Today, Snapchat is one of the most popular and influential social networks. Younger, more tech-savvy audiences are particularly fond of it. Snapchat lets users share photos, videos, and Stories that last for 24 hours with their friends.
Snap has a reputation for being complicated to use, with strange UI decisions and other elements that make it difficult to figure out what you’re doing. Apart from all the symbols, it can be difficult for new Snapchat users to understand whether someone added them, read their messages, etc. Snapchat becomes much easier to use once you understand what each of these symbols means.
The purpose of this article is to explain what the different boxes, arrows, and other symbols in Snapchat mean.
Table of Contents
What Do the Different Colored Boxes Mean in Snapchat?
There are two basic message symbols on Snapchat: Boxes and Arrows. The boxes represent messages and Snaps you’ve received. The boxes will be covered in this section.
- When you have never snapped with another person, the gray box symbol appears. The message can also indicate that a user has blocked you or hasn’t accepted your friend request. There is a pending action when the color gray appears.
- Your Snap without audio has been sent to the recipient, but has not yet been viewed. Your Snap without audio has been viewed by the recipient if the red box is unfilled.
- If the purple box is filled, your Snap without audio has been sent to the recipient but not viewed. If the purple box is empty, your Snap with audio has been viewed by the recipient.
- An empty blue box indicates that your Snap without audio was sent to the recipient but has not been viewed. You will see an unfilled blue box if your chat has been viewed.
You can see that when you receive a message, the icon is filled with color. You will see an empty box when you view the message.
What Do the Different Colored Arrows Mean in Snapchat?
The Arrow icon on Snapchat represents the Snaps you’ve sent. Here is a look at the various Arrow icons.
- The filled red arrow indicates that you sent a Snap without audio. A hollow red arrow indicates that your Snap without audio has been opened.
- You sent a Snap with audio if the purple arrow is filled. A hollow purple arrow indicates that your Snap with audio has been opened.
- The filled blue arrow indicates that you have sent a chat. Your chat has been opened when the blue arrow is hollow.
- If the gray arrow is filled, the friend request has not yet been accepted by the recipient.
You can see which Snaps and messages you’ve sent to another user by clicking the Arrow icon. Based on the type of message, the color and fill will vary.
What About the Other Snapchat Symbols?
Different icons indicate different chat or Snap view statuses.
- The red circle arrow indicates that your audio-less Snap has been replayed.
- Your Snap with audio has been replayed if you see a purple circle arrow.
- If you see a double red arrow with three lines, someone has screenshotted your audio-less Snap.
- You will see a double purple arrow of the same design if someone has taken a screenshot of your Snap with audio.
- You will see a double blue arrow if someone has screenshotted your chat.
There are many icons, but the system is so simple that you won’t have trouble remembering them all. You can start by remembering that red icons represent Snaps without audio, purple icons represent Snaps with audio, and blue icons represent chats. It is a simple system, so you will be able to master it quickly.
Additional FAQs
You can find more information about Snapchat in the section below.
If your snaps are stuck in pending, the recipient may have blocked or removed your account. If you are unable to send a snap, and nothing appears at all, your internet connection is most likely to blame. If your internet connection isn’t strong enough, this may happen. If possible, try switching between WiFi and cellular data. If your snaps aren’t going through, close the app completely and restart it.
One of the most common questions about Snapchat symbols is the gold heart next to a friend’s name. Is there a meaning to it? You have sent this person more Snaps than anyone else, and they have sent you more Snaps than anyone else. Snapchat’s Best Friend icon indicates that you have been more active with them than with others.
Red hearts are for best friends with whom you have been friends for more than two weeks, while pink hearts are for friends with whom you have been friends for more than two months. This is the Snapchat BFF icon.
Wrapping Up
The Snapchat user interface can be a bit confusing, but it’s one of the best ways to stay in touch with friends. Hopefully, this article has clarified some of the more confusing aspects and symbols of Snapchat. Would you like to know what the different symbols on Snapchat mean? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!