You're scrolling through your chat list, minding your own business, when you spot it. A tiny, glittering 🌟 right next to your friend's name. Or maybe you've been watching a creator and noticed a solid gold star badge on their profile. It's confusing because Snapchat, in its infinite quest to keep us guessing, uses the same "gold star" icon for two completely different things.
One means someone is basically obsessed with your content. The other means they're famous.
Let's break down the chaos.
The Replay Star: Your 24-Hour Badge of Honor
Most people asking "what does the gold star mean in snapchat" are looking at their friend list. If you see that 🌟 icon next to a contact’s name, it’s not permanent. It’s a fleeting "thank you" from the algorithm.
Basically, it means that someone—either you or one of your mutual friends—replayed that person’s snap within the last 24 hours. Honestly, it’s one of the few "public" indicators of who is actually paying attention. If you post a story and your crush has a gold star next to their name the next morning, there’s a solid chance they watched your video twice.
It’s a subtle ego boost. It disappears after a day, though, so don't get too attached.
The "Snap Star" Badge: Verification for the Elite
Now, if the star looks a bit more official—like a solid black star encased in a yellow circle—you’re looking at a Snap Star. This is Snapchat’s version of the blue checkmark on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
You’ll see this on the profiles of celebrities, massive influencers, and major brands. It’s not just for show. Snap Stars get access to special features, like the ability to have their stories featured in the "Discover" section and deeper analytics.
They also get to earn money through the "Stories Revenue Share" program. If you see a gold star on a profile that you don't personally know, you're looking at a verified creator.
How do you actually get one?
Becoming a Snap Star isn't like signing up for Snapchat+. You can't just buy it. You have to be "notable." Snapchat looks for a few specific things before they hand out that gold:
- Massive Engagement: You need a large audience that actually watches your stories to the end.
- Authenticity: You have to be a real human or a real brand. No faceless meme accounts allowed.
- Cultural Relevance: Basically, are people searching for you?
- Content Volume: Most Snap Stars post 20 to 50 times a day. Yeah, it’s a full-time job.
The Mystery of the Gold Ring (Friend Solar Systems)
There’s a third "gold" thing people often confuse with the star: the Friend Solar System. If you have Snapchat+, you might see a gold ring around a "Best Friends" or "Friends" badge when you tap on someone's profile.
🔗 Read more: Getting the Student Discount Apple Pencil: What Most People Get Wrong About Saving Money at Apple
This isn't a star, but it’s "gold" and it drives people crazy.
This system represents how close you are to that person. If you are the "Sun," your top eight friends are the "Planets." If you’re Mercury (the closest planet) to your friend, it means you’re their #1 best friend. If you’re further out, like Uranus or Neptune, you’re still in their top eight, but maybe not the person they talk to every five minutes.
Wait, Can I Change These?
Kinda.
You can actually customize your "Friend Emojis" in your settings. If you hate the gold star for replays, you can turn it into a taco or a ghost.
- Tap your Bitmoji in the top left.
- Hit the Gear icon (Settings).
- On Android, go to Customize Emojis. On iPhone, go to Manage > Friend Emojis.
- Find the "Replayed" category and swap it out.
Just keep in mind that changing it only changes it for your view. If you change the gold star to a pizza slice, your friends will still see the gold star on their own phones.
The Difference Between the "Black Star" and "Gold Star"
Terminology gets messy here because people use the terms interchangeably.
👉 See also: Why Every 3D Model of Airplane You See Today Is Changing (For Real)
The Snapchat+ Badge is a black star inside a small white/translucent circle (✪). This just means the person pays about $4 a month for the premium subscription.
The Verified Badge is the black star inside a bright yellow circle. This is for the "Snap Stars" we talked about.
The Gold Star Emoji (🌟) is the one that appears next to a name when a snap is replayed.
Quick Cheat Sheet
| What it looks like | What it actually means |
|---|---|
| Yellow Emoji Star (🌟) | Someone replayed a snap in the last 24 hours. |
| Black Star in Yellow Circle | Verified "Snap Star" (celebrity/creator). |
| Small Black Star (✪) | Snapchat+ Subscriber. |
| Gold Ring around Bitmoji | Part of the Friend Solar System (Snapchat+ feature). |
Why Does This Matter for Your Account?
If you’re trying to build a brand or just want to be "Snapchat famous," these stars are your milestones. Seeing a lot of the 🌟 emoji on your friend list means your content is "sticky"—people like it enough to watch it twice. That’s a lead indicator. If that happens enough, and you switch your account to "Public," you might eventually catch the eye of the verification team.
But for 99% of us? It’s just a fun way to see who’s lurking on our stories.
Snapchat is built on "ephemeral" data. Everything disappears. The gold star is one of the few breadcrumbs the app leaves behind to show that your content actually landed. Whether it was a funny video of your dog or a late-night rant, that star proves someone cared enough to hit replay.
📖 Related: Tarjeta de credito virtual: Por qué deberÃas dejar de usar tu plástico fÃsico para comprar online
Next Steps for Your Profile
If you want to see if you have any "super fans," open your chat list right now and look for that 🌟. If it’s there, tap the name and see whose snap was replayed—it might be yours! If you're aiming for that verified badge, start by switching your profile to "Public" in the settings and posting consistently to the "Snap Map" to increase your reach.