Snapchat has mastered the art of getting its users to interact more. They have gamified their app with the Snapchat score, a mysterious number that lets you know roughly how active you are on the social media platform. However, they do not say exactly how this score is calculated.
If you look at Snapchat's FAQ about this score, they call it a "super secret special equation". They suggest that this equation involves the number of snaps you sent and received. However, they also mention "a few other factors". In short, you can rest assured that being active on the app will likely improve your score, but you can't know exactly how.
Understanding Snapscore
A variety of tech blogs and third-party sites have attempted to troubleshoot these scores to understand how Snapchat activity is affecting them. Many of them managed to locate certain elements in common. However, these have not necessarily been confirmed by the app developers. Consider this food for thought.
- Snaps sent and received – Snapchat has already confirmed that these basic functions play into the score.
- Users added – How many people do you follow? How many friends are you with?
- Snap frequency – How often do you use the app?
- Duration of SnapStreaks – You can have SnapStreaks with friends by sending and receiving Snaps for consecutive days.
- Published stories – How often do you post stories?
- Bonus points for returning – Many sources theorize that if you haven't used the app for a while, then come back and start taking photos, your score will increase.
In short, use the app. Use it often. Take advantage of its many features. Do this and you'll have a healthy Snapchat score.
How to find your Snapchat score
But, wait a second. This is the first time you've heard of sheet music. How do you know what your own score is? And what about your friends? Are their scores higher than yours? It's actually easier to find Snapchat scores than you might think.
Find your SnapScore
- Go to your profile screen. You can do this by pressing your Bitmoji icon or the circle in the upper left corner if you don't have a Bitmoji icon.
- Find your display name under your Snapcode image. Look below to find additional information. The number between your username and your zodiac sign is your Snapchat score.
- Tap on the Snapchat score to reveal two more numbers. This is the number of snaps you have sent and received.
Don't try to do the math with the number of snaps sent and received. It will not match your score in any way.
Find your friend's Snapscore
Now you know what your SnapScore is, but what about your friends? Do they have more points than you? Snapchat doesn't provide any type of leaderboard where you can admire the top users. Instead, you just have to look at the scores individually by looking at your friends' profiles.
- From your camera screen, swipe right to open a chat window.
- Find the user in question.
- Tap the user profile icon to open a page that shows their display name, username, and score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I see my friends' Snapscore?
If you are an avid Snapchat user, you know how serious Snapscore is. In addition to your friends' emojis and getting your Snaps replied to in a timely manner, it's equally important to keep your friends and grow your friend list.
If you have a friend on Snapchat but you can't see their Snapscore, that means they haven't added you to their friend list or they've deleted you. Snapchat only shows you the Snapscore of users who are mutually your friends.
If you are concerned about this, you can try messaging the user on Snapchat or using an external social media site to see if they will add you.
I spent a lot of time creating groups, but my score is not increasing. What is happening?
Although this has not been confirmed by the developers of Snapchat, it is a generally accepted belief based on testing that hanging out in groups on the app will not increase your Snapscore.
If you're looking for a way to quickly increase your Snapscore, unfortunately groups aren't the way to go.
How can I increase my Snapscore?
The best way to increase your Snapscore is to add friends and send one-on-one Snaps. If you're really dedicated and have a good friend who's trying to accomplish the same thing as you, make a deal with them frequently for Snap.
As a bonus, you might get a Snap Streak. This will lead to special emojis as a sign of true Snapchat friendship.
Can my Snapscore drop?
Technically no. This means that you shouldn't lose any points. But we say technically because there have been reported issues in the past where user Snapscores have gone down.
So the Snapscore really only has one way to go, and that's up. But, if your score has dropped, you can use the "Report a problem" link in Snapchat to contact someone for help.
Why is my Snapscore not increasing?
If your Snapscore isn't increasing, it's also because you're not performing the appropriate behaviors (snap people, add friends, etc.) to increase the score. However, errors do occur. Your best course of action is to make sure your app is updated, close the app and reopen it, and contact Snapchat support.
What does all this mean?
In a word: nothing. Your Snapchat score will not unlock special Snapchat features. It won't make it easier for people to find and follow you. It literally doesn't do anything functional (what we can tell). This will earn you trophies to brag about to your friends.
Keep that in mind as you agonize over your Snapchat score. Don't let websites rip you off thinking they can artificially boost your score if you pay them money. They can't do what they claim, and it's not worth finding out the hard way.
Just take lots of pictures, make new friends and admire your internet trophies.
