What Does SNR Mean? Snapchat, Texting, and More

Co-authored by Imad Jbara and Amber Crain

Last Updated: May 15, 2022

Curious about what SNR means? SNR is used by the Snapchat community to refer to the people you've most recently chatted with on Snapchat. In this article, we'll go into more detail about SNR, including what it means and exactly who it refers to. We'll also show you how to use the abbreviation in a sentence and note a couple of alternative meanings, just in case. Read on for our comprehensive guide!

Section 1 of 3:

What does SNR mean on Snapchat?

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SNR stands for “Streaks and Recents” on Snapchat. “Streaks and Recents” refers to the list of people you’ve most recently chatted with on Snapchat. Your “Recents” are people you’ve recently shared Snaps with. The top name is the person you spoke to last (most recently), and it descends from there. Your “Streaks” are people you’re currently in a Snapstreak with.
- You’re in a Snapstreak with another user if you’ve spoken to them every day for the past 3 days in a row. You’ll see a fire emoji next to the names of people who you’re in a Snapstreak with.^{[1]
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SNR means “Streaks and Recents” no matter where you see it. Snapchat is the only social media platform where the “Streaks and Recents” feature exists. If a friend DMs you on any social media platform or sends you a text message that mentions SNRs, the abbreviation refers to “Streaks and Recents” on Snapchat, specifically.

Section 2 of 3:

How to Use SNR on Snapchat

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You might say to a Snapchat friend, ”Let’s keep up our SNR!” This means you want to keep up the Snapstreak you have going with them. You can continue a streak simply by snapping that person at least once every day.
- To see how long you've kept a Snapstreak going, look next to the person's name on your SNR list. You'll see a fire emoji and the number of days listed there.
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You can say, “That’s a cool pic. I’m going to send it to my SNR.” This means you’re going to snap the photo (or video) to all of the people on your SNR list. The photo (or video) will be visible to everyone on your list, so be careful what you send! This isn't a private snap to one individual.^{[2]
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Section 3 of 3:

Other Meanings of SNR

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In telecommunications, “SNR” means "signal-to-noise ratio." You would only see or use SNR in this way if you work in the field of telecommunications, science, or engineering. “SNR level” refers to the ratio of signal power to the noise power, and it’s expressed in decibels (dB).^{[3]
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- For example, a scientist or engineer might say, “The optimal SNR level for our broadcast is 2 dB.”
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Rarely, SNR could mean “Show No Respect.” This usage isn’t very common, but you might run across it.^{[4]
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Research source} In this context, someone would use SNR casually with a friend or acquaintance to refer to a lack of respect.
- For example: "It’s the middle of the night, but we SNR in the streets.” Basically, they mean they’re being loud or causing trouble late at night in a public place.