Snapchat currently allows users to have up to 8000 friends. There is no hard limit on the number of friends you can have, but adding too many friends quickly may trigger a temporary lockout as a spam prevention measure.
Understanding Snapchat’s Friend Limit
When Snapchat first launched in 2011, there was no limit on how many friends a user could have. As the app grew in popularity and more people joined, Snapchat introduced a friend limit to maintain optimal performance and prevent abuse.
Over the years as Snapchat scaled its infrastructure, it has gradually increased the friend limit. Here is a brief history of Snapchat’s friend limit changes:
- 2011 – No limit
- 2012 – Limit introduced: 100 friends
- 2013 – Limit increased: 200 friends
- 2014 – Limit increased again: 5000 friends
- 2016 – Limit increased to current level: 8000 friends
So since 2016, the friend limit on Snapchat has been 8000. However, there are some nuances to understand about this limit.
Soft Limit
The 8000 friend limit is not strictly enforced as a hard cap. You can still add more friends beyond 8000. But adding a large number of friends in a short span of time may trigger a temporary lockout.
This soft limit is mainly to prevent spammy behavior and ensure optimal performance. As you get close to 8000 friends, just add new friends at a reasonable pace.
Celebrity Accounts
Celebrities and influencers with huge followings are exempt from the friend limit. Accounts like DJ Khaled and Kylie Jenner have over millions of Snapchat friends.
Snapchat seems to whitelist and make exceptions for public figure accounts that need large follower bases. So the limit does not apply in the same way to celebrity accounts.
Adding Friends Up to the Limit
Adding new Snapchat friends is easy. You can add friends in a few different ways:
- Search for their username
- Use Snapcode scanning
- Import contacts from your phonebook
- Add nearby users who have enabled Nearby Friends
- Add friends from your camera roll
- Add friends from your Facebook friend list
As you build your friends list towards the 8000 limit, here are some tips:
- Add friends who you actually want to interact with, not just for the sake of increasing your score.
- Periodically review your friends list and remove inactive friends or acquaintances.
- Use friend emojis to organize friends into different groups like Close Friends.
- Be selective about who you add to avoid cluttering your feed.
Snapchat is meant for communicating with real friends. Focus on quality over quantity as you approach the friend limit.
What Happens If You Hit the Limit?
If you try to add a new friend after reaching the 8000 limit, you will see an error message that you have reached your limit. At this point you have two choices:
- Delete existing friends to make room for new ones
- Wait 24 hours as the limit usually resets the next day
Deleting old or inactive friends is the best option to free up space. But if you don’t want to remove friends, you can also just wait a day and the limit will reset allowing you to add more.
One thing to note is that rapidly adding thousands of new friends in a short period even below the limit may also trigger a temporary 24 hour lock. So go slowly as you approach the maximum to avoid hitting any spam prevention measures.
Why Does Snapchat Limit Friends?
Snapchat limits the number of friends for a few important reasons:
- Maintain performance – More friends means more Snaps and Stories to process which takes up more resources.
- Prevent spam – A cap prevents spammers from abusing the platform.
- Encourage selectivity – Snapchat wants you to focus on real relationships not just maxing out your score.
The limit exists to ensure Snapchat provides the best and most optimal experience for all users. It encourages you to be more thoughtful about who you add as a friend.
Over time as Snapchat’s systems improve, they may continue to gradually increase the friend limit. But for now 8000 friends is more than enough for the average user.
Tips for Managing Your Friends List
Here are some tips to effectively manage your Snapchat friends list and stay under the limit:
- Review your list weekly and prune inactive friends or acquaintances.
- Create custom Friend Groups to organize friends and control Story visibility.
- Be selective when adding new friends from search, contacts, Facebook etc.
- Use friend emojis to denote close friends, family members, crushes etc.
- Remove friends who post excessive unimportant snaps.
- Don’t go on follow sprees just to increase your score.
Follow these tips to ensure you have a tightly managed friends list filled with people you truly want to interact with on Snapchat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many friends can you have on Snapchat in 2023?
As of 2023, Snapchat allows up to 8000 friends. This soft limit has been in place since 2016.
What happens if I add too many friends on Snapchat?
If you add too many friends too quickly you may hit a temporary 24 hour lock as an anti-spam measure. Deleting friends or waiting a day usually resolves this.
Can you have unlimited friends on Snapchat?
No, there is a limit in place. While the 8000 friend limit is not a hard cap, adding an extremely high number of friends rapidly can trigger a lockout.
How do I add more friends when I reach the limit?
If you reach the limit, you can either delete existing friends to free up space or wait 24 hours when the limit will reset to add more friends.
Who has the most Snapchat friends?
Celebrity accounts like DJ Khaled and Kylie Jenner have the most friends, with over 10 million each. The friend limit does not seem to apply in the same way to public figure accounts.