What Does the Hourglass Mean on Snapchat?
Maintaining a Snapchat Streak is one of the most relevant things that you can do with your friends.
This little Snapchat game consists of sending messages to each other for as many days as you can.
Snapchat introduced the Streak feature officially, so exchanging Snaps with others has a different meaning, and they accomplished their goal.
That’s why the hourglass on Snapchat is so important, but what does it mean anyways? Today, we will talk about:
- What does the hourglass mean on Snapchat?;
- How to get rid of the hourglass on Snapchat;
- Everything you need to know about this emoji and Snapchat streaks.
What Does the Hourglass Mean on Snapchat? Snapchat Hourglass Emoji Explained
The hourglass emoji means that your Snapchat streak is about to end in a few hours.
It is a warning that lets you know whether you want to keep the streak or let the streak ends.
Emojis like these appear next to your friends’ names.
The hourglass on Snapchat means that both you and your friend haven’t sent Snaps in the last 20 hours, meaning that you need to contact them ASAP to keep the Snapstreak going.
Keeping your Snapstreak will help you increase your Snap Score on the app.
It also proves that you are a true friend of that person, which, at the end of the day, is invaluable.
That’s why you need to do something if the hourglass emoji appears - message the other person and don’t let the magic of Snapchat streaks disappear!
When Does the Hourglass Appear on Snapchat?
The hourglass icon appears when two users have 20 continuous hours without sending text messages or chat messages to each other.
If you are wondering, the icon emoji will appear next to the fire emoji on your friend’s anime.
In simple words it’s a countdown timer that tells you that you have 4 hours left before the streak continues or ends - it is up to you!
Use this reminder wisely and don’t worry if you want to let the streak end.
At the end of the day, it is up to the two users to exchange Snaps or not.
How Long Does the Hourglass Last on Snapchat?
The Snapchat Hourglass emoji lasts for four hours. When the emoji appears, you have to continue exchanging Snaps if you don’t want your Snapstreak with a friend to be lost forever.
The moment the Snapchat hourglass emoji shows up next to the fire emoji, you have exactly four hours to exchange snaps and maintain streaks that last for many consecutive days!
How To Get Rid of The Hourglass Emoji on Snapchat?
The only way to get rid of the Snapchat hourglass icon is to send each other Snaps in at least four hours since the icons appear.
You can send a video, a text message, voice messages, and more, but remember that it must be mutual.
Sending snaps to maintain the Snapstreak only works if you both do it.
If only one person send a Snap, and 24 hours without texting each other pass, then say goodbye to the Snapstreak.
In short, you need to do this:
- Open Snapchat on your phone and look if the hourglass icon is next to the name of your friend;
- If so, you need to send at least one Snap to them - you have four hours to do it;
- Likewise, they need to contact you back before the hourglass icons disappear.
If you two manage to beat this Snapchat Streak timer, then it will disappear without further ado.
Watch out next time!
What to Do if You Lost Snapchat Streak?
Losing Snapchat streaks is a bummer - we know it! Fortunately, there’s a way to recover them if the Snapstreak disappeared.
First and foremost, it is important to mention that you cannot recover a Snapstreak with your friends if you simply forgot to send Snaps to each other.
That’s why you need to tell Snapchat Support that you complied with Snapstreak guidelines so you can enjoy your Snap Streak once again:
- Go to the Snapchat website by clicking on the aforementioned link and contact Snapchat Support Team;
- Select “My Snapchat Streaks Have Disappeared;”
- Explain your case to Snapchat - tell them that you did send a message to your friends but the Snapstreak did not save either way.
Remember that you are writing to Snapchat directly, and they will know whether you are lying or telling the truth.
All in all, the best way to keep your streak going is by texting your friends as soon as the hourglass icon appears on the app.
Wrapping Up: Hourglass Meaning on Snapchat
Now you are a Snapchat hourglass expert! We can summarize all the information contained in this blog post in the following way:
- The hourglass emoji is an icon to remind you and your friends that your Snapstreak is about to end;
- You can get rid of the icon by sending a message to your friend - they have to text back as well!;
- The hourglass emoji lasts for four hours. It will disappear only if you keep the streak going, or if you fail to maintain the streak.
FAQ
Does The Snap Hourglass Icon Show for Both People?
Yes - both users will see the hourglass icon on the app next to their friend’s name.
How Long Until a Snap Streak Expires?
Snapstreaks expire if you fail to send messages to each other in 24 hours. Remember that group chats do not count towards the streak.
Karen is a senior technical writer and copywriter at Hypegrowth. Her area of expertize are social media apps and new media.