It can be frustrating when the friend emojis next to your Snapchat contacts get messed up or don’t appear properly. The friend emojis in Snapchat indicate your relationship with that contact based on how often you interact. From a yellow heart for a new friend to a red heart for your #1 BFF, the friend emojis are a fun way to see how close you are with each Snapchat friend. If these emojis seem off or aren’t displaying at all, there are a few things that could be going on. Here’s a quick rundown of why your Snapchat friend emojis may not be working correctly and how to troubleshoot the issues.
What do the Snapchat friend emojis mean?
Before diving into why the emojis may be messed up, let’s review what each of the Snapchat friend emoji levels indicate:
Yellow Heart | New Snapchat friend that you’ve recently added or started snapping with |
Gold Heart | Snapchat “Best Friend” – this contact is one of your top 3 most snapped contacts |
Red Heart | Snapchat “#1 BFF” – this is your top most snapped contact |
Pink Hearts | You have been #1 BFFs with each other for two weeks straight |
Baby | You just became friends with this contact |
Sunglasses | One of your best friends on Snapchat |
Grimacing Face | Your #1 best friend is one of their best friends |
Smirk | You are one of their best friends, but they are not one of yours |
Knowing what each emoji level represents makes it easier to spot when something seems off with your friend emoji lineup.
Why are my Snapchat friend emojis not showing up correctly?
If your Snapchat friend emojis seem messed up, here are some common reasons why that can happen:
1. Snapchat emoji algorithm hasn’t updated
The friend emojis are calculated based on your snapsending activity over the last 7 days. Snapchat’s algorithm only updates these levels once every 24 hours. So if you had a change in your interactions with a friend in the past day, it may not immediately reflect in the emoji shown. Give it 24 hours for your emojis to sync up and show the latest activity levels.
2. You or your friend stopped snapping
If you suddenly notice a friend’s emoji has disappeared or changed, it’s likely because your snap activity changed. For example, if you stop snapping a Best Friend for a while, their emoji can eventually drop down to just a yellow heart. Or if a frequent friend stops responding to your snaps, their emoji may disappear altogether. The emojis are a reflection of your recent interactions, so if that stops, the emoji will too.
3. App is glitching or needs to be updated
Like any app, Snapchat can have occasional glitches that cause friend emojis to stall or display oddly. Typically restarting the app or your phone clears this up. Make sure to also keep Snapchat updated to the latest version which may fix emoji bugs.
4. You cleared your conversations
If you recently cleared a conversation with a friend, this resets the emoji back to the yellow heart as if you just added each other. Your snap history impacts the emoji level, so clearing chats resets that interaction count.
5. Your account was compromised
In rare cases, if your account was hacked or used by someone else, your emoji activity with friends may appear off. Check your Snapchat settings and login history to rule out any unauthorized access.
6. You have a new device or number
Adding your Snapchat account to a new mobile device or changing phone numbers can disrupt your friend emojis temporarily. Snapchat may need a day or two to sync contacts and activity from the new device before emojis stabilize.
7. Your friend added their account on a new device
Similarly, if one of your Snapchat friends added their account to a new phone or device, their view of your emoji may be thrown off until their activity history syncs across devices.
8. Issues between iOS and Android
There can be occasional issues with emoji syncing properly between friends using different platforms like iOS vs Android. Make sure both you and your friends have the latest Snapchat version.
How to troubleshoot and fix Snapchat friend emoji issues
If your Snapchat friend emojis are not displaying properly, try these troubleshooting steps:
Give it time
In many cases, Snapchat just needs some time for emoji levels to update per recent activity. Try waiting 24 hours for your friend emojis to sync to current interactions. The algorithm updates once daily.
Update the Snapchat app
Make sure you have installed the latest version of Snapchat from your device’s app store. Bug fixes and performance updates in new versions can help resolve emoji glitches.
Restart your phone
As simple as it sounds, restarting your mobile device can often fix app quirks like emoji issues. Completely close out of the Snapchat app before restart.
Reconnect with friends
If an emoji disappeared or changed, try snapping that friend again. Sending more snaps can help emojis revert to their expected levels based on your communication frequency.
Log out and back into Snapchat
If emojis remain stuck, try fully logging out of your Snapchat account and then logging back in. This can reset the app and your connectivity.
Delete and reinstall the app
For persistent emoji problems, delete and then reinstall Snapchat. This gives you a fresh start with a clean app install. Just be sure your data is backed up first.
Contact Snapchat support
If you can’t resolve the issues after trying these troubleshooting tips, reach out to the Snapchat Support team through their website for additional help addressing technical problems.
Conclusion
It’s normal for your Snapchat friend emojis to fluctuate over time as your interactions increase or decrease. But if the emojis seem to be glitched or not updating properly, there are steps you can take to troubleshoot and fix the issues. In most cases, giving it some time, updating the app, restarting your device, and reconnecting with friends will get your Snapchat friend emojis back on track. With over 200 million daily active Snapchatters, bugs are inevitable but typically easy to resolve. Just be patient, keep snapping your favorite friends, and those coveted red and pink hearts should return before you know it!