not precisely match who your best friends are in real life:
1. Some Friends Don’t Use Snapchat
Obviously your offline-only BFFs won’t show up on your Snapchat Best Friends list because they aren’t on the app. Just because someone isn’t your top Snapchat Best Friend doesn’t mean they aren’t your actual best friend.
2. You Snap Different People for Different Reasons
Snapchat serves different purposes for different relationships. You might have a best friend or partner who you text or call daily but rarely Snap. Or you may have online-only friendships that exist solely over Snapchat. Frequency of snaps doesn’t necessarily indicate emotional closeness.
3. Group Chats Skew the Algorithm
If you participate in large Snapchat group chats, those snaps will count toward your Best Friends scores. You may end up snapping large groups more frequently than some one-on-one friendships, distorting your Best Friends rankings.
4. Streaks Impact Your Best Friends
Keeping Snapstreaks going with people also boosts your Best Friend score, even if you aren’t super close with them. You may snap some friends daily just to maintain a 100+ day Snapstreak, which will boost them higher in your Best Friends list than actual besties you chat with less frequently.
5. Best Friends Scores Change Over Time
Snapchat Best Friends are not permanent. As your snapping habits change, your Best Friends rankings will also change over time. Someone who was your #1 Best Friend last month may get bumped down if you snap a new friend more frequently lately.
Making Snapchat Best Friends More Accurate
If you want your Best Friends list to better reflect your closest friendships, there are a few things you can try:
Snap Your Real-Life BFFs More
Prioritize sending frequent snaps with your closest friends over streaks or group chats. The more you directly snap your real besties, the higher they will rank on your Best Friends list.
Watch Snap Reply Times
Snap back and forth as quickly as possible with real best friends. Fast reply times improve your Best Friends score more than occasional long snaps back and forth.
Do Video Calls Instead of Group Snaps
Video and voice calls on Snapchat are also counted in your Best Friends algorithm. Opt for calls over group snaps when you want to interact with multiple people at once.
Remove Friends You Aren’t Close To
Unfriend old connections or random people so your Best Friends list better highlights real friendships. With a smaller friends list, your top friends will stand out more.
What Does Being Best Friends on Snapchat Mean?
At the end of the day, Snapchat Best Friends is just an algorithmic representation of your snapping habits. But what does it mean to be Best Friends with someone on Snapchat? Here are some things Best Friend status can represent:
- You interact frequently via Snapchat specifically
- You likely have a close friendship if you snap a lot
- You send each other very personal snaps
- You may rely on Snapchat as your main communication channel
- You probably have a Snapstreak going
- You prioritize responding to each others’ snaps
However, Best Friend status doesn’t necessarily mean that this person is your all-time best friend. But it does suggest you likely have a special friendship bond if you snap each other so much! The Best Friends feature is Snapchat’s way of quantifying your friendships on the app.
Pros and Cons of Snapchat Best Friends
What are some pros and cons of the Snapchat Best Friends feature?
Pros
- Makes your closest Snapchat friends easy to identify at a glance
- Can reveal your subconscious snapping habits and preferences
- Motivates users to interact more to become Best Friends
- Creates a sense of competition and fun around having high Best Friend statuses
Cons
- Algorithim isn’t always accurate about real life best friends
- Can cause jealousy if certain friends rank higher than others
- Encourages excessive snap streaks just to boost Best Friend standing
- Best Friends change frequently as habits change
- Other social factors like attraction can influence snapping frequency and distort rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Best Friends can you have?
You can have up to 8 Best Friends on Snapchat at one time. If a new friend moves into your top 8, the lowest Best Friend will get bumped off the list.
Can you remove someone as your Best Friend?
There is no way to manually remove or reorder your Best Friends. The only way to change Best Friends is to adjust who you snap and interact with over time.
Is Snapchat Best Friends one-sided or mutual?
Snapchat Best Friends are unique for each user. So you may be someone’s #1 Best Friend, but they aren’t on your Best Friends list at all.
Can you have a Best Friend with no Snapstreak?
Yes, Snapstreaks are not required to become Snapchat Best Friends. Frequently snapping someone new can move them up your Best Friends fast, before you’ve established a Snapstreak.
Do Best Friends know they are your Best Friend?
No, there is no way to tell if you are on someone else’s Best Friends list. The Best Friends feature only shows you your own friend rankings.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s Best Friends algorithm isn’t a perfect science, but it does provide an interesting insight into your snapping habits. While Best Friend status doesn’t necessarily indicate real-world BFFs, it often correlates with closer friendships. If you want your Best Friends list to better reflect your closest connections, intentionally snap your real-life besties more. But take your rankings with a grain of salt – not everyone uses Snapchat the same way. Focus on your real friendships outside of the app!