The friends list on Snapchat allows you to see all of your connections on the app. It contains the full list of usernames of everyone you are friends with or have added on Snapchat. The friends list enables you to easily find and chat with friends, view their stories, see their scores and trophies, and more.
Adding Friends
To build up your friends list on Snapchat, you first need to add other users as friends. There are a few different ways to add friends on Snapchat:
- Search for users by username – You can search for specific Snapchat users by their unique username and then send them a friend request.
- Add from phone contacts – Snapchat will scan your phone contacts and suggest friends who also have Snapchat. You can easily add friends through your contact list.
- Snapcode – Every Snapchat user has a unique Snapcode which looks like a QR code. You can scan someone else’s Snapcode using your Snapchat camera to instantly add them.
- Nearby – The Nearby feature on Snapchat allows you to see and add nearby Snapchat users who have opted into Nearby sharing.
- From Chat – If you receive a Chat from someone you aren’t friends with, you can add them as a friend directly from the Chat screen.
Once you send a friend request on Snapchat, the other user has to accept it before they get added to your friends list. You’ll see a pending icon next to friend requests that haven’t been accepted yet.
Viewing and Managing Friends
To view your full friends list on Snapchat, tap on the Friends icon from the Snapchat camera screen. This will bring you to your Friends page where you can see all your Snapchat friends in alphabetical order.
On the Friends screen, you have a few options:
- Search Friends – Use the search bar at the top to search your friends list by name.
- Add Friends – Tap the + icon to add new friends through search, contacts, Snapcodes, etc.
- Manage Friends – Tap the settings gear icon to manage your friends list and friend settings.
- Sort Friends – Tap “Sort” to sort your friends by most snapped, alphabetical, or most recent.
In the Manage Friends menu, you have additional options like:
- Edit friend name – You can tap a friend’s name to edit the name you have saved for them in your contacts.
- Hide alerts – Choose to hide notifications when certain friends post Stories.
- Favorites – Prioritize friends to the top of your list by adding them to Favorites.
- Remove friend – Delete friends from your friends list.
You can also long-press on a friend’s name to access managing options directly from your main Friends list screen.
Friends List Privacy
You can control who gets to view your friends list on Snapchat and who can see your friend count. This is managed in your Snapchat Privacy Settings:
- Who Can See My Friends – Choose if you want everyone, friends only, or just you to see your friends list.
- Who Can See My Friend Count – Choose if you want to show your total number of Snapchat friends publicly or just to friends.
Changing these settings allows you to have more control over your friends list privacy on Snapchat.
Chat and Interact with Friends
The main purpose of adding friends on Snapchat is so you can interact with them in the app. There are a few ways you can chat and share with your Snapchat friends:
- Chat – Send direct Snapchat picture and video messages, as well as text chats, with friends.
- Stories – View stories your friends have posted and share your own stories for friends to view.
- Snaps – Send snap photos or videos directly to friends.
- Groups – Create and join groups with friends to send group messages and stories.
- Games – Play fun AR games with your Snapchat friends.
- Filters – Interact with friends by using lenses, filters, and effects in your Snaps and Stories.
Having more friends on your Snapchat friends list gives you more options for fun ways to interact and communicate on the platform.
Snapchat Scores and Trophies
For each friend in your Snapchat friends list, you can view their Snapchat Score and any Trophies they’ve earned. This gives you insight into how active they are on Snapchat.
Snapchat Score is a running total of Snaps sent and received. The number goes up with your usage of Snapchat and interaction with friends. Snapchat Trophies are achievements you earn for using different Snapchat features.
On your Friends list, you can see each friend’s current Score and the trophies they’ve collected. Tap on a friend’s profile to see even more detail on their trophies and achievements on Snapchat.
Best Friends
Snapchat automatically keeps track of your Best Friends. These are the friends you interact with the most on Snapchat, by Snapping back and forth, chatting, reacting to Stories, etc.
You can see your own Best Friends private list in your profile, but other users cannot see who is on your Best Friends list. However, the Best Friend emoji indicators do show up next to friend names when you are that user’s #1 Best Friend – so your top friends are public.
Best Friends help highlight your closest friends on Snapchat. The more you interact with someone, the higher up your Best Friends list they will appear.
Snap Map Friend Emojis
In Snap Map, the friends list takes on a geographic dimension. When you view the Map, friends are shown as their Bitmoji avatar or a custom emoji at their current location on the map.
These friend emojis on the Snap Map indicate:
- Location – Where your friends currently are on the Map
- Activity Status – If they have Snap Map open and are active, or inactive for a while
- Interaction – You can tap to view their public Snapchat Story or send them a Chat
Snap Map adds real-time location sharing and interaction to your Snapchat friends list. The emojis bring your network of friends to life on a map.
Friends List Considerations
Here are some additional things to keep in mind about your Snapchat friends list:
- Adding too many random friends can clutter your friends list and lead to getting Snaps you don’t want. Be selective.
- Feel free to unfriend or block anyone at any time to curate your friends list.
- Turn on Ghost Mode in Snap Map settings if you don’t want all friends seeing your location.
- Organize friends into Groups and Favorite Friends lists to better manage larger friends lists.
- Respect friends’ privacy settings for who can view stories and locations.
Your Snapchat friends list is fully customizable to give you control over your connections and interactions on Snapchat. Add friends wisely, be selective, organize your friends list, and use the available settings to find the right balance of connections and privacy for your needs.