You've probably spent way too much time staring at that little number next to your username. It’s okay. We all do it. The Snapchat Score—or "Snapscore"—is this weird, digital status symbol that feels like it should be simple but is actually governed by a bunch of secretive algorithms. If you’re checking to see if does your snapscore go up when you receive a snap, the short answer is yes. But honestly? It’s a lot more nuanced than just "open message, get point."
Snapchat doesn't just hand out points for existing. You have to actually engage with the app's core features. When that notification pops up and you see a new photo or video from a friend, your score is poised to move. But there are specific rules about when that number actually ticks upward and what kind of messages don't count at all.
The Mechanics of Receiving a Snap
So, here is the deal. When someone sends you a Snap and you open it, your score increases by one point. Usually.
The system is designed to reward active participation. If you’re just sitting there letting Snaps pile up in your inbox without looking at them, your score stays frozen. The "event" that triggers the point is the act of opening the delivery. Think of it like a digital receipt. Once you've viewed that masterpiece of a filtered face or a blurry concert video, Snapchat’s servers register the interaction.
It’s worth noting that receiving isn't quite as "lucrative" as sending. Most users and independent testers, including those over at TechJunkie and various Reddit investigative threads, have found that you generally get one point for sending a Snap and one point for receiving one. However, some people swear they’ve seen their score jump by more than that after a long period of inactivity. This is likely due to the "delay effect." Snapchat doesn't always update the score in real-time. You might open ten Snaps, see no change, then refresh the app ten minutes later and see a ten-point jump. It’s laggy.
Does Every Message Count?
No. This is where people get tripped up.
If your bestie sends you a text-based message through the chat interface, your score isn't going anywhere. Snapchat makes a very hard distinction between "Snaps" (photos or videos taken with the Snapchat camera) and "Chats" (standard text messages). You could send ten thousand text messages a day and your Snapscore would stay exactly where it started. It’s a bit frustrating if you're a heavy texter, but Snapchat wants you using the camera. That's their whole brand.
Then you have the "Group Snap" situation. If you receive a Snap that was sent to a group you're in, you still get a point for opening it. But you don't get extra points just because there are more people involved. It’s a 1:1 ratio for the recipient.
Why Your Score Might Look Stuck
Sometimes you'll open a dozen Snaps and that number refuses to budge. You start wondering if you're shadowbanned or if the app is broken. Usually, it's just a server sync issue.
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Snapchat processes millions of data points every second. Updating a vanity metric for every single user in real-time would be an absolute nightmare for their backend. Instead, the score often updates in batches. If you want to force a "refresh," the old-school trick still works best: close the app completely, swipe it away from your recent tasks, and restart it. Or, more simply, just wait.
Another weird quirk? Receiving a Snap from a celebrity or a "Star" verified account. While these generally count, there have been periods where Snapchat tweaked the algorithm to prevent people from "score farming" by just following hundreds of celebrities and opening their mass-sent stories.
The Mystery of the "Multiple Point" Jump
You might have noticed that sometimes you haven't opened the app in three days, you open one single Snap, and your score jumps by 50 points. This isn't a glitch. It's Snapchat catching up.
When you are away from the app, the system still logs what’s happening. Also, there is a widely held (though not officially confirmed by Snap Inc.) theory that the first Snap you send or receive after a period of total inactivity earns you a "bonus." It’s like a little "welcome back" gift from the algorithm to encourage you to keep using the app. This is why casual users sometimes see their scores move in big chunks while daily power users see it crawl up one by one.
What Definitely Doesn't Increase Your Score
If you’re trying to climb the ranks, don’t waste your time on these things:
- Watching Stories: You can watch every single Story from every friend and every creator on the "Discover" page, and your score won't move an inch. Stories are passive. Snapscore is about active, direct communication.
- Receiving a Chat: As mentioned, if it's just text, it's worth zero.
- Adding Friends: While your score might go up when you send a Snap to a new friend, simply clicking "Add" doesn't do anything for the number.
- Snapchat Memories: Looking back at your own old Snaps is a fun trip down memory lane, but the algorithm doesn't care. No points for nostalgia.
The Strategy for Growing Your Score
If you actually care about the number—and let's be real, it's a bit of a game—the strategy is pretty basic. You need a high-volume exchange of media.
This is why "Streaks" are so popular. When you have a streak with someone, you are forced to send and receive at least one Snap every 24 hours. Over months, that adds up. If you have 20 streaks going, you're guaranteed at least 40 points a day (20 for sending, 20 for receiving) just to maintain the fire emoji.
But honestly, the fastest way to see that number climb is through "Multi-Snaps." Sending a single photo to 30 people at once counts as 30 outgoing Snaps. When those 30 people send something back and you open them? That's another 30 points. It’s exponential. This is how people hit scores in the millions. They aren't just social; they're efficient.
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Privacy and the "Stalking" Factor
There is a social side to this. People use Snapscore to see if someone is "active." If you're "Left on Delivered" by someone but you see their Snapscore going up, it means they are opening Snaps from other people.
It’s a bit toxic? Maybe. But it's how the app works. Since does your snapscore go up when you receive a snap is a fundamental rule, the score is a live heartbeat of a person's activity on the app. If the score is moving, the person is opening or sending media. There’s no way to "hide" your score growth while still using the app normally, other than blocking someone or removing them as a friend.
Common Misconceptions About Snapscore
A lot of people think that the length of the video Snap matters. It doesn't. A 1-second video of a ceiling fan is worth the same as a 60-second cinematic masterpiece.
There's also a myth that sending Snaps to yourself boosts your score. This used to work back in the early days of the app (around 2015-2016), but Snapchat patched that out fairly quickly. Sending a Snap to "My AI" also typically doesn't result in a point increase anymore, as the AI is treated differently than a human user.
Then there is the "Double Point" myth. You might hear rumors that on your birthday or on Snapchat’s anniversary, you get double points. To date, there has never been a verified "Double XP" weekend on Snapchat. The points are consistent, regardless of the day.
How to Verify Your Score Growth
If you want to test this yourself, do it scientifically.
First, go to your profile and write down your current score. Don't rely on memory; your brain will play tricks on you. Then, have a friend send you exactly one Snap. Open it. Now, wait.
Don't check immediately. Give it five minutes. Then, close the app and reopen it. Check the number again.
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If you see an increase of exactly one, you know the system is working. If it hasn't changed, don't panic. Check back in an hour. The server lag is real, especially during peak usage hours (like Saturday nights or during major holidays when everyone is snapping their fireworks/dinners/parties).
The Role of Third-Party Apps
A word of warning: you will see websites or apps claiming they can "boost" your Snapscore for a fee.
Stay away.
These are almost always scams designed to steal your login credentials or infect your device with malware. There is no "hack" for Snapscore. The score is stored on Snapchat’s encrypted servers, not on your phone. The only way to increase it is through the actual app. Using third-party "boosters" is also a one-way ticket to getting your account permanently banned for violating the Terms of Service. It’s just not worth it for a number that basically just proves you spend a lot of time on your phone.
Practical Steps to Manage Your Snapchat Presence
If you're looking to maximize your interaction (and your score), focus on these three things:
- Prioritize Media over Text: If you're about to type "On my way," take a quick photo of your shoes and put the text over the image. It takes two extra seconds but actually counts toward your score.
- Clean Out Your Inbox: Don't let Snaps sit there. Opening them is what triggers the "received" point. Even if you're just skimming through, those points add up.
- Engage with Active Users: Focus your Snaps on people who actually send things back. A one-way conversation only gives you half the potential points.
At the end of the day, your Snapscore is just a reflection of how you use the app. It's a measure of "Snap-intensity." While receiving a Snap does indeed make that number go up, it's the consistent loop of sending and receiving that really moves the needle.
Keep an eye on the lag, ignore the "hacks," and just keep snapping. The points will follow.