If you’ve noticed that your best friend list on Snapchat is not displaying the people you expect to see, there are a few possible reasons why it may be messed up. The best friend list shows the people you interact with the most on Snapchat, but it doesn’t always reflect who you’d consider your real-life best friends.
How the Snapchat Best Friends Algorithm Works
Snapchat’s best friend list is based on an algorithm that calculates who you snap, chat, and interact with the most over the past 7 days. It looks at how frequently you send snaps back and forth, chat via text, react to stories, and more. The more you interact with a friend, the higher up they will appear on your best friends list.
Some key things to know about the Snapchat best friend algorithm:
- It counts your snaps sent and received, not just who you send the most snaps to.
- Group chats and interactions in stories are also factored in.
- The algorithm is constantly updating based on your latest interactions.
- Best friends are ranked by overall interaction, not just snaps.
So if your best friend list seems off, it could simply be reflecting who you’ve been interacting with the most over the past week rather than your true closest friends.
Possible Reasons Your Snapchat Best Friends Are Out of Order
Here are some common reasons why your Snapchat best friends may not be showing up as expected:
You’ve Been Interacting With Someone New More
If you’ve been snapping, chatting, or reacting to one particular friend a lot lately, they will likely jump higher in your best friends list because the algorithm picked up on that spike in interaction. So someone newer or less familiar could temporarily outrank your lifelong besties if you’ve been engaging with them more over the past week.
Changed Communication Habits with Best Friends
On the other hand, if you haven’t been snapping your true best friends as much lately, they may drop lower on the list or fall off altogether. The algorithm notices when your interactions drop off over time. So if you and your #1 bestie haven’t been talking as much on Snapchat, that will be reflected in your best friend ranking.
Group Chats Are Skewing the List
Very active group chats with certain friends can also impact the best friends algorithm. All of those group snaps and chats get counted in the rankings, so friends you interact with primarily in group chats may appear higher than expected based on your 1-on-1 communication.
You’re Interacting on Other Platforms Instead
Similarly, if you’ve been connecting more with close friends on other platforms like texting, Instagram, or Facebook, your Snapchat interactions may have decreased. The best friend algorithm only tracks Snapchat activity, so if you aren’t chatting on Snapchat as much it will look like you’ve grown apart.
Your Friend’s Habits Changed
It’s also possible your friends’ communication habits changed on their end. If they aren’t snapping or chatting with you as frequently for whatever reason, it will affect your interactions and your best friend score. The algorithm tracks reciprocity, so changes on their end impact your end.
One of You Stopped Using Snapchat
On that note, if one of your top Snapchat besties totally stopped using Snapchat, they will disappear from your list quickly. Inactivity for a week will remove them from the rankings since zero interactions means they can’t meet the algorithm’s thresholds.
You Have a New Significant Other
If you begin dating someone new, chances are you’ll be snapping and chatting with them constantly in the honeymoon phase. All those new relationship interactions can catapult a new partner to the top of your best friend list very swiftly by dominating your recent interactions.
You’re Interacting with Business Accounts
Following and engaging with business accounts like brands, celebrities, influencers, or publishers can also shake up your list. These interactions get incorporated even though they aren’t with personal friends, so keep business accounts in mind if you notice unfamiliar names ranking.
How to Fix and Update Your Best Friends List
If your Snapchat besties aren’t showing up the way you expect, here are some tips to reorganize your list:
Actively Snap Your Real Best Friends
To move your true best friends back up the list, make an effort to actively snap, chat, react, and interact with those specific people more. Increased engagement with your closest friends will boost their algorithm scores.
Cut Down on Group Chats
To counteract the effect of busy group chats, try having more one-on-one interactions with your best friends. This will strengthen your personal connections in the algorithm.
Unfollow Business Accounts
If celebrity or brand accounts are clogging up your list, unfollowing them can remove their presence. The algorithm will recalibrate to only rank your personal friend interactions.
Remove or Mute Annoying Friends
On the flip side, you can mute or even remove friends who you don’t want to appear on your best friends list, like new love interests or group chat buddies skewing the results. This will downgrade their presence.
Tell Friends to Chat With You More
If your friends’ habits are the problem, ask them directly to snap, chat, and interact with you more often to increase your ranking. More reciprocity will improve your score.
Don’t Worry About the List Too Much
Keep in mind that the Snapchat algorithm is constantly shifting day to day based on the latest activity. So your best friends list will always be in flux and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Focus on Snapchatting who you want to talk to without worrying about rankings.
Other Best Friend List FAQs
Why did I disappear from my friend’s best friend list?
If you notice you are no longer on one of your friend’s best friend lists, it simply means your interactions with them decreased substantially. To get back on their list, actively snap and chat with them more often.
Why can’t I see my best friend’s top friends?
Snapchat removed the ability to see your friends’ best friends lists. Now you can only see your own list as a way to focus on your personal connections rather than comparing.
Can I hide my best friends list?
No, there is currently no way to hide or private your best friends list on Snapchat. Your list is public for your friends to see.
Why do I have someone I don’t know as a best friend?
Strangers may appear in your list if they added you and you accidentally added them back without realizing. You can remove them from your friends list which will also remove them from your best friends.
Why is someone still showing as a best friend after I removed them?
It can take up to 24 hours for your best friend list to update after removing a friend. So they may still appear briefly until the algorithm recalculates.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, try not to stress about your Snapchat best friend list too much. It’s meant to capture your recent interactions, but doesn’t define your true friendships. Focus on having meaningful chats with people you care about without worrying about arbitrary rankings. But if the list is really bothering you, actively Snapchatting your closest friends more can help reorder it to better reflect your real-life besties.