What are Snapchat Streaks?
A Streak is a daily habit made visible. When two friends Snap each other at least once a day, every day, Snapchat adds a fire emoji next to the conversation and counts the days. Snap's help center puts it in one line.
“When you and your friends Snap back and forth with each other at least once a day, every day, you’re on a Streak!”
Snapchat Streaks are private between the people in the Chat. They are not shown on public profile pages, and they do not appear to anyone outside the conversation.
How do you start a Snapchat Streak?
Send a photo or video Snap to a friend, have them send one back, and repeat on the following days. Snap says the fire emoji appears once you have kept it up long enough to start a Streak; it does not publish the exact number of days needed.
- Open the camera and take a photo or a video.
- Send it to one friend (or to a Group Chat).
- Make sure they send a photo or video Snap back the same day.
- Repeat every day. After a few days the fire emoji shows next to their name.
Snapchat+ members can also turn on Instant Streaks, which Snap describes as one-day Streaks that can appear after friends swap Snaps. Snap notes they may not be available in every location.
What counts toward a Streak?
Photo and video Snaps only. Snap repeats the point in several places: to keep a Streak alive you both need to send a photo or video Snap every day. A text message in Chat does not count, even if you talk for hours.
| What you send | Keeps the Streak? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Photo Snap sent from the camera | Yes | Both people must send one |
| Video Snap | Yes | Same rule |
| Text Chat message | No | Snap says Chat does not count for Group Streaks and asks for photo or video Snaps in all cases |
| Posting to your Story | No | Snap asks for a Snap sent in the Chat; a Story is not one |
| Group Chat Snap | Yes, for the group Streak | Most members must send one each day |
Group Chats have their own rule. Snap says most members of the group must send a photo or video Snap, not a Chat, in the group every day to keep a Group Chat Streak going.
What do the fire emoji and number mean?
The fire emoji means you are on a Streak, and the number next to it is the Streak's age in days. Snap gives the example of a 3 next to the fire, which means the Streak is three days old.
The fire sits among the other Friend Emojis, such as hearts for Best Friends and a birthday cake on a friend's birthday. Those emojis follow different rules, explained in our guide to Snapchat planets and Best Friends.
What does the hourglass mean on Snapchat Streaks?
It means the Streak is about to end. Snap says that when you see an hourglass next to the Chat, you and your friend should each send a photo or video Snap as soon as possible.
Snap's emoji guide adds the time window: you and your friend each need to send a Snap to each other within 24 hours, or you lose the Streak. The hourglass is the last warning inside that window.
Snap lists Streak Reminders under its Snapchat+ features. To set one for a single friend, press and hold the friend in the Chat feed, open Chat and Notification Settings, and toggle Streak Reminder on. Notifications for Snapchat must be allowed on the phone.
How long do Snapchat Streaks last?
As long as both people keep Snapping daily. There is no built-in end date. A Streak expires only when more than a day passes without a new Snap from everyone in the Chat, according to Snap's explanation of lost Streaks.
That makes time zones and busy days the usual cause of a break. If one person Snaps early in the morning and the other late at night, the gap can stretch past the limit without anyone noticing.
In some regions and app versions, Snap says the day count and emoji may not be displayed even while a Streak is still active. If you keep exchanging daily Snaps, the Streak can continue in the background.
Why did I lose my Streak?
Because at least one person in the Chat did not send a photo or video Snap in time. Typical causes are easy to avoid once you know them.
- One of you replied with a text Chat instead of a Snap.
- You posted to your Story and assumed it counted; it does not.
- A phone was off, out of data or logged out for a day.
- In a group, too few members sent a Snap that day.
- The app hid the count in your region, so the hourglass went unnoticed.
Our tool cannot help here: SnapViewer only reads public profiles and never touches Chats, so it cannot see, save or restore anyone's Streaks.
Can you restore a lost Snapchat Streak?
Yes, for a limited time. Snap says to look for a Restore button next to the Chat that was on a Streak. If it is there, tap it and follow the steps in the app. If it is not there, the Streak ended too long ago and cannot be brought back.
- Open the Chat screen and find the friend or group you lost the Streak with.
- Look for the Restore button (Snap also mentions a fire emoji button).
- Tap it and follow the instructions in the app.
- If the restore fails, use the request form linked from Snap's help page.
On iOS, Snap says you may get a Restore All option when several Streaks expired at once. Only recently expired Streaks qualify in every case.
How much does a Streak restore cost?
Every Snapchatter gets one free Streak Restore. After that, the price shown on your device is what you pay, and Snap says the cost varies by country, so we do not quote a figure.
Snapchat+ subscribers get one free in-app restore each month. The month starts on the day the subscription started, and unused free restores do not roll over.
| Account | Free restores | After that |
|---|---|---|
| Free account | One, once | In-app purchase at the price shown on your device |
| Snapchat+ | One per subscription month | In-app purchase for extra restores that month |
| Accidental purchase | — | Snap has a refund request article for Streak Restore |
Do Snapchat Streaks affect your score?
Indirectly, because a Streak means you Snap every day, and Snaps sent and received count toward the Snapscore. Snap does not list the Streak itself as a factor, so a long Streak earns nothing beyond the Snaps that built it.
Read Snapchat Score explained for what Snap does and does not confirm about the number, and why it can never go down.
Can anyone else see your Streaks?
No. Snapchat Streaks appear in the Chat list of the people in that conversation only. They are not printed on public profiles, not part of a public Story, and not visible to friends of friends.
That also means no website can look them up. Our Snapchat profile viewer shows a public profile's card, Story, Highlights and Spotlight. It never shows Streaks, Snapscore, Best Friends, chats, friend lists or location, and it cannot open private accounts.
What can SnapViewer do for public profiles?
Type a public username to watch the current public Story, browse saved Highlights and play Spotlight videos in your browser, with no Snapchat login. Each snap has a Download button for the MP4 or JPG file Snapchat serves.
Start with the Snapchat story viewer, save a whole Story with the Snapchat story downloader, or find a profile with the Snapchat username search. To learn how long a public snap stays up, see how long Snapchat Stories last.
SnapViewer is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Snap Inc. Profile owners can ask us to stop showing their public profile; see the copyright and opt-out page.
Frequently asked questions
How do Snapchat Streaks work?
You and a friend each send at least one photo or video Snap every day. Snapchat then shows a fire emoji and the number of days next to your Chat.
Do text messages count for a Streak?
No. Snap says both people need to send a photo or video Snap; for Group Streaks it says Snaps, not Chat.
How long do I have before a Streak ends?
Snap's emoji guide says you each need to send a Snap within 24 hours, or the Streak is lost. The hourglass warns you near the end.
What does the hourglass mean?
Your Streak is about to expire. Send a photo or video Snap and make sure your friend does too.
Can I get a lost Streak back?
Only for a limited time. Look for a Restore button next to the Chat. If it is not there, the Streak ended too long ago.
Is restoring a Streak free?
Each Snapchatter gets one free restore. After that you pay the in-app price shown on your device, which varies by country.
How many free restores does Snapchat+ give?
One free in-app Streak Restore per subscription month. Unused restores do not roll over.
Why can't I see my Streak number?
Snap says the day count and emoji may not appear in some regions or app experiences, even while the Streak is still active.
Do Group Chats have Streaks?
Yes. Most members of the group must send a photo or video Snap in the group every day to keep it going.
Does posting a Story keep a Streak alive?
No. A Story is not a Snap sent to that friend, so it does not count.
Can a website show someone's Streaks?
No. Streaks only appear in the Chat list of the people involved. Public profile pages do not include them, so SnapViewer cannot show them.
Is SnapViewer part of Snapchat?
No. SnapViewer is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Snap Inc. It only reads public profiles.
Guides
Story viewer — Type a username to watch a public profile's Stories, Spotlight and Highlights.
Sources
- How do Streaks work and when do they expire? — Snapchat Support
- I lost my Streak. How do I restore it? — Snapchat Support
- How much does it cost to restore a Streak? — Snapchat Support
- How do I get more free Streak Restores with Snapchat+? — Snapchat Support
- How do I restore multiple expired Streaks at the same time? — Snapchat Support
- What are Instant Streaks? — Snapchat Support
- Why can't I see my Streak count? — Snapchat Support
- How do I set reminders for my Streaks? — Snapchat Support
- What do my Friend Emojis mean on Snapchat? — Snapchat Support
- How do I request a refund for an accidental Streak Restore purchase? — Snapchat Support