Learn all about the meanings of Snapchat emojis and decipher the secret language of this social media app.
Learn all about the meanings of Snapchat emojis and decipher the secret language of this social media app.
A wise man once said, “A Snapchat emoji is worth a thousand words.” Okay, that’s not quite the saying, but you get the idea. When you’re short on time and space on social media, emojis say it all.
Emojis are everywhere on social media, and for good reason. They help us comment quickly on posts, add flair to selfies and react to stories. Typically, their meaning is pretty straightforward. The fire emoji denotes hot content, and the facepalm emoji says “fail” or “so embarrassing.”
But just when we started considering ourselves emoji experts, Snapchat came along with its own meanings for these graphics. So even if you speak fluent emoji, you may have some learning to do to understand how Snapchat redefines these graphics.
Ready to crack the code? Read on to learn more about the meanings of Snapchat emojis and how they work on this app.
Do you ever find that a specific emoji perfectly encapsulates your relationship with a friend? It probably resides near the top of your frequently used emoji list. This is exactly what Snapchat’s emojis try to accomplish.
The app assigns emojis based on your interactions with other users. Snapchat emojis appear next to usernames in your Friends list and alongside stories on your Discover page. Snapchat determines which emojis to include based on your interactions with that specific user.
And since Snapchat speaks its own language, the fire emoji doesn’t mean your content is hot (though we’re sure it is). In the next section, we’ll explain what each of these icons represents.
It’s time to learn to speak “Snapchat emoji.” The meanings of the symbols are pretty straightforward once you’re in the know.
Here’s our complete list of the meanings of Snapchat emojis next to names:
So now you understand the pushpin, hourglass and smiley face emoji meanings on Snapchat. But what about those tiny purple squiggles? Hint: they’re the astrological signs. If a user registers their birthday on their account, the corresponding Zodiac emoji will appear on their profile. Here’s the full list:
If you think you’ve seen another emoji that’s not on one of the lists above, you’re not imagining it. People can use other emojis in their profiles, but the app doesn’t generate these. That said, some emojis people put in their profiles have taken on a unique meaning:
Speaking of celebs, you may notice that famous folks have their own unique emojis. Here are a few you may have seen in your Snapchat travels:
Now that you understand the unique emoji language on Snapchat, try to put your own spin on it. Friends often communicate in their own language, and you can too. Tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the chat menu, or use the following hack:
You’re now a Snapchat emoji expert, but you may have one last question. If you can change the emojis assigned to your Best Friends, does that also mean you change who your Best Friends are? This answer may surprise you, but you can’t pick your Best Friends on this app. Snapchat doesn’t allow you to choose, so you’ll have to prove your closeness by making sure your IRL BFFs are the people you snap back and forth with the most.
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