Snapchat used to feature a “best friends” list that showed both you and the world the people you regularly shared the most photos and videos with. The app canned this feature in a recent update, but it’s now replaced it with another way to indicate your closest friends — emoji. Snapchat now uses a series of hearts, flames, and tiny yellow faces to show when you get a message from your best friend, your best friend’s best friend, and others.
“Starting today, a bunch of emojis will be popping up in your Snapchat friends list,” the company writes (check out the post inside its Snap Discover channel). “No, they weren’t just our favorite ones (shout out to the poop emoji), they actually mean something super-important – they break down your whole squad.”
Now, next to some of your Snapchat friends’ names, you’ll see an emoji that indicates the status of your photo-sharing friendship.
- Gold Heart – You’re #1 Best Friends – The person you send snaps to most sends snaps to you most too
- Grimace/Grit Teeth – You Have A Mutual #1 Best Friend – The person you send snaps to most is also who this person sends snaps to most
- Smile – One Of Your Best Friends – This is one of the people you send snaps to most
- Sunglasses – You Have A Mutual Best Friend – One of the people you send snaps to most is also one of the people this person sends snaps to most
- Smirk – You’re Their Best Friend But They’re Not Yours – You’re one of the people they send snaps to most, but they’re not one of the people you send snaps to most
- Fire – You Two Are On A Snapstreak – You and this person have sent snaps back and forth for the number of consecutive days shown
