Snapchat Plus, the subscription service from Snapchat, offers a range of exclusive features that regular users don’t have access to. While Snapchat doesn’t explicitly announce whether someone is a Plus subscriber, there are several clues and indicators you can look for. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the various methods to determine if someone is enjoying the perks of Snapchat Plus.
Understanding Snapchat Plus Features
Before diving into how to spot a Snapchat Plus user, it’s crucial to understand the key features that come with the subscription. This will give you a better idea of what to look for.
- Snapchat Plus Badge: This is perhaps the most direct indicator. Plus subscribers can opt to display a black star badge next to their name.
- Custom App Icons: Subscribers have the ability to change the Snapchat app icon on their home screen to a variety of exclusive designs.
- Exclusive Filters and Lenses: Snapchat Plus users get access to special filters and lenses that aren’t available to non-subscribers.
- Ghost Trails on Snap Map: This feature allows Plus users to see where their friends have been on the Snap Map over the past 24 hours (if the friend has location sharing enabled).
- Best Friends Forever (BFF): Plus subscribers can pin one person as their #1 Best Friend Forever.
- Story Expiration: Subscribers can set their stories to expire after one hour or one week.
- Snapchat Plus Rewatch Indicator: This allows you to see how many times people rewatched your snaps.
- Priority Story Viewing: Snapchat+ subscribers’ stories are prioritized, potentially appearing higher in their friends’ feeds.
- Custom Story Backgrounds: Subscribers can personalize their Story backgrounds.
Methods to Identify a Snapchat Plus User
Now that we know what features to look for, let’s explore the methods you can use to determine if someone is a Snapchat Plus subscriber.
1. The Snapchat Plus Badge (The Black Star)
Description: The most straightforward way to identify a Snapchat Plus user is by looking for the Snapchat Plus badge. This is a black star displayed next to their username on their profile and in chat. However, it’s important to note that users can choose to hide this badge, so its absence doesn’t definitively mean they are not a subscriber.
Steps to Check:
- Open Snapchat: Launch the Snapchat app on your smartphone or tablet.
- Navigate to the Chat Screen: Tap the chat icon (usually located at the bottom left of the screen) to access your list of conversations.
- Find the Person’s Name: Locate the username of the person you want to check.
- Look for the Black Star: Check if there’s a black star icon next to their name. If you see it, they are likely a Snapchat Plus subscriber.
- Check Their Profile: If you don’t see the star in the chat list, tap on their name to open their profile. The star, if enabled, will be displayed next to their name at the top of their profile screen.
Limitations: As mentioned, users can hide the badge, making this method unreliable on its own.
2. Checking for Custom App Icons
Description: Snapchat Plus subscribers can change the app icon on their home screen. While you can’t directly see their app icon, you can subtly inquire about it.
Steps to Check:
- Subtle Inquiry: Casually ask the person if they’ve changed their Snapchat app icon recently or if they are aware of the ability to customize it.
- Observe Their Reaction: Pay attention to their response. If they seem knowledgeable about custom icons and mention having changed theirs, it’s a strong indicator they have Snapchat Plus. If they deny any knowledge of this feature, they likely don’t have it (or they might be hiding it).
Limitations: This method is indirect and relies on the person’s honesty and willingness to share information. It’s not a definitive way to confirm their subscription status.
3. Exclusive Filters and Lenses
Description: Snapchat Plus users get access to exclusive filters and lenses. If someone consistently uses filters or lenses you’ve never seen before and that aren’t widely available during promotional events, they might be a Plus subscriber.
Steps to Check:
- Observe Their Snaps: Pay close attention to the filters and lenses they use in their snaps, both in stories and direct snaps.
- Compare with Available Filters: Regularly check the available filters and lenses in your own Snapchat to see if the ones they are using are available to you.
- Search Online: If you see a particularly unique filter, try searching online to see if it’s specifically mentioned as a Snapchat Plus exclusive.
Limitations: This method requires you to be an active Snapchat user and familiar with the standard filters and lenses. It also depends on the person using exclusive filters frequently.
4. Ghost Trails on Snap Map
Description: The Ghost Trails feature allows Snapchat Plus users to see where their friends have been on the Snap Map over the past 24 hours (if the friend has location sharing enabled). While you can’t directly see if *they* are using Ghost Trails, you might be able to infer it based on their knowledge of your movements.
Steps to Check (Indirectly):
- Share Your Location: Ensure you have location sharing enabled with that specific person on Snap Map.
- Visit Several Locations: Over a day or two, visit a few different locations.
- Engage in Conversation: Start a conversation with them and subtly mention your movements. For example, “I was at the coffee shop this morning and then went to the park.”
- Gauge Their Response: Pay attention to their response. If they seem to know more details about your movements than you explicitly shared, it’s possible they are using Ghost Trails. For example, they might say, “Oh, I saw you were near the bookstore after the park!”
Limitations: This method is highly indirect and relies on their ability to subtly reveal their knowledge. It also depends on you actively sharing your location and visiting multiple places.
5. Best Friends Forever (BFF) Pin
Description: Snapchat Plus subscribers can pin one person as their #1 Best Friend Forever (BFF). While you can’t directly see if they’ve pinned someone, you might be able to infer it if you consistently appear at the top of their chat list and they rarely interact with other users.
Steps to Check (Indirectly):
- Observe Your Position in Their Chat List: Pay attention to how often you appear at the top of their chat list. If you are consistently at the top, even when you haven’t recently sent them a snap, it’s a possible indicator.
- Consider Their Interaction with Others: Observe how frequently they interact with other users. If they seem to primarily interact with you, even less frequently than others, it further strengthens the possibility.
- Subtle Inquiry: You could casually mention something like, “I’ve noticed I’m always at the top of your chat list!” and see how they respond.
Limitations: This method is extremely indirect and relies on assumptions about their behavior. It’s also possible that you are genuinely their most frequent contact, regardless of whether they have Snapchat Plus.
6. Story Expiration Times
Description: Snapchat Plus subscribers can set their stories to expire after one hour or one week, in addition to the standard 24 hours. If you notice someone’s story consistently expiring after one hour or lasting for a week, they might be a Plus subscriber.
Steps to Check:
- Observe Story Expiration: Pay attention to how long their stories remain visible.
- Check Story Duration: Specifically check if their stories are disappearing after one hour or lasting for a full week (7 days).
Limitations: This method only works if they frequently utilize the one-hour or one-week expiration options. If they consistently use the standard 24-hour expiration, you won’t be able to determine their subscription status based on this feature.
7. Snapchat Plus Rewatch Indicator
Description: Snapchat Plus users can see how many times people rewatched their snaps. Although you can’t see this data as a non-subscriber, the subject might boast about their snap being rewatched a certain amount of times, implying they have access to this feature.
Steps to Check (Indirectly):
- Listen for Mentions: Listen out during conversation whether the user makes a note about the rewatch amount of one of their snap stories.
- Pay attention to how frequent this behavior is: If it’s often, then they are most likely a Snapchat plus user.
Limitations: This relies on the person volunteering information. Furthermore, a Snapchat+ user may never mention their Rewatch numbers at all.
8. Priority Story Viewing
Description: Snapchat+ subscribers’ stories are prioritized, potentially appearing higher in their friends’ feeds. This is incredibly difficult to gauge from an outside perspective as the algorithm that decides the order of your feed is kept secret, and heavily depends on previous interactions.
Steps to Check (Indirectly):
- Cross reference feeds with friends: Ask a friend to see their story feed and cross-reference if the user in question’s story appears higher in their feed as compared to yours, then they may be a Snapchat+ user.
Limitations: As mentioned earlier, this is reliant on a large number of factors, and is extremely difficult to reliably test for.
9. Custom Story Backgrounds
Description: Subscribers can personalize their Story backgrounds using exclusive designs. Similarly to exclusive filters and lenses, if you are seeing story backgrounds which are not present on your own Snapchat, then it is possible the subject of your inquiry has Snapchat+.
Steps to Check:
- Compare your Story options: Check your story customization options, and compare it against what you are seeing from the user in question.
- Use Google to find if particular customizations are exclusive: If you do see a background/customization that is not familiar, then Google it to see if it is a Plus exclusive.
Limitations: This method requires active story posting and customization on the part of the subject.
Important Considerations
- Privacy: Remember that it’s important to respect people’s privacy. Avoid being overly intrusive or making assumptions based on limited information.
- Subscription Changes: People can subscribe to and unsubscribe from Snapchat Plus at any time. Therefore, someone who appears to be a subscriber one day might not be the next.
- Assumptions: Avoid making definitive statements about someone’s subscription status unless you have concrete evidence. All of these methods are based on inference and observation, and it’s possible to be mistaken.
- Focus on Relationships: Ultimately, whether someone has Snapchat Plus or not shouldn’t significantly impact your relationship with them. Focus on genuine interactions and connections rather than getting caught up in subscription status.
Conclusion
While Snapchat doesn’t explicitly reveal who has a Plus subscription, by observing the features they use and subtly inquiring about their experiences, you can often get a good indication. Remember to be respectful of privacy and avoid making assumptions. The black star badge is the most obvious clue, but custom app icons, exclusive filters, Ghost Trails, and story expiration times can also provide valuable insights. Ultimately, the best approach is to focus on building genuine connections with people, regardless of their Snapchat subscription status.