Snapchat streaks have become a popular part of the Snapchat experience for many users. A Snapchat streak occurs when two friends send snaps back and forth for consecutive days. This number of consecutive days builds up into a “streak” that is displayed next to the friend’s name. But what happens if you miss sending a snap and break the streak?
Why do people care about Snapchat streaks?
For many Snapchat users, especially younger users, maintaining streaks has become an important part of their social lives and relationships on the app. Here are some of the main reasons people care about Snapchat streaks:
- It shows dedication to the friendship. By continually snapping back and forth, friends are showing their commitment to staying in touch.
- It’s a status symbol. Having long streaks is seen as something to be proud of. It means you have close friendships on Snapchat.
- Fear of missing out. People worry that if they don’t maintain their streaks, they’ll be left out as friends focus on streaks with other people.
- Creates daily interaction. Streaks give people a reason to be in contact every day. For some friendships, streaks provide the main source of regular communication.
- Adds excitement. The anticipation of seeing your streak count go up day after day can be thrilling for some Snapchatters.
For these reasons, many users, especially teens, have come to view their Snapchat streaks as important reflections of their relationships. Letting a streak die feels akin to losing touch with a friend entirely.
What happens when you miss a day on Snapchat?
If you miss sending a snap to a friend for 24 hours, your streak will be broken. This means the streak count goes back to 0 next to that friend’s name. Here’s a detailed look at what happens:
- The fire emoji next to your streak will disappear as soon as your 24 hours are up without sending a snap.
- When you send your next snap to that friend, the streak count will reset to 0 days.
- The friend you had the streak with will see the streak has been reset to 0 on their end as well.
- All record of your past streak number will be erased. The streak completely resets.
Once your streak breaks, there is no going back. The count does not pick back up where you left off if you start snapping that friend daily again. Your streak will be gone and you’ll have to start over from 0.
Why exactly does a streak break after 24 hours?
Snapchat has a strict 24 hour rule when it comes to maintaining streaks. Each side has only 24 hours to send their snap before the streak is broken. This rule is in place to make sure streaks represent daily communication.
The timer begins after you each send your snaps for that day. For example if you send your snap at 2pm on Monday, your friend has until 2pm on Tuesday to respond before the streak dies.
If you want to be safe, make sure to send your snaps as early in the day as possible. This gives your friend more time to respond before the 24 hours runs out.
What happens if you accidentally open a snap without sending one?
One of the most frustrating ways to lose a Snapchat streak is when you accidentally open a snap without responding. When this happens, the 24 hour timer starts ticking but your friend thinks you still need to send a snap.
Once you view a snap without sending one back, your streak is in danger. To save it, you’ll need to send a snap within 24 hours of opening the one you viewed. Otherwise, the streak will break as soon as the time runs out.
Does your friend have to actually view your snap?
No, just sending a snap keeps your streak intact on your end. You don’t have to wait for your friend to actually view or open your snap.
The responsibility is entirely on your friend to send you a snap within 24 hours. As long as you send a snap, your bases are covered.
What if your friend doesn’t open your snap at all?
Even if your friend never opens the snap you send, your streak will be fine. All that matters is that you sent a snap within the 24 hour period.
Your friend’s streak will break after 24 hours unless they send a snap. But your streak will remain as long as you uphold the 24 hour rule on your end.
Can you recover a broken streak?
Unfortunately, once a Snapchat streak is broken, there is no way to recover it. The streak count will reset completely back to 0 when you start snapping that friend again.
Some apps claim to help you recover broken Snapchat streaks, but this is not possible. Snapchat does not allow streaks to be reinstated once broken. The only option is to start a new streak from 0.
What’s the longest Snapchat streak you can have?
The maximum Snapchat streak you can have with a friend is 100 days. After this point, the number will not continue increasing. It will stay frozen at 100.
Having a 100 day streak is very impressive and means you’ve snapped that friend almost every day for the past few months. Only a small percentage of Snapchat users ever reach this milestone.
Can you build up multiple streaks at once?
Yes, you can have different streaks going with multiple friends. You simply have to make sure to snap each friend within 24 hours to keep the streaks alive.
Juggling multiple streaks takes dedication, especially as they get longer. Make sure to keep track of who you snap daily to keep your streak counts increasing.
Should you tell your friend if you broke the streak?
If a streak ends, it’s nice to give your friend a heads up. This prevents confusion when they notice the streak has been reset.
Let them know you accidentally missed a day but you want to start a new streak. Or explain you’ve been busy and will have to let the streak end for now.
Communication prevents hurt feelings. Some may be disappointed to lose a long streak, so be sensitive in how you break the news.
Can you restart a broken streak?
You can always begin a new streak after an old one is broken. Just start sending snaps daily again, and the streak will slowly build back up.
But this new streak will start fresh at 0. The past streak length won’t carry over at all when restarting.
Make an effort to be consistent this time when trying to build up a streak again with your friend.
What’s the best way to maintain long streaks?
Here are some tips for keeping long Snapchat streaks alive:
- Send your daily snaps as early as you can, giving your friend more time to respond.
- Avoid opening snaps until you’re ready to send yours back.
- Remind each other if it’s getting late and you still haven’t snapped.
- Double check who you’ve snapped each day, and who you still need to send to.
- Save streaks about to expire overnight by snapping late at night.
Staying organized is key. Long streaks require dedication. But maintaining daily contact with your closest friends has rewards of its own.
Can a streak break if your account is temporarily locked?
If your Snapchat account gets temporarily locked, your streaks will pause rather than break instantly.
However, if your account remains locked for more than 24 hours, your streaks will expire at that point.
So make sure to urgently resolve any issues with your account access before a full day passes. Otherwise you risk losing all ongoing streaks you had built up.
What happens if you delete a friend with an active streak?
Deleting a friend on Snapchat will instantly break any streak you had with that person.
Your streak disappears right as soon as you delete the friend, no matter how long you’ve been snapping them.
There is unfortunately no way to recover a streak if you delete the friend it was with. That streak will be permanently gone.
Can streaks transfer between friends?
Streaks on Snapchat are between two specific friends. So streaks cannot be transferred to a new friend if you stop snapping another.
If you and a friend have a 20 day streak, and you want your brother to take over, the streak will reset to 0 once you start snapping your brother instead.
The only way to continue a streak is to keep snapping the same two people back and forth daily who originated it.
Conclusion
Snapchat streaks have become deeply embedded in the app’s social culture, especially for younger users. Letting streaks break can end friendships and cause feelings of isolation. At the same time, experts argue Snapchat culture promotes quantity over quality in relationships.
Overall, approach streaks in moderation. Don’t become so obsessed that you neglect real life relationships. But also recognize that to many, streaks provide a sense of connection. With care and communication, they can enhance friendships when used responsibly.