What do the Snapchat emojis mean? Red heart, fire & more

Snapchat users may have noticed different emojis appearing next to friends’ names or in other places on the platform, but did you know that they all have different hidden meanings?

After launching in 2011, Snapchat quickly became one of the most popular social media apps in the world, with millions of people using it to exchange photos that disappear after a set time limit.

The multimedia platform was also known for popularizing the ‘Stories’ feature, which has since spread to other apps like Instagram and TikTok.

If you are an avid Snapchat user, you may have noticed certain emojis popping up next to the usernames of people you often talk to on the app, and they can mean all sorts of different things.

Unsplash: May Gauthier

What do emojis mean on Snapchat?

Here’s what you need to know about what each of the Snapchat emojis mean.

Yellow heart meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

If you see a yellow heart next to a friend’s name on Snapchat, you are each other’s #1 best friend. This means that you sent the most Snaps to this user, and they also sent the most back to you in return.

Red heart meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

An upgrade to the yellow heart, the red heart on Snapchat means that you and that user have been each other’s #1 best friend for two consecutive weeks.

Pink hearts meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

If a friend’s name has the pink hearts emoji next to it on Snapchat, this means that you have been each other’s #1 best friend for 2 consecutive months.

Smiley face meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

A smiley face on Snapchat indicates that a certain user is one of your best friends, but they are not your #1 best friend.

Grimacing face meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

The grimacing face on Snapchat means that you and that person have ‘mutual besties.’ This means that your #1 best friend is also that person’s #1 best friend.

Sunglasses emoji meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

If someone has a sunglasses emoji next to their name, it means that one of your best friends is also one of their best friends.

Fire emoji meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

The fire emoji on Snapchat indicates that you are on a ‘Snapstreak’ with that person, meaning you have messaged each other every day. The length of your streak will appear next to this emoji.

Hourglass emoji meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

The hourglass emoji lets you know that you don’t have much time left before your Snapstreak ends.

You and your friends will both need to send a Snap to each other in order to save it.

Birthday cake emoji meaning on Snapchat

Snapchat

As the cake emoji suggests, this means that it is someone’s birthday, serving as a reminder to send them a message if you’ve forgotten!

Baby emoji meaning on Snapchat

The baby emoji is Snapchat’s way of indicating that you and this person are new Snapchat friends. You will see the baby emoji next to someone’s name when you first become Snapchat friends with them.

One hundred emoji meaning on Snapchat

If you maintain a Snapstreak for one hundred consecutive days, you’ll see the one hundred emoji instead of the fire icon on the 100th day.

Cherry emoji meaning on Snapchat

The cherry emoji usually means that you’re in a committed relationship since the emoji features 2 cherries joined by their stems. It could also have a more platonic meaning, such as “twins” or “best friends”.

Push pin emoji meaning on Snapchat

The pushpin emoji is shown next to conversations that you’ve pinned to the top of your feed. You can pin individual users or group conversations.

By pinning conversations, you can make it easier to keep track of your most important conversations.

Gold star emoji meaning on Snapchat

The gold star next to your friend’s name on Snapchat indicates that their snap shared on Stories has been viewed by at least one person within the past 24 hours.

Smirking face emoji meaning on Snapchat

The smirking face emoji next to someone’s name shows that you’re one of their best friends, but they’re not one of yours. While they send you plenty of snaps, you don’t send many back to them.

Whether the platform adds new emojis in the future remains to be seen, but the existing ones are enough to give you an insight into who your best friends are on the app.

If you want to learn more about how to use Snapchat, you can check out some of our other guides, including how to allow camera access on Snapchat and how to make a public profile on Snapchat.