Snapchat uses all sorts of emojis and icons to indicate different things, but it's not always clear what, as is the case with the fire emoji.

Snapchat users will likely have seen a fire emoji next to their friends' usernames on occasion but may not know what it means. If that's the case, they'll probably have noticed a number next to the emoji as well. The two are related and indicate activity between the user and their friend.

A huge amount of media attention is given to darlings of the social media world like TikTok and Clubhouse, as well as to newsworthy stories about bigger platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Despite flying relatively under the radar, though, Snapchat remains one of the most popular apps in the US and worldwide. It has a loyal and young user base and its continued development with new features, such as its Remixes version of TikTok Duets, help to keep users interested and engaged. However, it's not always clear to less well-versed users what some of the emojis and icons used by Snapchat mean and even some of its features can need explaining.

The fire emoji is one example. If a user sees a fire emoji next to a friend's name, it means they are on a Snapstreak together. This is when the user and their friend have Snapped — sent a photo or a video back and forth between each other — once a day for at least three days in a row. The number next to the fire emoji indicates the number of days that the pair's Snapstreak has been going.

What To Know About Snapchat Snapstreaks

In one sense, Snapstreaks are just a way for Snapchat to keep users engaged on the platform, but they can be a fun part of the experience too. To keep a Snapstreak going, both users must send a Snap each day — the streak will end if only one user sends a Snap to the other. Snapchat does provide a useful reminder should users wish to keep a Snapstreak going but it is close to ending. An hourglass emoji will appear next to a friend's name if a user's Snapstreak with them is close to expiring.

Snapchat notes that Snaps sent to friends with Memories or Spectacles content don't count towards a Snapstreak. Nor do Snaps sent to Group Chats of which the friend in question is a part. Indeed, Chats themselves don't count — only Snaps count towards a Snapstreak (as the name suggests). Needless to say, if a user has a long Snapstreak going with a friend, they're probably among the friends with whom they Snap or Chat with the most. Snapchat calls these people Best Friends and there's an emoji for them too — a hugging face.

More: What All The Different Snapchat Symbols Mean

Source: Snapchat