Snapchat is popular for its snaps and story features which are great for engagement on the platform. Snapchat has a unique emoji system that helps creators understand their connections better. These little icons, which appear next to your friends’ names, have special meanings based on how you interact with them.
From yellow hearts to fire streaks, each emoji gives you a quick insight into your friendships and activity on the app. But here’s the thing, not everyone knows what these emojis really mean. For creators and influencers, understanding Snapchat emoji meanings goes beyond fun. It’s a smart way to track engagement, recognize loyal fans, and grow your presence on the platform.
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Ready to simplify your online presence?
With Pushbio, you can;
- Link all your social media profiles together effortlessly.
- Showcase all your content, products, and services in one space.
- Share everything through a single link.
In this guide, you’ll find Snapchat emojis explained in simple terms. We’ll cover what each emoji means, why it appears, and how you can use this knowledge to build stronger relationships with your followers.
What are Snapchat emojis?
Snapchat emojis are special icons that appear next to your friends’ names based on how you interact with them on the app. These are not the usual emojis you use in messages. Instead, Snapchat automatically assigns them based on your activity like how often you chat, send Snaps, or keep up a streak with someone.
Unlike standard emojis that you manually choose to express feelings or reactions, Snapchat emoji meanings are system-based and change depending on your behavior. For example, a yellow heart means someone is your best friend on Snapchat, while the fire emoji shows you’re on a Snapstreak.
You’ll mostly see these emojis in the Friends list, next to a friend’s name in Chat, and sometimes under Stories. They act as fun, visual clues to show how close or active you are with someone. For creators, these emojis can offer quick insights into fan loyalty, shared interests, and audience engagement.
All Snapchat emoji meanings
Snapchat uses unique emojis to show your friendship level or activity with other users. The platform assigns meanings different from the conventional meanings to each of its emojis. To give you a proper understanding of what each emoji means, here is a breakdown of its means and how creators can learn from it to create better connections with fans:
👶 Baby Face
Meaning: You just became friends on Snapchat. It only appears for new friendships and disappears once you’ve interacted more.
- Creator tip: This is your first chance to make a strong impression. Send a welcome Snap or story reply to start building a connection right away.
🌟 Gold Star Emoji
Meaning: You’ll see a gold star when a friend has replayed your Snap in the last 24 hours. It means they found it interesting, maybe even worth watching twice.
- Creator tip: If your Snaps earn this emoji, it means your content is worth watching again. Creators can use this to track what kind of content is replayed most.
💛 Yellow Heart Emoji
Meaning: This heart means you’re best friends with someone on Snapchat. You both send the most Snaps to each other. In simpler terms, the fan is your top contact on the app.
- Creator tip: This emoji highlights your most loyal supporter. Keep the connection strong by replying, acknowledging their engagement, or even giving them a shout-out.
❤️ Red Heart Emoji
Meaning: If you stay best friends for two weeks in a row, the yellow heart turns red. This shows a strong, steady friendship.
- Creator tip: It shows a deeper, more consistent connection. For creators, this indicates a follower who stays engaged over time. This is perfect for building lasting fan relationships.
💕 Pink Hearts Emoji
Meaning: Keep the best friend status going for two months and you’ll get pink hearts. This is the highest friendship level on Snapchat.
- Creator tip: Stay consistent with Snaps and replies. This is a sign of long-term loyalty making it ideal for nurturing super-fans or even future brand ambassadors.
🎂 Birthday Cake Emoji
Meaning: This emoji appears next to a friend’s name on their birthday. Snapchat will even remind you so you don’t miss the chance to send wishes.
- Creator tip: This can be a perfect time for creators to send a shout out to their most active fans.
😊 Smiling Face Emoji
Meaning: The smiling face shows you send many Snaps to this person. You’re close friends, though not necessarily each other’s #1.
- Creator tip: Creators can use this to gauge engagement level of a fan. From here, you can send more snaps and stories to the fan to keep them further engaged till you become #1 on their list.
😎 Sunglasses Emoji
Meaning: This emoji appears when you and another person share a mutual best friend. It’s common among classmates, coworkers, or people in the same circle.
- Creator tip: This emoji can hint at overlapping audiences. Great for collaboration ideas or understanding mutual fans.
😬 Grimacing Face Emoji
Meaning: You’ll see this when your best friend is also their best friend. It can hint at shared close connections and maybe a little friendly rivalry.
- Creator tip: Shows a shared high-value follower. Pay attention to these mutuals as they’re likely very active and influential within your community.
🔥 Fire Emoji
Meaning: If you and someone Snap each other daily for three days or more, you’ll start a Snapstreak. The fire emoji tracks your streak together.
- Creator tip: Start Snapstreaks with engaged followers to boost daily interaction and visibility. It builds habit and anticipation around your content.
💯 100 Emoji
Meaning: Reach a Snapstreak of 100 days, and this emoji replaces the fire icon on the 100th day. It marks a major milestone in your Snapchat activity.
- Creator tip: Use this as an occasion to reward loyal followers maybe with a shout-out or exclusive Snap.
⌛ Hourglass Emoji
Meaning: This emoji is a warning that your Snapstreak is about to end. To keep it going, send a Snap before the timer runs out.
- Creator tip: Send a quick Snap to keep the streak alive. It’s a great way to re-engage followers before they drift away.
What do Astrology emojis mean on Snapchat?
Another set of emojis available on Snapchat is the zodiac emojis. With the Astrological profile feature, you can learn more about yourself and your friendships in a unique way. It shows how the positions of the celestial bodies such as the Sun, Moon, Mercury, and others shape your personality and vibe.
If you and a friend have added each other, you can also view their astrological chart and see how your signs match up. Snapchat shows a zodiac emoji next to a friend’s name based on their birthday.
To understand the meaning of the signs, check the simple list of what each one means and when they fall:
- ♒ Aquarius – January 20 to February 18
Meaning: Signifies friends born under the Aquarius sign, characterized by their originality and independence.
- ♓ Pisces – February 19 to March 20
Meaning: Indicates friends born under the Pisces sign, known for their compassion and artistic nature.
- ♈ Aries – March 21 to April 19
Meaning: Represents friends born under the Aries sign, known for their courage and determination.
- ♉ Taurus – April 20 to May 20
Meaning: Signifies friends born under the Taurus sign, characterized by their reliability and practicality.
- ♊ Gemini – May 21 to June 20
Meaning: Indicates friends born under the Gemini sign, known for their adaptability and outgoing nature.
- ♋ Cancer – June 21 to July 22
Meaning: Represents friends born under the Cancer sign, known for their emotional depth and loyalty.
- ♌ Leo – July 23 to August 22
Meaning: Signifies friends born under the Leo sign, characterized by their confidence and creativity.
- ♍ Virgo – August 23 to September 22
Meaning: Indicates friends born under the Virgo sign, known for their analytical and meticulous nature.
- ♎ Libra – September 23 to October 22
Meaning: Represents friends born under the Libra sign, known for their diplomacy and charm.
- ♏ Scorpio – October 23 to November 21
Meaning: Signifies friends born under the Scorpio sign, characterized by their passion and resourcefulness.
- ♐ Sagittarius – November 22 to December 21
Meaning: Indicates friends born under the Sagittarius sign, known for their adventurous spirit and optimism.
- ♑ Capricorn – December 22 to January 19
Meaning: Represents friends born under the Capricorn sign, known for their discipline and ambition.
How to customize your friend emojis on Snapchat
You can customize your friend emojis on Snapchat. This means you don’t have to stick with the default emojis Snapchat assigns to represent things like best friends, Snapstreaks, or mutual friends.
Customizing your friend emojis lets you choose symbols that make more sense to you or better reflect your style. For example, if you’d rather see a star 🌟 instead of a heart 💛 for your best friend, you can easily switch it up.
How to customize Snapchat emojis on an Android phone
- Open the Snapchat app and click on your profile picture in the top left corner.
- Click the ‘Settings’ icon.
- Scroll down and click ‘Customize Emojis.’
- Choose the emoji you want to edit, and you’re all set.
How to customize Snapchat emojis on an iPhone
- Open the Snapchat app and click on your profile picture in the top left corner.
- Click the ‘Settings’ icon.
- Scroll down to ‘Additional Services’ and choose ‘Manage.’
- Click ‘Friend Emojis.’
- Choose a category to edit
- Then, choose the emoji you want to represent this category.
- Click the back arrow and your changes will be saved.
Why creators might want to customize Snapchat emojis
Customizing Snapchat emojis isn’t just for fun as it can be a smart move for creators looking to strengthen their brand identity and improve clarity in communication.
1. Strengthen brand identity
As a creator, your content and visuals are part of your personal brand. By customizing your Snapchat emojis, you can align them with your brand’s color palette, tone, or theme. For example, if your brand uses stars or diamonds often, replacing the default heart emoji with a ⭐ or 💎 can make your Snapchat feel more “you.” It’s a small detail that helps maintain a consistent look and feel across platforms.
2. Make friend statuses clearer
Snapchat’s default emojis can be confusing, especially if you’re managing a large following. Changing them to symbols that are easier for you to remember like 🔥 for high engagement or 🎯 for top supporters helps you quickly recognize key relationships. This is especially useful if you’re tracking audience interactions or planning engagement strategies.
5 Ways creators can use Snapchat emojis strategically
1. Track loyal followers
Snapchat’s emoji system helps creators spot their most loyal followers. Emojis like the yellow heart, red heart, and pink hearts show who’s interacting with you the most. These people are your top supporters, so you can prioritize replying to them or offering them exclusive content.
2. Use emojis to Boost daily engagement
The fire and hourglass emojis are tied to Snapstreaks, which show how many days in a row you’ve exchanged Snaps with someone. Creators can use this to keep engagement high by starting and maintaining streaks with followers. It’s a fun way to stay in touch, and it encourages daily interactions.
3. Spot shared audiences
The sunglasses emoji and grimacing face emoji are useful for identifying shared connections. These Snapchat emoticons tell you if you and someone else have mutual best friends. For creators, this can reveal overlapping audiences, which is great for planning collabs or group content.
4. As a feedback tool
When someone replays your Snap, Snapchat shows a gold star next to their name. That’s a sign they liked your content enough to watch it again. For creators, this is free feedback. You’ll know which Snaps are working and what type of content your audience enjoys most. Keeping an eye on Snapchat emoji meanings can help you improve your creative strategy.
5. Welcome new followers
The baby emoji shows up when you’ve just added a new friend. This is the perfect time for creators to make a strong first impression. Send a friendly Snap or a welcome message to start building that connection.
What does a heart mean on Snapchat?
Hearts on Snapchat are used to show how close you are to your friends based on how often you snap each other. Each heart color has a different meaning and helps you understand your relationships at a glance. Here’s a quick breakdown:
💛 Yellow Heart
This means you and this person are #1 best friends. You both send the most snaps to each other. It’s a sign of a strong, active connection.
❤️ Red Heart
You’ve been #1 best friends for two weeks in a row. It shows that your friendship is consistent and still going strong.
💕 Pink Hearts
This is a Super BFF emoji. You’ve stayed #1 best friends with someone for two months straight. It’s the highest level of Snapchat friendship and shows deep engagement.
FAQs
Do Snapchat emojis update in real-time?
Yes, Snapchat emojis update in real-time based on your interaction with friends. If you send more snaps to someone and that interaction grows, your emoji status will change accordingly. Creators should keep an eye on them to track changes in their relationships.
Why did an emoji suddenly disappear?
If a Snapchat emoji disappears, it usually means the interaction pattern changed. For example, if you stop snapping your #1 best friend as frequently, the yellow heart 💛 could be replaced or removed. Similarly, a streak 🔥 might end if one of you misses a day.
How often do meanings change?
Snapchat doesn’t change emoji meanings very often, but updates may happen occasionally especially during app redesigns or feature rollouts. It’s a good idea to check Snapchat’s official support pages or updates when something looks unfamiliar. Creators should stay informed, as changes can impact how they interpret audience engagement.
Wrapping up
Snapchat emojis may look playful, but they offer powerful insights into how you connect with your audience. From the 🔥 Snapstreaks that show consistent interaction to 💕 Pink Hearts that highlight deep engagement, each symbol tells a story about your Snapchat relationships. Understanding these Snapchat emoji meanings can help creators monitor audience behavior, spot loyal followers, and strengthen community ties.
For creators, being aware of how emojis on Snapchat work isn’t just helpful, it’s strategic. You can identify your most active fans, track new connections, and even spot shared followers through subtle Snapchat emoticons. These insights can guide how you engage, who you prioritize, and how you nurture long-term loyalty.
