What Does GMS Mean on Snapchat?

Co-authored by Imad Jbara and Eric McClure

Last Updated: April 8, 2022

Has someone sent you a nonsensical snap with “GMS” (or “GNS”) written on the image? If so, you may be confused. That’s why we’re here to help! In this article, we’ll break down everything you need to know about what GMS means, why you’re receiving these snaps, and how you can respond.

Section 1 of 5:

What does GMS mean on Snapchat?

GMS means “good morning streak” on Snapchat. A GMS refers to a basic snap that someone sends in the morning—usually to everyone in their streak list—with the explicit purpose of keeping that streak going. These snaps are usually super simple because they’re only meant to keep the streak going, not share something important.^{[1]
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- Someone might send a black screen with “Gm!” or “GMS” written someone on the screen.
- You might get a photo of someone’s bedsheet or their window with “gms” or “good morning” written somewhere.
- Someone might say, “I actually put effort into my GMS today haha. I’ve been so bored lately.”
- GMS may also stand for “good morning snap.” It’s the same thing as “good morning streak.”

Section 2 of 5:

What does GNS mean on Snapchat?

GNS stands for “good night streak” on Snapchat. Many users send a GMS first thing in the morning so that they don’t forget to maintain their snap streaks, but if they forget or they wake up late, they might send a GNS snap. This is functionally identical to a GMS snap—it’s just designed to keep the streak going.^{[2]
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- Someone might send a black screen, a photo of the moon, their shoes, or some other random snap with the words “GN!” or “GNS.”
- GNS could also stand for “good night snap.” This is the same thing as “good night streak.”

Section 3 of 5:

Why do people send GMS or GNS snaps?

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They send GMS and GNS snaps to maintain a streak. If you see a little flame emoji next to someone’s name on friend’s list, you have a streak with them. This means that the two of you have snapped one another at least once every 24 hours for 3 days. The GMS or GNS snap is a way to keep this streak going!^{[3]
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Streaks makes them feel close to others and maintain a high Snapchat score. It’s nice to stay in touch with people you care about, and that’s what the GMS or GNS snap accomplishes. Even if the snap doesn’t really mean anything on its own, it’s kind of like a little wave, or “hey there!” A large number of streaks also improves your Snapchat score.^{[4]
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- The Snapchat score doesn’t mean anything on its own, but many people feel a sense of accomplishment by maintaining a high score.

Section 4 of 5:

How do you respond to GMS or GNS on Snapchat?

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You don’t have to reply if you already sent a snap the past 24 hours. If you’ve sent this person a snap in the past 24 hours, your streak is preserved and you don’t need to reply to them, and they don’t expect you to. Don’t worry about acknowledging or responding.
- As a reminder, your streak refreshes every 24 hours, but it’s not from midnight to midnight. The timer starts whenever you sent your most recent snap.
- For example, if you send a snap at 3 pm, you have until 3 pm the next day to send another one.
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You can send literally anything back to retain the streak if you’d like. If you haven’t sent this person a snap in 12-23 hours and they send you a GNS or GMS, you can send one back. It doesn’t need to be particularly elaborate. Any old photo will work. So long as you send it, the streak will continue!
- You do not have to reply if you don’t want to. If you don’t care about streaks or you aren’t super interested in being attached to the Snapchat app every day, you don’t have to send anything.

Section 5 of 5:

How do you send a GMS or GNS snap?

Take a photo of anything and write, “GMS” or “GNS.” You could take a selfie, take a photo of the clock, or snap a shot of whatever you’re looking at. Then, write “GMS,” “Good morning,” “Morning,” or something like that. If it’s nighttime, send “GNS,” “goodnight,” or “night!”
- A lot of people just send a blank screen and then write “good morning” or “goodnight.”