Snapchat recently announced that they will be bringing back the ability for users to see their friends’ best friends. This feature allows you to see the people your friends interact with the most on Snapchat. It gives insight into your friends’ relationships and inner social circles.
A Brief History of Best Friends on Snapchat
The best friends feature originally launched in 2015. It displayed the top 3 friends you snapped with the most at the top of your friend list. You could also see your friends’ top 3 best friends. This let you see who your friends were closest to on the app.
In 2018, Snapchat removed the ability to see your friends’ best friends. They did this to alleviate social pressure and jealousy brought on by the feature. Some users didn’t like friends knowing who their “top” friends were. But many users missed this feature after it was removed.
Why Snapchat Is Bringing It Back
Here are some reasons why Snapchat is restoring the best friends feature:
- User demand – Many users have requested for this feature to return. It provides valuable social insight.
- Engagement – It may lead to more snap sending as users try to become top friends.
- Differentiation – This unique feature helps Snapchat stand out from competitors.
- Nostalgia – It taps into fond memories from earlier days for long-time users.
Snapchat is strategically bringing back this classic feature to increase engagement and loyalty. The move aligns with user feedback and demand.
How the New Best Friends Feature Will Work
Snapchat has made some changes to best friends this time around:
- You can only see your own best friends, not those of your friends.
- It shows your 8 best friends over the past 30 days.
- Best friends appear in order by snap frequency, without numbers.
- Users can opt out of being shown in others’ best friends.
- You can temporarily hide your own best friends as well.
These updates give users more privacy and control. You get the benefit of seeing your real best friends without the social pressure. The new system focuses on enhancing your own friendships rather than comparing.
Who Can See Your Best Friends
The ability to see your Snapchat best friends is optional. You can choose whether or not your best friends are visible to you or others. Here are the options:
- Only Me – You can see your best friends, but they are hidden from everyone else.
- My Friends – Your friends can also see your best friends on Snapchat.
- Everyone – Your best friends will be public to all Snapchat users and appear on your profile.
The default setting is “Only Me” for privacy. You can change this anytime in your settings. Friends can also opt out of being displayed in your best friends list.
How to Find Your Best Friends
Here are the steps to view your Snapchat best friends:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap your profile icon in the top left.
- Tap the settings gear icon in the top right.
- Scroll down and select “Best Friends.”
- Tap “Show My Best Friends” to enable the feature.
- Return to your friends list to see top friends over the last 30 days.
You can do this for both your individual chats and group chats. Best friends you chat with most often will now show at the top.
Adding Context to Your Friendships
Having the best friends feature back lets you see who you interact with most on Snapchat. You can use it to nurture certain friendships if you want. Here are some ways it adds context:
- See who you snap with more 1-on-1 vs. in groups.
- Find out which friends you have longest streaks with.
- Discover friends you used to talk to a lot but have fallen out of touch with.
- Identify your closest friends on the app over time.
- Spot friends you may want to get to know better in real life.
In essence, your Snapchat best friends represent your most active relationships on the app. The feature gives helpful insight into your social connections.
Why People Love the Best Friends Feature
Here are key reasons Snapchat users enjoy having the ability to see best friends:
- Satisfying curiosity – It’s intriguing to see your real top Snapchat friends.
- Starting conversations – You can spark dialogue by asking friends about their top chats.
- Bolstering relationships – You can strengthen bonds with top best friends who you want to get closer to.
- Feeling popular – Some enjoy the ego boost of being shown as a bestie of their friends.
- Enhancing engagement – It encourages you to interact more to become a top best friend.
While the idea was controversial at first, most users have come to appreciate the best friends feature for these reasons.
Concerns Around Best Friends on Snapchat
Some users do have complaints and concerns about Snapchat’s best friends feature:
- Showing favoritism – It highlights some friends above others.
- Breeding jealousy – Lower best friends may envy higher ones.
- Causing competitiveness – Friends may over-snap just to try to rank higher.
- Exposing cheating – It can reveal questionable best friends of a significant other.
- Enabling stalking – Obsessive friends can check your best friends constantly.
Snapchat has addressed many of these concerns in the revamped version. The limited list and privacy options give users more control over the feature.
Tips for Managing Your Best Friends
Here are some tips to navigate Snapchat’s best friends feature:
- Use settings to only share with friends you’re comfortable with.
- Do not overly fixate on your rank within a friend’s list.
- Avoid constantly checking on who appears at the top.
- Remember that frequent snaps do not always equal real-life closeness.
- Respect friends who opt out of showing in your best friends.
The new best friends system is designed to avoid social pressures. Use it as a fun way to enhance existing friendships.
The Impact on Snapchat
The return of the best friends feature is likely to have these effects on Snapchat:
- Increased engagement – More snap sending to become top friends.
- Higher retention – Long-time users will feel nostalgic and loyal to the app.
- Added differentiation – Distinguishes Snapchat from competitors once again.
- Renewed growth – May help attract new generation of teen users.
- Higher ad rates – Snapchat can charge more for ads targeting top friends.
Overall the move is brilliant for Snapchat’s business. And users get back a fun way to strengthen real friendships.
The Bottom Line
Snapchat is thoughtfully bringing back the ability to see your best friends. This fan-favorite feature lets you identify your top Snapchat relationships over the past 30 days. It gives context into who you interact with most one-on-one. Updated privacy controls and options give you flexibility. While some users have concerns, most appreciate the insight it provides. Snapchat’s reinstatement of best friends is sure to boost engagement and nostalgia.