The order of friends on Snapchat is not chronological or alphabetical. Instead, Snapchat uses an algorithm to determine the order in which friends appear in your friend list and stories feed. The main factors that influence friend order are interactions, relationships, and preferences.
How Snapchat Orders Your Friends List
When you open your friends list on Snapchat, the order is customized based on who you interact with the most and view stories from the most. Friends that you frequently snap, chat with, view stories from, and have set as your “#1 Best Friends” will appear at the top.
As you scroll down, the order transitions to friends you interact with less, don’t view stories from as often, and have set lower best friend statuses. At the very bottom are friends you rarely interact with.
Specifically, Snapchat’s algorithm looks at your snaps sent and received, chat frequency, stories viewed, days since your last interaction, and best friends ranking. The more recent and frequent your interactions are with a friend, the higher up on your list they will appear.
Key Factors in Friend Order
- Snaps sent and received – Friends you exchange more snaps with are prioritized
- Chat frequency – Frequent chat partners rank higher
- Stories viewed – Friends whose stories you view more are boosted
- Days since interacting – Recently interacted with friends get preference
- Best friends ranking – Higher best friends appear first
Customizing Your Friends List Order
While Snapchat’s algorithm controls the default order, you do have some options to customize your friends list:
Pin Favorites to the Top
You can pin up to 8 best friends to the top of your list so they always appear first. To do this:
- Open your Profile and tap the smiling emoji next to your Snapcode
- Tap “My Friends”
- Tap the 3 dots next to a friend’s name and select “Pin to Top”
Pinned friends will have a purple pin icon next to their name. You can unpin them at any time to revert to Snapchat’s algorithm order.
Rearrange Best Friends
While you can’t manually reorder your entire friends list, you can rearrange your best friends ranking. This impacts the order because Snapchat prioritizes higher best friends.
To change your best friends order:
- Go to your Profile and tap the emoji next to your Snapcode
- Tap “My Friends”
- Tap “Best Friends” at the top
- Long-press on a friend’s name and drag to rearrange
Create Favorite Friends Lists
You can make custom lists of your favorite friends and see those friends together in their own section:
- Go to your Profile and tap “My Friends”
- Tap the “+ New Friends List” button
- Give your list a name and select friends to add
- Tap “Create List”
Your custom list will now appear as its own section in your friends list. However, the friends in the list will still appear in Snapchat’s default order outside of the list.
How Snapchat Orders Your Stories Feed
In addition to friends, the stories feed on the Discover page also has a customized order:
“Favorites” Section
At the top of your stories feed is the “Favorites” section showing stories from your best friends. Friends that you have stronger relationships and interactions with will be prioritized here.
All Friends Stories
Under “Favorites” are stories from your remaining friends. These are ordered based on the same factors as your friends list – snaps exchanged, chat frequency, views, etc. Friends you engage with more appear higher.
Subscribed and Suggested Accounts
Next in your stories feed are accounts you subscribe to and accounts Snapchat suggests you might be interested in based on your activity. The more you view their stories, the higher these accounts will appear.
Popular Stories
At the bottom are “Popular Stories” from accounts with a large Snapchat following. Their position depends on overall Story view count vs. your personal viewing history.
Why Snapchat Orders Friends This Way
Snapchat’s sorting algorithm is designed to show you the friends and accounts you interact with the most at the top. There are a few reasons why:
- Convenience – Your favorites are right at the top so you don’t have to scroll as much
- Personalization – Seeing relevant snaps and stories you actually care about
- Engagement – Encourages you to interact more when top friends are highlighted
Overall, the goal is to make Snapchat more personalized, convenient, and engaging. While you don’t have total control, you can influence the order by snapping, viewing stories, and adjusting best friend rankings.
Using Friend Order Strategically
Understanding how Snapchat orders friends gives you some strategic ways to curate your Snapchat experience:
- Pin very close friends to the top for quick access
- Chat often with friends you want higher in your list
- View best friends’ stories frequently to keep them in favorites
- Set favorite friends, family, and significant others as high best friends
- Create lists for specific groups you want to see together
While algorithmic, you have some tools to influence the order of Snapchat friends and customize things to better fit your preferences.
Troubleshooting Order Issues
In some cases, you may notice friends appearing out of order in strange ways. Here are some steps to troubleshoot issues with Snapchat’s order:
- Force quit and restart the Snapchat app
- Check for any pending Snapchat updates
- Clear the Snapchat app cache and data
- Uninstall and reinstall Snapchat
- Ensure your device software is up to date
- Contact Snapchat support if issues persist
Most order problems can be resolved by simply restarting the app. But if friends are still showing up oddly after trying these troubleshooting tips, reach out to Snapchat’s support team for additional help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my best friends change so much?
Snapchat regularly updates your best friends order based on your interactions. So as your messaging and viewing habits change week to week, your top best friends will change as well to reflect your most recent activity.
Can I alphabetize or sort by most recent friend?
Unfortunately there is no way to manually sort your friends list alphabetically or by most recent friend. You’re limited to Snapchat’s algorithmic order.
Will deleting and re-adding friends change their order?
Deleting and re-adding friends does not affect order. Friends will return to where they were after you add them back.
Why aren’t my pinned friends always first anymore?
Pinned friends will only appear first until you have 8 friends pinned. Once you hit the max of 8, newly pinned friends knock the oldest pinned ones out of the top 8 spots.
The Bottom Line
Snapchat uses your interactions, relationships, and account preferences to customize the order of friends and stories. While not exact, you can influence the algorithm by snapping, chatting, viewing stories, and managing best friends. With some effort, you can curate Snapchat to prioritize the friends you care about most.