Snapchat Emoji Meanings: Yellow Heart, Red Heart & Every Friend Emoji Explained
Noticed a 💛 yellow heart next to your best friend, or an ⌛ hourglass warning you about a streak? Every emoji Snapchat places beside a friend’s name tells a story about your relationship. This guide decodes every single one — from the first yellow heart all the way to the 100-day streak badge.
Table of Contents
Friend & Best Friend Emojis
These appear next to friends’ names based on how often you snap each other.
| Emoji | Name | What It Means | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💛 | Yellow Heart | #1 Best Friend | You and this person send the most Snaps to each other. You are each other's number one Best Friend. |
| ❤️ | Red Heart | #1 Best Friends for 2 weeks | You have been each other's #1 Best Friend for at least two weeks straight. The yellow heart upgraded to red! |
| 💕 | Pink Hearts | #1 Best Friends for 2 months | Two months of being each other's top friend. This is the highest friendship milestone Snapchat tracks. |
| 😬 | Grimacing Face | Mutual #1 Best Friend | Your #1 Best Friend is also their #1 Best Friend. You both snap the same person the most. |
| 😎 | Sunglasses Face | Close mutual friend | One of your Best Friends is also one of their Best Friends — you share a close mutual contact. |
| 😏 | Smirking Face | Their BFF, but not yours | You are one of their Best Friends but they are not one of yours. You snap them more than they snap you. |
| 😊 | Smiling Face | Best Friend | This person is one of your Best Friends (not #1, but in your top 8). You snap each other frequently. |
| ⭐ | Gold Star | Replayed their Snap | Someone has replayed one of this person's Snaps in the last 24 hours. Their content is worth watching twice! |
| 🎂 | Birthday Cake | It's their birthday | This friend has a birthday today. Snapchat shows this if they have added their birthday to their profile. |
| 🆕 | New Badge | New friend | You recently added this person as a friend. The badge disappears after a few days. |
Good to know: Snapchat recalculates Best Friends every day. If you suddenly snap someone new a lot, your friend emojis can change overnight. The #1 Best Friend spot always goes to whoever you exchange the most Snaps with in both directions.
Snapstreak Emojis
Snapstreaks measure how many consecutive days you and a friend have each sent a Snap.
| Emoji | Name | What It Means | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔥 | Fire | Snapstreak active | You and this friend have snapped each other within 24 hours for consecutive days. The number next to 🔥 shows how many days your streak has been going. |
| 💯 | Hundred | 100-day Snapstreak | You have maintained a Snapstreak for 100 days straight. The 💯 appears alongside 🔥 to celebrate the milestone. |
| ⌛ | Hourglass | Streak about to expire | Your Snapstreak is at risk — you or your friend has not sent a Snap in nearly 24 hours. Send one now to keep it alive! |
Streak rules: Only Snap photos and videos count towards a streak — Chat messages do not. Both friends must send a Snap (not just one person) within every 24-hour window to keep it going. If you see the ⌛ hourglass, you have a few hours left — send a Snap immediately.
Story & Chat Emojis
These emojis appear in Stories and the Chat screen.
| Emoji | Name | What It Means | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔊 | Speaker | Subscribed to their Story | You are subscribed to this person's public Story updates. |
| 🌙 | Crescent Moon | Do Not Disturb on | Notifications from this friend are muted. You will still see their Snaps, just without alerts. |
| 📌 | Pin | Pinned conversation | You have pinned this conversation to the top of your chat list for quick access. |
Hearts Explained: Yellow → Red → Pink
The heart progression is the most sought-after milestone on Snapchat.
You become each other's #1 Best Friend. The yellow heart appears as soon as you are both sending the most Snaps to each other.
After two uninterrupted weeks as each other's #1 BFF, the yellow heart turns red. Keep snapping every day — one missed exchange resets the clock.
The ultimate friendship badge. You have maintained the #1 Best Friend status for two full months. Only the most dedicated Snapchat pairs reach this level.
Can you lose the hearts? Yes — if either of you starts snapping someone else more, the #1 Best Friend title shifts and the hearts disappear. Hearts are recalculated daily, so consistent daily snapping is key to keeping them.
How to Customise Your Snapchat Friend Emojis
Snapchat lets you swap the default emojis for any emoji you like. The custom emojis only show on your device — your friends see whatever they have set.
- Open Snapchat and tap your Profile icon (top-left).
- Tap the ⚙️ Settings gear (top-right of your profile).
- Scroll down to "Customize Emojis" (under Additional Services or Features).
- Tap any emoji (e.g. "#1 Best Friend") to open the emoji picker.
- Choose your preferred emoji and tap Save.
Note: If you cannot find "Customize Emojis" in Settings, make sure your Snapchat app is updated to the latest version. The option appears under different sections depending on the version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need Help Growing Your Social Media Presence?
Our digital marketing team helps businesses build real engagement — not just emoji counts. Let’s talk strategy.
Get a Free Consultation