Snapchat is weird. Most social platforms tell you exactly how they rank you—likes, views, or shares. But Snap? They give you a mysterious number called a Snap Score and then basically tell you to figure it out yourself. If you've ever stared at that number under your profile and wondered why it hasn't budged in three days while your friend's score is climbing by thousands, you aren't alone.
So, how do you make your snap score go up without spending twelve hours a day glued to your phone?
It’s not just about sending a single photo. Honestly, the algorithm is a bit more nuanced than that. It’s a proprietary equation. Snapchat officially states that your score is a "special equation" combining the number of Snaps you’ve sent and received, the Stories you’ve posted, and "other factors." Those other factors are the secret sauce that most people miss.
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The basic math of the Snap Score
Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way first. You get a point for sending a Snap. You get a point for opening one. If you send a Snap to ten people at once, you get ten points (plus one for the initial send). It’s simple arithmetic. But if you think you can just spam your "Recents" list with a black screen and a "streak" caption every morning, you're only hitting the tip of the iceberg.
Actually, the "received" part is where most people fail. You can't just be an outgoing broadcaster. You have to be a recipient. The app rewards engagement, not just output. If you are sending 100 Snaps a day but nobody is opening them or sending anything back, the algorithm starts to flag your behavior as low-quality or potentially automated.
Why your score might be frozen
Ever noticed your score stays exactly the same for hours even though you’ve been active? That’s not a glitch. Snapchat often updates scores in batches rather than in real-time. Also, if you’re just chatting—meaning typing text back and forth—your score won't move an inch. Texting in the app counts for zero points. It has to be a photo or a video.
How do you make your snap score go up with Stories?
Stories are the "passive income" of Snap Scores. When you post to your Story, you get points. But here is the kicker: you don't just get points for the post itself. You get points for the engagement that follows.
While Snap doesn't publish the exact weighting, power users and tech researchers have noted that posting consistently to your public story or "Our Story" seems to provide a higher "weight" than a private Snap to a single friend. It’s about visibility.
Think about it this way. Snapchat wants users to stay on the app. If your Story is interesting enough that people are clicking through it, you are a valuable user to the platform.
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The "Our Story" trick
If you’re at a concert, a sports game, or even just a busy park, submitting a Snap to the public "Map" or "Our Story" can sometimes trigger a larger jump in your score if it gets featured. It's a high-leverage move. You do the work once, and the system rewards the "public contribution" aspect of your activity.
Don't fall for the "Snap Score Hack" scams
If you search for how do you make your snap score go up, you will inevitably find websites claiming they can "inject" points into your account for five dollars.
Stop. Do not do this.
There is no such thing as a third-party Snap Score generator. These sites are almost always phishing scams designed to steal your login credentials or install malware on your device. Snapchat’s servers are encrypted; a random website in a different country cannot change a value in their database. Furthermore, using unauthorized third-party apps is the fastest way to get your account permanently locked. Snapchat’s security team, particularly after their 2024-2025 security patches, is incredibly aggressive at detecting non-official API calls. If you use a bot, you lose your account. Period.
Strategies for the "Social" climber
If you want to grow your score naturally but quickly, you have to maximize your "Sent to Recieved" ratio.
- Group Snaps: Creating a group of friends who are all trying to raise their scores is the most efficient way. When one person sends a Snap to the group, everyone receives it, and everyone gets a point for opening it. It’s a closed-loop economy.
- The Multi-Snap Tool: Use the built-in tool to take up to 10 Snaps at once. You can edit them all and send them in one go. This is a massive time-saver.
- Celebrity Subscriptions: A common (if slightly annoying) tactic is to follow a bunch of celebrities or high-volume creators. Many people send Snaps to these accounts because, even if the celebrity never opens them, the act of "sending" still registers a point. It’s a bit "bot-like," but it works for raw numbers.
The psychology of the number
Why do we even care? It's basically a digital status symbol. For younger users, a high Snap Score is "proof" of a social life. For others, it’s just a game.
But there’s a downside. A rapidly rising Snap Score can sometimes cause drama. Since the score only goes up when you send or receive Snaps, a sudden jump of 500 points while you're "busy" or "not on your phone" can lead to some awkward conversations with partners or friends. It’s a transparent log of your digital presence.
Factors that don't count
It's just as important to know what doesn't work.
- Watching Stories: You can watch 1,000 stories a day; your score won't move.
- Memories: Re-watching your own memories is for your eyes only. No points there.
- Adding Friends: You get a small bump when you add someone and they add you back, but you can't just add random people endlessly to juice the stats.
Moving beyond the numbers
If you really want to know how do you make your snap score go up in a way that actually lasts, focus on the "Streaks" feature. While Streaks themselves are a separate UI element (the fire emoji), the behavior required to maintain a streak—sending and receiving daily photos—is exactly what the Snap Score algorithm loves.
Streaks force consistency. Consistency leads to a compounding score.
If you’ve been inactive for a long time, you might notice a "welcome back" bonus. Sometimes, after a period of dormancy, your first few Snaps seem to carry more weight. This is a common tactic in app design to give users a hit of dopamine and encourage them to stay active once they've returned.
Actionable steps for your profile
To see a real difference in your score by tomorrow, try this specific sequence:
- Clean your friend list. Interaction with "Best Friends" seems to have a slight multiplier effect compared to interacting with people you haven't talked to in months.
- Send 10 Multi-Snaps to a dedicated group of 5 friends who agree to snap back. This alone can net you 50+ points in about 30 seconds.
- Post three items to your Story throughout the day. Spread them out. Don't dump them all at 9:00 PM.
- Open every Snap you receive. Don't let them sit there. The "received" point is only granted once the Snap is opened.
- Use a Lens. Occasionally, using sponsored lenses or new AR features seems to trigger better engagement metrics in the backend.
The reality is that your Snap Score is a reflection of how much you use the app as a camera, not a keyboard. If you stop treating it like a messaging app and start treating it like a digital walkie-talkie for photos, the number will take care of itself. Keep it authentic, keep it moving, and don't let the "score" distract you from actually enjoying the conversations.
To keep your account safe while doing this, ensure your two-factor authentication is turned on. Rapidly increasing your activity can sometimes trigger a "suspicious behavior" check from the app's automated systems, and having a verified phone number and email will prevent you from being accidentally flagged as a bot. Focus on consistent, daily interactions rather than one massive burst of activity once a month. This builds a "reputation" for your account within the algorithm that ensures your points are always counted accurately and promptly.