The double tap to birthday snap is a fun new feature on Snapchat that lets you send birthday snaps to your friends in a unique way. When you double tap on a friend’s name on their birthday, Snapchat will prompt you to send them a special birthday snap. This feature makes it easy to remember your friends’ birthdays and send them some Snapchat birthday love.
How does the double tap for birthday work?
Using the double tap for birthday feature is super easy! All you need to do is open up your Snapchat friends list and double tap on the name of any friend who has a birthday. Snapchat will pull up a prompt with a birthday cake emoji asking if you want to send your friend a birthday snap. If you tap “Send”, Snapchat will open your camera with a birthday sticker and allow you to take a quick snap to send as a birthday greeting. The whole process takes just a few seconds!
Snapchat automatically knows which of your friends have birthdays thanks to the birthdate information you provided when you signed up. You don’t have to remember birthdays or input them manually. Just double tap on a friend’s name on their special day and Snapchat will prompt you to send birthday snaps.
What do the birthday snaps look like?
The birthday snaps sent through the double tap feature are super cute! Snapchat automatically attaches a personalized birthday sticker that includes the recipient’s name and age. The stickers come in different colors and designs. Some say “Happy Birthday!” while others have fun Birthday-themed illustrations like cakes, balloons, presents, party hats, and more.
You can take a selfie snap, snap a birthday message, or snap a photo of something else birthday-related to send to your friend. The personalized sticker makes it clear that it’s a special birthday snap just for them!
When did Snapchat add the double tap for birthday feature?
The double tap to send birthday snaps feature was added by Snapchat in 2020. It rolled out worldwide across iOS and Android throughout 2020 and became available to all users by early 2021.
Snapchat often runs small tests of new features before launching them globally. Some users first spotted the birthday snap feature popping up in late 2019. It then officially launched the following year as a way to integrate birthdays right within the app.
Why was the double tap for birthday feature added?
Snapchat added the dedicated birthday feature for a few key reasons:
- To make it easier for users to remember birthdays and send snaps to friends on their special day
- To increase engagement by encouraging more snapping on birthdays
- To differentiate Snapchat from other social platforms that focus less on birthdays
- To capitalize on the viral popularity of Snapchat birthday filters and lenses
- To integrate birthdays deeper within the Snapchat product experience
Ultimately, adding double tap for birthday makes the app more fun and social. Sending Birthday snaps helps friends feel special and remembered on their big day!
How popular is the birthday snap feature?
While Snapchat has not released official user numbers, the double tap for birthday feature appears very popular based on anecdotal evidence. Many Snapchat users report receiving more birthday wishes from friends after the feature launched. It seems to be effective at reminding people and prompting more birthday snaps.
There are also lots of tweets, TikTok videos, and social media posts about people using the birthday feature. Clearly many Snapchatters have embraced it as a new way to exchange birthday greetings. Given Snapchat’s large daily active user base, it’s likely that millions are now using double tap for birthdays.
What do users think of the birthday snap feature?
Most Snapchat users seem to love the addition of the dedicated birthday snap feature! Here are some of the common opinions:
- It’s fun and makes sending birthday wishes easy
- The customized stickers are cute and festive
- It feels more personal than a text or Facebook post
- People appreciate getting so many birthday snaps from different friends
- It reminds people to send snaps who normally wouldn’t remember birthdays
- Some find it annoying when they get flooded with snaps on their birthday
- Others wish there was an option to turn it off if you don’t want the snaps
- Some users want even more creative birthday filters and lenses
Overall though, the response seems to be very positive. Most Snapchatters welcome the extra birthday love from their friends!
Does the birthday feature work on celebrity Snapchats?
Unfortunately, the double tap for birthday feature does not appear to work on celebrity Snapchat accounts. Even when famous Snapchat users have a public birthday listed in their profile, regular users cannot double tap to send birthday snaps.
This limitation makes sense given how chaotic it would be for celebrities to receive mass birthday snaps from all their followers. Getting thousands or even millions of birthday messages could be overwhelming.
So while you can’t double tap to send birthday love to your favorite celebrities, you can still view their birthday Stories or send them regular snaps if you want to wish them a happy birthday!
Can businesses use the birthday snap feature?
At this time, Snapchat has not enabled the double tap birthday feature for business profiles. Only individual personal accounts can send and receive the automated birthday snaps.
However, there are a couple ways businesses can still leverage birthdays on Snapchat:
- Create an ad campaign with a special birthday offer or promo code
- Share a daily Stories post with a birthday message sticker or filter
- Capture content on employees’ birthdays to post on the Story
- Show behind-the-scenes of creating unique birthday products/experiences
While businesses can’t use the native double tap feature, they can still find creative ways to integrate birthday-themed content into their Snapchat marketing.
What are some best practices for using the birthday snap feature?
To get the most out of the double tap for birthday function, keep these best practices in mind:
- Double tap your friends’ names right on midnight of their birthday to be the first to send snaps
- Personalize the pics by drawing birthday messages or using themed lenses/filters
- Send snaps to your top friends but don’t feel obligated to snap everyone
- Keep your birthday snaps sincere instead of treating it like a chore
- Have fun brainstorming unique ways to use the birthday stickers
- Don’t just double tap and send – take a few seconds to capture a thoughtful snap
- View your friends’ birthday Stories and respond to their snaps too
- Turn off notifications if you don’t want to be flooded with birthday wishes
Overall, the double tap birthday feature works best when you embrace it to have fun and make your friends feel special on their big day!
Fun ways to use the birthday snap feature
There are tons of fun, creative ways to use Snapchat’s birthday snap feature! Here are some ideas to make your snaps stand out:
- Decorate your friend’s yard or car with birthday decorations and snap it
- Bake a birthday treat and decorate it with their name or age
- Create birthday invitations or cards and mail them out
- Wake them up singing happy birthday and snap their reaction
- Get a group together and surprise them with birthday wishes
- Make a DIY birthday coupon book with silly offers to redeem
- Snap a throwback childhood photo of you two together
- Use coloring pages or crafts to make homemade birthday art
- Save snaps throughout the day leading up to midnight to recap their birthday
- Document a special birthday adventure just for them
The possibilities are endless! Adding a personalized touch makes your snaps feel extra special for the birthday boy or girl.
Pros of using Snapchat for birthdays
Snapchat offers a few unique advantages for sending birthday wishes compared to other social networks:
- Customization – Can add drawings, text, emoji, filters, lenses, and more to personalize snaps
- Ephemeral messaging – Birthday snaps disappear after being viewed to keep the experience intimate
- Stories – Friends can view your collected birthday adventures in one place for 24 hours
- Reminders – Double tap prompts you to send snaps so you don’t forget birthdays
- Playfulness – Fun features like lenses and stickers make birthday messages more engaging
- Video messaging – Capture authentic moments by sending birthday video snaps
The fun, visual nature of Snapchat makes it a great platform for sending personalized, silly, heartfelt birthday wishes.
Cons of using Snapchat for birthdays
There are a few drawbacks or limitations to keep in mind when using Snapchat for birthdays:
- Notifications can get excessive if you have a ton of Snapchat friends
- It’s time-consuming to send individual snaps to all your contacts
- You can’t save or download snaps to keep forever
- Some users don’t check Snapchat frequently so may miss your snaps
- Only works if you and your friends both use Snapchat regularly
- No integrated gifting features like Facebook has
- Celebrities can’t see or respond to birthday taps from fans
While fun overall, Snapchat does have some limitations vs. other social media apps. It works best when your friends are very active Snapchat users.
Snapchat birthday feature etiquette
To avoid any faux pas when using Snapchat’s birthday feature, keep these etiquette tips in mind:
- Only double tap close friends you actually know and interact with regularly
- Keep snaps sincere rather than treating it like a mass notification
- Don’t double tap acquaintances or strangers just to get a snap back
- Respect friends who don’t like birthdays and opt out of snaps
- Wish happy birthday on the right day – don’t be early or late!
- Don’t make rude or inappropriate jokes in your birthday snaps
- Avoid sending impersonal or lazy content
- Don’t publicly screenshot any embarrassing birthday snaps
- Reply to your friends’ birthday snaps when they send you one
Using basic Snapchat etiquette makes the experience more fun for everyone. Be polite and put some thought into your birthday snaps and stories!
Conclusion
Snapchat’s double tap for birthday feature puts a fun, modern spin on the ancient tradition of celebrating birthdays. The ability to send ephemeral yet personalized snaps makes birthdays feel more intimate and special. While it has some drawbacks, overall Snapchat is a great platform for exchanging heartfelt birthday wishes with your closest friends.
The double tap birthday prompt encourages people to send snaps who normally wouldn’t remember special occasions. It spreads joy and reminds loved ones they are thought of on their big day. Just follow proper etiquette when sending snaps and have fun getting creative! Birthdays are all about feeling special – and Snapchat’s birthday feature helps friends make their buddies feel the love.