Every Snapchat emoji meaning explained (2026 guide)

Snapchat assigns emoji to your friends based on how you interact with them. As of 2026, the yellow heart 💛 means you're each other's #1 Best Friend, the fire 🔥 tracks your Snapstreak, and the pink hearts 💕 mean you've been Best Friends for two months straight. Each emoji updates automatically as your interactions change.

Beyond the friend emoji Snapchat assigns, you'll also see zodiac signs, Snapchat+ Planets, and emoji that people add to their own profiles. Here's what every one of them means.

How Snapchat emojis work

Snapchat uses emoji as shorthand for your friendships. The app tracks who you snap, how often, and for how long, then assigns emoji based on those patterns. If you're used to emoji working the same way across platforms, Snapchat is different.

You'll see these emoji next to usernames in your Friends list and beside stories on the Discover page. They update automatically. If you stop snapping someone regularly, the emoji will change or disappear to reflect that.

Snapchat's emoji have their own meanings that differ from how you'd normally use them. The fire emoji doesn't mean your content is great. It means you're on a Snapstreak. Snapchat maintains its own official emoji guide, but here's the full breakdown with context on what each one actually tells you.

Every Snapchat friend emoji and what it means

Here's the full list of emoji that Snapchat assigns next to your friends' names:

• Baby 👶: You just became friends with this person on Snapchat.
• Yellow heart 💛: You're each other's #1 Best Friend. You both send the most snaps to each other.
• Red heart ❤️: You've been each other's #1 Best Friend for two weeks straight.
• Pink hearts 💕: You've held the #1 Best Friend spot with this person for two months. Snapchat's version of friendship goals.
• Gold star 🌟: Someone replayed this user's Snap in the last 24 hours.
• Birthday cake 🎂: It's this person's birthday.
• Smiling face 😊: This person is on your Best Friends list, but not your #1.
• Face with sunglasses 😎: You and this person share a mutual Best Friend.
• Grimacing face 😬: You and this person have the same #1 Best Friend.
• Smirking face 😏: This one used to mean you were someone's #1 Best Friend, but they weren't yours. Snapchat retired it.
• Fire 🔥: You're on a Snapstreak. You and this person have exchanged snaps for at least three consecutive days. The number beside it shows how many days the streak has lasted.
• Hundred 💯: Your Snapstreak hit 100 days.
• Hourglass ⌛: Your Snapstreak is about to expire. Send a snap before the 24-hour window closes.
• Pushpin 📌: You've pinned this conversation to the top of your feed.
• Sparkles ✨: You're in a group chat with this person.
• Eyes 👀: Someone rewatched your Snap or Story.

Zodiac emoji on Snapchat

If a user adds their birthday to their Snapchat account, the matching zodiac sign appears on their profile. Here are all 12:

• ♒ Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)
• ♓ Pisces (Feb. 19 to Mar. 20)
• ♈ Aries (Mar. 21 to Apr. 19)
• ♉️ Taurus (Apr. 20 to May 20)
• ♊ Gemini (May 21 to Jun. 21)
• ♋ Cancer (Jun. 22 to Jul. 22)
• ♌ Leo (Jul. 23 to Aug. 22)
• ♍ Virgo (Aug. 23 to Sep. 22)
• ♎ Libra (Sep. 23 to Oct. 22)
• ♏ Scorpio (Oct. 23 to Nov. 22)
• ♐ Sagittarius (Nov. 23 to Dec. 21)
• ♑ Capricorn (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)

Other emoji you might see on profiles

Some emoji aren't assigned by Snapchat. Users add them to their own profiles, and certain ones have taken on unofficial meanings:

• Purple heart 💜: Often signals BTS fandom. Snapchat used to display this during a user's birthday month, but that's no longer the case.
• Green heart 💚: Associated with K-pop group NCT and their fanbase.
• Upside-down smiley 🙃: Usually means sarcasm or "just kidding."
• Wrapped gift 🎁: Celebration, whether for birthdays or holidays.
• Star eyes 🤩: Excitement or admiration.

These unofficial meanings often overlap with how people use emoji in their social media bios and Instagram captions. Verified public figures and creators on Snapchat sometimes have custom emoji tied to their accounts too, though these change over time.

Snapchat Planets: Friend Solar Systems

Snapchat+ subscribers can see where they rank in a friend's Best Friends list using the Friend Solar System feature. Each position maps to a planet:

1. Mercury (closest friend)
2. Venus
3. Earth
4. Mars
5. Jupiter
6. Saturn
7. Uranus
8. Neptune (8th closest friend)

Tap the "Best Friends" or "Friends" badge on someone's friendship profile to see which planet you are. Your Bitmoji appears sitting on the planet, surrounded by unique emoji for each one.

This feature only works if both users have Snapchat+, and it's turned off by default. Enable it in Settings > Manage > Friend Solar System.

How to customize your friend emoji

You can swap out Snapchat's default friend emoji for whatever you prefer. The customization only affects what you see on your end.

On Android:

1. Open Snapchat and tap your profile photo
2. Tap the settings gear icon
3. Scroll down and select "Customize Emojis"
4. Pick the emoji you want to change and choose your replacement

On iPhone:

1. Open Snapchat and tap your profile photo
2. Tap Settings
3. Scroll to "Additional Services" and select "Manage"
4. Tap "Friend Emojis"
5. Choose the category and pick your new emoji

One thing you can't customize: who Snapchat picks as your Best Friends. That's determined entirely by how often you snap each other. If you want someone to be your yellow heart 💛, just snap them more. And if you're updating your Snapchat profile, it's worth setting up your bio while you're at it.