On Snapchat, the sunglasses emoji next to a friend means you share a Best Friend: one of your Best Friends is also one of theirs. Snapchat calls it Mutual BFs. It says nothing about how close you and that person feel, and it changes as everyone's Snapping habits change.
That little cool face is easy to misread. It isn't Snapchat telling you this person is your best friend, and it isn't a sign they're keen on you. It's about a third person. Somewhere between your Best Friends list and theirs, there's someone you both Snap a lot.
The sunglasses emoji, in Snapchat's words
Snapchat's Friend Emoji guide labels it Mutual BFs and explains it like this: one of your Best Friends is also one of this Snapchatter's Best Friends. That's the whole definition. It's worked out automatically from how people use the app, and nobody chooses to give it to you.
To make sense of it, you need to know what Snapchat means by a Best Friend. It's not a label you pick. Best Friends are simply the friends you Snap and Chat with the most, you can have up to eight of them, and the list updates regularly. So the sunglasses appear when your top eight and their top eight overlap.
How it compares with the emojis next to it
The sunglasses belong to a small family of "mutual" emojis, and the difference between them is who sits in the middle.
| Emoji | Snapchat's name | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Sunglasses | Mutual BFs | One of your Best Friends is also one of their Best Friends |
| Grimacing face | Mutual Besties | Your #1 Best Friend is also their #1 Best Friend |
| Smiley face | BFs | They're one of your Best Friends, but not your #1 |
It helps to remember that all three are worked out by Snapchat from Snaps and Chats. Nobody taps a button to give you sunglasses, and nobody can take them away on purpose either. They simply reflect who everyone has been talking to lately.
Grimace is the stronger signal: you and this person share the same number one. Sunglasses is looser: you share someone in your wider circle of up to eight. And the smiley is the only one of the three that's about your relationship with the person themselves. If you want the hearts explained too, my guide on red heart vs yellow heart on Snapchat covers those.
Why someone has sunglasses next to their name
Picture three people: you, Sam and Alex. You Snap Alex all the time, so Alex is one of your Best Friends. Sam also Snaps Alex all the time, so Alex is one of Sam's Best Friends. Next to Sam's name, you'll see the sunglasses. You might barely talk to Sam at all.
That's why the emoji often turns up next to someone in the same friendship group, class, team or family, people who orbit the same person you do. It's a pattern in the data, not a statement about the two of you.
The privacy angle people miss
Snapchat is firm that no one else can see your Best Friends list. People may see whether they're on it, but not who else is. The sunglasses don't break that rule, because they never name the shared friend. Still, they're a small hint about someone else's circle, and in a tight group it's often easy to guess who links you.
Snapchat also says Friend Emojis are private to you and your friend, and they change regularly based on how you interact. If you'd like to understand what your own list says and who can see it, read my guide to the Snapchat Best Friends list.
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Why the sunglasses come and go
- Best Friends update regularly. If either of you stops Snapping the shared friend as much, they drop out of one of the lists and the sunglasses go.
- The list is capped. With up to eight Best Friends each, a new person climbing into someone's top eight can push the shared friend out.
- My AI can count. Snapchat notes that if you chat with My AI as much as your other Best Friends, it may appear on your Best Friends list, which can shuffle who's in it.
- It may upgrade. If the shared friend becomes number one for both of you, Snapchat shows the grimace instead.
When an emoji vanishes, there's nothing to fix. Snapchat says its Support team can't add, restore or replace Friend Emojis, so a ticket won't bring the sunglasses back.
Can you change the sunglasses emoji?
Yes. Like the other Friend Emojis, you can swap it in Settings: tap the gear in your Profile, go to My App under App & Privacy, then Friend Emojis on iPhone or Customize Emojis on Android, and pick the Mutual BFs entry. Snapchat notes that the options vary by device and not every emoji can be used. Changing it only changes the icon you see. The meaning stays the same.
My take
Treat the sunglasses as trivia, not a message. It tells you that you and this person share someone you both Snap a lot, nothing more. If you're trying to read someone's feelings from it, don't. If you're a parent wondering why it's appeared next to a stranger on your child's account, it's worth a gentle chat about who their Best Friends are, because that's what the emoji is built from.
Frequently asked questions
What does the sunglasses emoji mean on Snapchat?
It means one of your Best Friends is also one of their Best Friends. Snapchat calls it Mutual BFs.
Does the sunglasses emoji mean someone likes me?
No. It's based on a shared Best Friend, worked out from how you both use Snapchat, not on how close the two of you feel.
What's the difference between the sunglasses and grimace emoji?
Sunglasses means you share one of your Best Friends. Grimace means you share the same #1 Best Friend.
Why did the sunglasses emoji disappear?
Best Friends lists update regularly. If the shared friend drops out of either list, the emoji goes, and Snapchat Support can't restore it.
Can I change the sunglasses emoji on Snapchat?
Yes, in Settings, then My App, then Friend Emojis (Customize Emojis on Android), though not every emoji can be used.
