If you’ve been on Snapchat for some time, you may have noticed different colored symbols or shapes.
You may have seen a red square as you talked with your friends or family via Snapchat.
Snapchat makes sending plain texts, clips, photographs, or audio to their friends easier.
Snapchat further differentiates these messages using colored symbols such as red squares.
So, what does the red square mean?
The red square often represents a snap without audio. You may see a solid or an empty red square on the chat screen. Red squares, unfilled or filled, show that you’ve received a snap that doesn’t contain audio from a Snapchat friend.
Snapchat makes everyday conversation with friends easier. It has many features and symbols that make Snapchat a fun platform.
However, these symbols have different meanings making Snapchat users confused.
I’ll decode the colored symbols on your Snapchat chat screen.
Snapchat Chat Screen Colored Symbols
Talking to a friend on Snapchat is similar to face-to-face conversations. Snaps or chats disappear once the recipient views the message.
If you send an oopsie chat or ugly selfie to a friend via Snapchat’s chat screen, it will disappear after a few seconds.
Surprisingly, if the recipient decides to screenshot the awkward text, Snapchat will notify you through a symbol.
Snapchat also has colored icons that tell whether you received or sent a snap.
Let’s look at these icons in detail.
Squares
There is a high chance you’ve seen different colored squares on your Snapchat chat screen.
You might have seen these squares underneath your friends’ usernames. However, the blue square is more of a message bubble.
The squares indicate that you’re the recipient. They can be solidly colored or empty.
Solid Square Icons
- Red – You’ll see a filled red square under a friend’s username if you’ve received a new snap from them. But you’ve not viewed it. You’ll only see the red square if the snap doesn’t contain any sound.
- Purple – If someone sends a new snap with audio, you’ll see a solid purple square beneath their username on the chat screen. It’s filled because it’s still unopened.
- Blue – A solid blue message bubble shows that a friend has sent you a new chat. It will remain filled until you view it.
As you’ve noticed, you’ll receive different icons for different message types.
Empty Squares Icons
- Red – Once you open and view a new soundless snap received from a friend, the icon turns from a solid square to an unfilled square.
- Purple – The empty square indicates that you’ve read a snap you received from a friend. The snap contains audio.
- Blue – An empty message bubble icon means you’ve viewed the new chat a friend sent to you.
- Gray – You’ll see an empty gray square if a snap or a chat you sent to a friend is still pending.
Arrows
You may see blue, red, or purple arrows once your Snapchat friends receive a message from you.
They may be solid or unfilled.
Solid Arrows
- Red – A solid red arrow will appear under a friend’s username if you’ve sent a soundless snap to them. It’s solid because the friend has received but not viewed it.
- Blue – The icon appears once you send a chat to a friend. The friend has received the message, although they are yet to open and view the content of your message.
- Purple – Once you send a snap with audio to a friend, you’ll see a solid purple arrow underneath their username. The icon shows they have received it.
- Gray – A gray arrow shows the message you sent is still pending.
Empty Arrows
- Red – The icon shows a friend viewing a soundless snap they received from you.
- Blue – It means a friend viewed the chat you sent.
- Purple – A friend opened a snap they received from you. It contains sound.
Crossed Arrows
Although Snapchat can’t stop users from screenshotting the messages they receive, it notifies the sender that a recipient screenshot the message they sent.
- Red – A friend screenshot a soundless snap you sent to them.
- Purple – A friend screenshot a snap with audio.
- Blue – A friend screenshot a chat they received from you.
Replay Icons
Snapchat users can only replay both soundless snaps or a snap with audio.
They can only replay these snaps once and should do it immediately after viewing them. If they exit the chat screen, Snapchat deletes it.
- Red – A friend replayed a soundless snap.
- Purple – A friend replayed a snap containing audio.
Final Words
Have you mastered all the icons on your chat screen?
Snapchat provided squares, arrows crossed arrows, and replay icons to make interactions on the platform simple and colorful.
You can tell if a friend ignored you, took a screenshot, or has not accepted your friend request through the icons.
I genuinely believe you’ve understood what the red square on Snapchat means.
FAQs
You’ll see a pending label if a friend hasn’t received a snap or chat you sent. It happens if you’re using a weak internet signal. Reset your connection. You can also restart your app or phone if your internet connection is stable.
