How to Hide Your Snapchat Best Friends: The Definitive Guide

Alright, let’s cut to the chase. You want to know how to hide your Snapchat Best Friends. The somewhat disappointing, yet liberating, truth is: you can’t directly hide your Snapchat Best Friends list from prying eyes anymore. Snapchat removed the feature that allowed users to make their friend list private. However, don’t despair! While you can’t make it completely invisible, there are clever workarounds to achieve a similar effect and regain some control over your privacy. This guide will lay out these methods, providing you with the knowledge and tools to manage who sees (or doesn’t see) your closest Snapchat connections.

Understanding the Snapchat Best Friends System

Before diving into the strategies, let’s quickly recap how Snapchat’s Best Friends system works. Snapchat uses a complex algorithm based on how frequently you interact with other users via snaps and chats. The more you interact, the higher they rank in your Best Friends list, represented by emojis like the ubiquitous ❤️ (Besties) or the (Snapstreak). These emojis are visible to you, but, importantly, not necessarily to others (unless you and the person in question both have each other as best friends). The public component was once a list that could be viewed by other users on your profile, but as stated earlier, this list is no longer visible.

Workarounds to Manage Your Snapchat Privacy

So, if outright hiding isn’t an option, what can you do? Here are the most effective methods to manage who you see and, indirectly, influence what others might perceive:

1. Modify Your Best Friends List

This involves actively changing your interaction patterns to manipulate the algorithm. It’s a time commitment, but it’s the closest you can get to controlling the list itself.

• Interact Less with Certain Friends: Reduce the frequency with which you send snaps and chats to the “Best Friends” you want to demote. Slowly tapering off interaction is less obvious than a sudden stop.
• Interact More with Others: Increase your interactions with different users. This helps push down the existing Best Friends and elevate others into those coveted spots. Send more snaps, participate in group chats, and generally increase your activity with the desired individuals.
• Prioritize Specific Interactions: Focus on sending snaps rather than just chats. Snaps often carry more weight in the Best Friends algorithm.

2. Block and Unblock Strategically

This is a more drastic measure, but it can be effective for temporarily removing someone from your Best Friends list.

• The Temporary Block: Blocking someone removes them from your contact list and stops all communication. When you unblock them, they’ll need to re-add you. This resets the interaction history and effectively removes them from your Best Friends list… at least for a while.
• Caution: This method can be obvious and might damage the relationship with the person you blocked. Use it sparingly and only if you’re willing to explain your actions (or deal with the consequences of not explaining).

3. Utilize Multiple Accounts

This is the most extreme and time-consuming option, but it offers the highest level of privacy.

• Create a Separate Account: Maintain a secondary Snapchat account for specific friends or purposes. This allows you to keep your main account relatively private and separate from certain interactions.
• Maintain Both: This requires managing two different accounts, which can be cumbersome. Consider it only if you have a strong need for segmented communication.

4. Understand Snapchat’s Privacy Settings

While you can’t hide the Best Friends list, you can adjust other privacy settings to control who sees your story, quick add, and other aspects of your profile.

• “Who Can…”: Navigate to Settings > Who Can… to customize who can contact you, view your story, see you in Quick Add, and use your Snap Map location.
• Customize Your Settings: Set your Story visibility to “Friends Only” or “Custom” to restrict who can see your public content. Limit who can contact you to “Friends” to avoid unwanted interactions.

The Psychological Aspect of Perceived Privacy

Ultimately, remember that a large part of this is about perceived privacy. People often assume that your Best Friends list reflects your closest relationships. By strategically managing your interactions and adjusting your privacy settings, you can influence that perception and maintain a greater sense of control over your online image.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can someone see my Snapchat Best Friends list?

No, Snapchat removed the public-facing Best Friends list. Only you can see your Best Friends emojis next to your contacts. Other users can only infer your Best Friends based on how frequently they see you interacting with certain people.

2. Does blocking someone permanently remove them from my Best Friends?

No, blocking and unblocking only temporarily resets the interaction history. If you resume interacting with them frequently after unblocking, they will eventually reappear on your Best Friends list.

3. How does the Snapchat Best Friends algorithm actually work?

The exact algorithm is a closely guarded secret, but it’s believed to be based on frequency and type of interaction. Sending snaps, chatting, and viewing each other’s stories all contribute to the algorithm. It also appears Snapchat considers recency of interaction.

4. Is it possible to completely delete my Snapchat account?

Yes, you can permanently delete your Snapchat account. Go to the Snapchat accounts portal online, or access from within the app, and follow the steps for account deletion. Be aware that this action is irreversible, and all your data will be lost.

5. Will using Snapchat’s Ghost Mode hide my Best Friends?

No, Ghost Mode only hides your location on the Snap Map. It does not affect your Best Friends list or your interactions with other users.

6. Can I choose which emojis represent my Best Friends?

No, Snapchat automatically assigns emojis based on the algorithm. You cannot manually change which emoji is assigned to a particular friend.

7. If I have a high Snapstreak with someone, does that guarantee they are a Best Friend?

Not necessarily. While a high Snapstreak indicates frequent interaction, the Best Friends algorithm considers more than just Snapstreaks. It also factors in chats, snaps, and other types of interactions.

8. Does Snapchat notify someone if I remove them from my Best Friends list?

No, Snapchat does not send notifications when someone is removed from your Best Friends list. They might notice a change in your interactions or a disappearance of the Best Friends emoji next to their name, but there’s no direct notification.

9. Are Snapchat Best Friends the same as “Mutual Friends” on other social media platforms?

No, they are different. Snapchat Best Friends are based on interaction frequency on Snapchat itself. Mutual Friends on platforms like Facebook indicate that two users are directly connected as friends on that specific platform.

10. How long does it take for someone to become a Best Friend on Snapchat?

There’s no fixed timeframe. It depends on how frequently you interact with them compared to other users. It could take a few days or several weeks of consistent interaction.

11. Is there a third-party app that can hide my Snapchat Best Friends?

No. Be extremely cautious of any third-party apps that claim to offer this functionality. These apps are often scams or malware designed to steal your login information. Always prioritize your account security. Do not enter your login credentials into third-party apps claiming to modify Snapchat.

12. What’s the best way to manage my Snapchat privacy if I’m worried about someone seeing my interactions?

The most effective strategies are to adjust your interaction patterns, limit who can see your story and other public content through privacy settings, and be mindful of what you share and with whom. Consider creating a separate account for certain contacts if you need a higher level of privacy. Prioritize creating a strong password and enabling two-factor authentication to protect your account.