By Kavita Mistry 
As social media continues to play a crucial role in our lives, Snapchat remains one of the most popular platforms for communication and recreation. To stay updated with its features, it’s essential to understand the meaning behind different Snapchat symbols, including the hourglass emoji.
What is the Snapchat Hourglass?
The hourglass emoji appears next to a friend’s name when your Snapstreak is close to ending. A Snapstreak is maintained by exchanging snaps (photos or videos) with a friend every 24 hours. If the streak is about to break, Snapchat displays the hourglass icon as a reminder.
This symbol appears when only 4 hours are left before the streak expires. If you don’t send a snap within that period, the streak disappears, and you have to start over.
How to Maintain a Snapstreak
A Snapstreak is represented by the fire emoji (🔥), and the number next to it shows how many consecutive days you’ve been exchanging snaps with a friend. To keep the streak going:
- Send at least one snap (photo or video) every 24 hours.
- Only snaps sent via the Snapchat camera count. Messages, stories, or snaps from Memories and the gallery don’t contribute to the streak.
- Both participants must exchange snaps; receiving one isn’t enough.
What to Do If Your Snapstreak Disappears?
If your Snapstreak disappears despite regularly sending snaps, you can contact Snapchat Support to request a restoration. Here’s how:
- Open Snapchat Settings and navigate to Support.
- Select “My Snapstreak disappeared”.
- Fill out the necessary details and submit the request.
- Wait for a response from Snapchat’s team.
Snapchat may restore your streak if the loss was due to an app glitch or server issue. However, they won’t restore streaks lost due to user inactivity.
The Evolution of Snapchat
Snapchat is an American multimedia messaging app developed by Snap Inc. It was created by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown, former students at Stanford University, and was launched in September 2011.
Snapchat allows users to send photos and videos that disappear after being viewed. It also offers messaging, video calling, voice calling, and a variety of filters and effects for enhancing pictures. Based on your interactions, Snapchat assigns different emojis to friends, including:
- 💛 Yellow Heart – Best Friends
- ❤️ Red Heart – Best Friends for two weeks
- 💕 Pink Hearts – Best Friends for two months
- 🎂 Cake – Friend’s birthday reminder
- 🔥 Fire – Snapstreak in progress
Snapchat’s Privacy & Security
Snapchat uses end-to-end encryption for photos and videos, ensuring privacy for users. Recently, the platform has started implementing encryption for text messages in one-on-one and group chats as well.
Conclusion
The hourglass emoji in Snapchat serves as a warning sign that a Snapstreak is about to end. To maintain your streak, ensure you send a snap within the required timeframe. If a streak disappears due to an error, you can request a restoration through Snapchat Support.
Understanding these features can enhance your Snapchat experience and keep you engaged with your friends. So, the next time you see an hourglass emoji, act fast to keep your streak alive!