Your Snapchat best friends list is private, so only you can see who's on it. Snapchat builds it from the people you snap and chat with most, and it shifts as your habits change. You can't edit it directly, but you can change who appears by how you use the app or by removing a friend.
Who can see my best friends? It's the first thing most people want to know, and the answer should put your mind at rest.
Who can see your Snapchat best friends list?
Only you. Your friends can't open your account and read your list, and Snapchat doesn't show it on your public profile. You will see little emojis beside names in your chat list, and those are for your eyes too.
That matters for two reasons. First, nobody is ranking your friendships out loud. Second, if you notice someone's emoji change, it says something about how you've both been using the app, not about how much they like you.
How Snapchat decides who's on it
Snapchat doesn't publish its exact formula, but the idea is simple. The people you send snaps to and chat with most often, and most recently, rise to the top of your list. It isn't a score you can see, and it isn't about who you've known longest.
In practice that means a friend you chat to every day can sit above your oldest friend, if you've been quiet with the old friend lately. It's a picture of recent activity, nothing more.
- Snaps and chats you send to someone count towards their place on your list.
- Recent activity tends to matter more than activity from long ago.
- The list updates over time, so don't expect changes to show up instantly.
What the friend emojis mean
The emojis beside a name tell you how your snapping with that person looks right now. Here's what each one means in plain words. I've kept it to the ones people ask about most.
| Emoji | What it means |
|---|---|
| Yellow heart | You're each other's number one best friend on Snapchat |
| Red heart | You've stayed each other's number one for a good while |
| Pink hearts | You've kept that number one place for even longer |
| Smiling face | One of your best friends, someone you snap with a lot |
| Grimace face | You and this person share the same number one best friend |
| Smirk face | You're one of their top friends, but they aren't one of yours |
| Fire | A snap streak, which means you've snapped each other day after day |
Snapchat updates these now and then, so if one looks different from what I've described, check the friend emoji list in your Snapchat settings. I've gone through the details in my guides to the red heart versus the yellow heart and what every Snapchat emoji means. If the fire icon is the one you care about, here's what a snap streak means.
How to change who's on your list
Here's the honest bit. You can't open your Snapchat best friends list and drag people around. There's no edit button. What you can do is change how you use the app, or take someone out of your life on Snapchat altogether.
Snap and chat differently
If you want someone higher up, send them more snaps and chats. If you want someone lower, talk to them less. Over time the list follows.
Remove a friend
Open the person's profile, tap the three dots at the top right, choose Manage Friendship, then pick Remove Friend. They aren't sent a notification, though they may notice you've gone.
Block someone
From the same menu you can choose Block. Blocked people can't find you or send you snaps. Use it when you want a clear stop, not just a quieter chat.
Pin a chat to keep it handy
If the aim is simply to reach a few people quickly, press and hold their chat, open Chat Settings and pin the conversation. That keeps them at the top of your chat screen, whatever the list says.
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Menus change, so if a name looks different, search your settings for the word "friendship" or "pin".
Best Friends is not the same as Close Friends
On Instagram you choose your Close Friends. You build that list by hand and decide who's on it. Snapchat's Best Friends works the other way round, because the app decides for you based on activity.
If what you want is a hand-picked group, use your story settings. When you post a story, you can pick who sees it, so you can share something personal with a small group and keep it away from everyone else. That gives you the control the best friends list doesn't.
Why did someone vanish from my list?
It happens a lot, and it's rarely personal. Here are the usual reasons.
- You've both gone quiet and other friends have moved above them.
- They removed you or blocked you, so they no longer appear.
- They deactivated or deleted their account.
- You changed your own habits, for example you now chat to someone else every day.
Try not to read too much into it. An emoji or a place on a list is a snapshot of recent snapping. If a friendship matters to you, send them a message instead of trying to decode the app.
Keeping your Snapchat private
Your best friends list is private by default, but a few settings decide who else can reach you. They're worth a two-minute look, especially if younger family members use the app.
- Open your settings and look for Who Can Contact Me, so only friends can send you snaps.
- Check Who Can View My Story, and choose friends only or a custom group.
- Look at Quick Add, which decides whether you show up as a suggestion to people you don't know.
- If you use the map, check your location sharing and turn on Ghost Mode if you'd like to stay hidden.
Setting names move around, so search your settings for the word if you can't find it. A few small changes here do far more for your privacy than worrying about the friend emojis.
Frequently asked questions
Can people see my best friends on Snapchat?
No. Your best friends list is private to you. Other people can't view it from your profile.
Can I choose my best friends on Snapchat?
Not directly. Snapchat picks them from the people you snap and chat with most. You can influence the list by changing who you talk to, or by removing or blocking friends.
Why did my best friend change on Snapchat?
Because your activity changed. If you've been snapping someone else more, or someone you used to chat to has gone quiet, the order will shift.
What does the yellow heart mean on Snapchat?
It means you and that person are each other's number one best friend on Snapchat right now.
