So, you have noticed an hourglass icon appearing next to some of your friends’ names. This can be confusing and even concerning- what does the hour glass mean on Snapchat? Is it a timer for something? Or is something processing?
In this blog post, we’ll explain why you might be seeing the hourglass emoji on Snapchat and what it means. So read on to find out more.
What Does the Hour Glass Mean on Snapchat? ⏳
The hourglass emoji ⏳ on Snapchat means your Snapstreak is close to expiring. It appears next to your Snapchat friend if you have been maintaining a snap streak with them, but you haven’t exchanged snaps in more than 20 hours.
If you have been maintaining a Snapstreak with your friend, but you haven’t exchanged any snaps in 20 hours, Snapchat shows you the hourglass next to the fire emoji.
Why is the Hourglass Emoji Important?
The hourglass emoji is important on Snapchat as it helps prevent your Snapstreaks from breaking. It reminds you that you have only 4 hours to send snaps with your friend to keep your streak from breaking. This makes maintaining long Snapstreaks a lot easier.
For most active Snapchatters, maintaining a streak is an important deal. Many go maintaining streaks for even months and more. Basically, streaks are a fun way to see how close you are to your friends on Snapchat, and they can also provide some friendly competition to see who can maintain the longest Snapstreak.
So, if you have been maintaining a streak for a long time, it can be such a bummer to lose it, and the hourglass emoji helps you prevent just that.
What to Do When You See the Hourglass Emoji on Snapchat?
If you see the hourglass emoji on Snapchat, quickly send a snap to your friend. Or else, it could break your Snapstreak, and you will lose it for good after 4 hours.
The hourglass emoji means that you need to snap your friend within 4 hours. Or else, it will cross the 24-hour limit, and you’ll lose your streak, which is hard and mostly nearly impossible to recover.
So, when the hourglass emoji appears first, it’s a warning that you have only four hours left to save your streak. To avoid your active streaks from breaking, you need to:
- Open the Snapchat app.
- Tap on Chats icon.
- Go to your Snapchat friends list. Find the friend(s) you’ve been maintaining streaks with, and if you see an hourglass emoji next to them, snap them as soon as possible.
- Similarly, your friend has to snap you back as well to maintain the streak. So, remind them to do so.
- Once they snap back with you within the 4-hour limit, your snap will be saved.
And this way, your streak will be secure now and will not expire for another 24 hours.
How Long Does the Hourglass Emoji Stay if You Do Nothing?
The hourglass emoji stays for four hours after it appears first if you do nothing about it. After this, if you do nothing, your Snapstreak will expire, and the hourglass emoji will disappear as well.
When you see the hourglass emoji next to a friend’s name on Snapchat, it means that your Snapstreak with that person is going to expire in 4 hours.
If you do not snap them within those few hours, your streak will be gone forever. And after this, the hourglass emoji will disappear as well. So, the hourglass means your streak will last four hours if you do nothing about it.
How Can I Maintain Long Snap Streaks?
To maintain long Snap Streaks, make sure to exchange snaps with your friend every day (even if it’s just a ‘wassup’) and be mindful of the timings if you live in different time zones. Above all, remember that maintaining Snap Streak requires two-way efforts, so communicate your plan with your friend clearly.
If you also love to connect with your friends through Snapchat but find it hard to maintain streaks, we have a few tips that can help you maintain streaks with your entire friends list:
- The key to maintaining long streaks is to snap your friends every day. Even if you don’t have anything special to say, just send them a quick snap of the sunset or your houseplant, or anything random like that.
- Also note that Snapchat streaks are based on Eastern Standard Time, so if you’re in a different time zone, make sure you adjust your snapping accordingly.
- Maintaining streaks requires effort from both sides. If you snap your friends, but they don’t snap back, your streak end. So, before deciding to maintain a long streak with someone, it is a good idea to communicate the same with them. This way, they will know it is important to you and will commit to it accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Days Does a Snapchat Streak Last?
Your Snapchat Streak continues as long as you and your friend keep snapping each other within a 24-hour period for consecutive days. So if you want to maintain a streak, start sending snaps to your friends at least once every day.
When Do People Usually Snap Each Other?
People usually snap each other when they wake up in the morning, during their commute, at work or school, in the evening, and before they go to bed. So if you want to ensure you don’t miss a day, try sending at least one snap during those times.
What Does the Hour Glass Mean on Snapchat?
On Snapchat, the hourglass symbol appears next to a friend’s name when their Snapstreaks are about to end. If you see the hourglass symbol next to a friend’s name, it means that you and your friend have not snapped each other within the past 24 hours, and the Snapstreak will end unless you both snap each other within the next few hours.
Does the Snap Have to be a Picture or a Video to Maintain Streak?
Yes, your snap either needs to be a picture or a video. Moreover, it should be recorded through your Snapchat camera. If you simply upload a photo or a video from your gallery, it won’t add up to your Snapchat streak.
I Didn’t Receive a Snap from My Friend, What Should I Do?
If you didn’t receive a snap streak from your friend, there could be a few reasons for it. First, make sure that your friend actually snapped you. If they did, but you still didn’t receive it, it’s possible that their snap got lost in the Snapchat servers. In this case, there is nothing you can do, and you will just have to wait for your friend to resend the snap.
But if your streak ends and Snapchat servers are at fault, then you can try contacting the Snapchat support team, and they may help you recover your streak.
What does the hour glass mean on Snapchat?
The hourglass on Snapchat indicates that you haven’t exchanged any snaps with your Snapchat friend in more than 20 hours if you have been maintaining a streak with them. It’s a reminder that you have four hours left to exchange snaps with that friend or your streak with them will expire.
