You’ve probably looked at that little number under your Bitmoji and wondered why it hasn't budged in three days. Or maybe you’ve seen a friend’s score skyrocket by 5,000 points over a single weekend and thought, "What on earth are they actually doing?"
Honestly, the Snapscore is one of those weird social media mysteries that feels like it should be simple math but ends up feeling like a secret government algorithm. Snapchat itself is notoriously vague about it. They’ll tell you it’s a "special equation," which is basically tech-speak for "we aren't telling you exactly how this works."
But after years of people testing it—and some very obvious patterns in how the numbers jump—we actually have a pretty clear picture of how is score calculated on snapchat. It’s not just about how many selfies you send.
The Basic Math: Snaps In, Snaps Out
At its most fundamental level, your Snapscore is a transparency report of your activity. If you’re active, it goes up. If you’re a ghost, it stays flat.
The most consistent way to see that number move is the classic 1-for-1 rule. Usually, you get one point for every Snap you send and one point for every Snap you open. It sounds straightforward, but there are some annoying caveats.
First, text chats do nothing. You could send 5,000 text messages in the chat interface and your score will stay exactly where it is. Snapchat prioritizes the camera. If you aren't sending a photo or a video, it doesn't count toward your "score" as a creator or engager.
Second, mass-sending doesn't work the way it used to. Back in the day, you could send one Snap to 50 people and get 50 points instantly. Now, the algorithm is a bit smarter. While you still get points for multiple recipients, the "weight" of those points has been tweaked to prevent people from just spamming their entire contact list to look more popular than they are.
How is Score Calculated on Snapchat Beyond Just Sending?
If it were just "Snaps sent + Snaps received," everyone would have the same predictable growth. But it doesn't work like that. There’s a "hidden" side to the calculation that involves how you use the app's newer features.
Stories and the Daily Grind
Posting to your Story definitely gives your score a nudge. It’s generally believed that you get a point for every Snap you add to your Story. However, simply watching other people's Stories doesn't seem to do anything for your own number. It's a "contribution" metric, not a "consumption" metric.
The Bonus Points for "Coming Back"
There is a very real, documented phenomenon where if you haven't used Snapchat for a few days or weeks, your first Snap back will often grant you a massive point boost. We’re talking 10, 20, or even 50 points for a single Snap. It’s basically Snapchat’s way of saying, "Welcome back, please don't leave us again."
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The Snapchat+ Multiplier
This is a newer factor that people often overlook. If you’re a Snapchat+ subscriber, there’s a feature called the Snapscore Multiplier. When this is toggled on, you can actually grow your score twice as fast when interacting with other Snapchat+ users. It’s a literal "pay to win" mechanic for social metrics.
Why Your Score Isn't Updating in Real Time
This is the biggest source of frustration. You send 20 Snaps, check your profile, and the number is the same. Did you get banned? Is the app broken?
Probably not.
Snapchat processes score updates in batches. Sometimes it updates every few minutes. Other times, it might take 24 to 48 hours for the servers to sync up and show your new total. Interestingly, your own score usually updates faster for you than it does for your friends. If you’re looking at a friend’s score and it seems stuck, it’s likely just a display lag on your end.
Common Myths That Just Won't Die
We need to clear some things up because there is a lot of bad advice on TikTok and old forums.
- Watching Discover videos: This does nothing for your score. You might enjoy the content, but the algorithm doesn't reward passive scrolling.
- Maintaining Streaks: While the act of maintaining a streak involves sending Snaps (which raises your score), the "streak" itself doesn't have a separate point value. You don't get a 100-point bonus just because you hit a 100-day streak.
- Receiving Snaps you don't open: If a Snap sits in your inbox unopened, you get zero points. The "point" is triggered by the action of opening it.
Is There a Secret to a "Million" Score?
You’ll see influencers with scores in the millions. They aren't necessarily Snapping 24/7. They are likely using a combination of high-volume Story posting and a massive influx of received Snaps from fans.
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When thousands of people send you a Snap and you (or a bot/manager) open them, that score moves at a rate a normal human can’t compete with. For the rest of us, the best "hack" is simply consistency.
Actionable Steps to Boost Your Score
- Stop texting, start Snapping: If you're going to say "Hi," send it as a photo Snap with text over it.
- Post to your Story daily: It’s an easy point every time you do it.
- Open everything: Even those annoying "S" or "Streaks" Snaps from people you barely know—they’re worth one point each.
- Add celebrities: Many celebrities have public accounts. If you send them a Snap, it counts as a point for you, even if they never open it. It’s a low-stakes way to grind points without bothering your actual friends.
At the end of the day, your Snapscore is just a number. It doesn't unlock secret features (though it used to unlock "trophies" which have since been replaced by Charms). It's really just a digital "I’ve been here" badge.
If you want to see exactly where you stand, tap your score on your profile page. It will often split into two numbers: the first is Snaps sent, and the second is Snaps received. If those two don't add up to your total score, now you know why—it's those "other factors" like Stories and "welcome back" bonuses filling in the gaps.
Check your profile now and see if your "Sent" and "Received" numbers actually match your total. If they don't, you've likely earned a good chunk of points from Story posts or app-usage bonuses you didn't even realize were being tracked.