What Does The Green Dot Mean On Snapchat?

Are you someone who uses filters and lenses to share moments with loved ones? Then Snapchat requires no introduction. In fact, a recent Times of India survey says, 87% of social media users consider Snapchat as their go-to platform for creating multi-media messages. 

Snapchat of course has a user-friendly interface. But for someone who is using it for the first time, the symbols that show up can be a bit confusing. 

If you are new the using this amazing multimedia instant messaging app, and wondering what those green gots that appear on the top of the screen and on your friend’s avatar means, then you shouldn’t skip this article. 

Why the Buzz Around Snapchat

Are you wondering what Snapchat is all about? Well, let me break it down for you. Snapchat is a popular messaging app that lets you create and share multimedia messages called ‘snaps.’

With Snapchat, you can share short videos and photos, and you can enhance them using butterfly lens filters, effects, texts, links, and drawings. It’s a fun way to add a personal touch to your moments.

Unlike other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, Snapchat really encourages you to share your daily life. This makes it a platform where you tend to be more active and engaged.

What Does The Green Dot Mean On Snapchat?

There are so many symbols used in Snapchat and chances are you are already overwhelmed with a few symbols. 

Among these, the green dot is one of the most popular and familiar symbols for users. You’ll typically see the green dot in two places within the app:

On Top of the Screen

When you open the Snapchat app on your iPhone or Android Phone, you might notice a green dot in the upper right corner of the camera screen. 

Don’t mistake this as a feature of Snapchat; it’s actually a privacy feature in iOS and Android devices that indicates your camera is on. 

This green dot will appear whenever any app uses your camera, not just Snapchat. So, if you see it while using Snapchat, it simply means that Snapchat is currently accessing your camera.

The greendot will automatically disappear when your device detects that Snapchat has stopped using the camera. 

In fact, when you are sending a voice note, you will see a orange dot that indicates Snapchat is using your microphone.  

This feature comes in handy to avoid instances where you inadvertently use the camera, helping you stay aware of when your camera is active and ensuring your privacy.

But if you don’t want Snapchat to access both your camera and microphone, you can disable the app’s permission to access them in your device settings.

On Friend’s Avatar

When you’re on the quick add page of Snapchat, you might see green dots appear near your friends’ avatars. 

This green dot is an activity symbol that shows your friend is currently active and available for you to share a message.

It’s a visual hint letting you know that they’re online and using the app right now. 

If they aren’t currently active, you’ll see a number and a measure of time, like 22m or 5h, next to their names. 

This indicates how long it’s been since they were last online. After 24 hours, this status will disappear until they use the app again.

If you haven’t disabled this feature in your Snapchat application, your friends can see your status the same way you see theirs.

Snapchat typically does not publicly display user activity status or the green dot to people who are not on your friend list. 

Most activity indicators, like Bitmoji animations, appear in direct interactions with friends, such as chats or snaps.

How to Disable the Green Dot Indicator on Snapchat?

Now that you understood why the green dot appears and the two different contexts, the natural question that could be popping in you mind is “how do I disable the green dot indicator?”

The answer is, you can disable it and it’s pretty easy even for a non-techy snapchat user to disable the green dot symbol. 

So, if you are a Snapchat user who cares about privacy and want to hide the green dots indicating your active sessions, then go through these easy steps

Step 1: Open the Snapchat app and hit the profile icon seen in the top left corner.

Step 2: On this page, at the top right corner, you can see a gear or settings icon. Touch the icon. 

Step 3: Now scroll the options downwards till you see ‘Privacy Control’.

Step 4: Under the privacy control, Tap the ‘Activity Indicator’ option.

Step 5: On this page, switch the activity indicator option OFF.

Step 6: Now close the app and refresh or restart the app as the last step.

Once you follow the above steps, one can see disable the green dot appearing in your profile and protect your active session from being displayed to others. 

Bonus Tip: 

Have you ever tried searching for someone on Snapchat without syncing your contacts and noticed you can’t see their activity status? 

That’s because Snapchat doesn’t show whether someone is active unless they’re in your synced contacts. 

When you sync your contacts and search for that same person, you’ll suddenly see a green dot next to their name, indicating they’re online and active. 

This green dot means the person is in your phone contacts and actively using Snapchat.

So, if you want to see if someone is currently on Snapchat, make sure to sync your contacts. Just searching for someone without syncing contacts won’t show you their activity status. 

The green dot only appears when the person is both in your phone contacts and using Snapchat at the moment.

Other Symbols on Snapchat

Just like the Green dot symbol, there a few more symbols on Snapchat that you may come up when starting to use it. 

Besides the green dot, there are two more colored dots in Snapchat.

• Red Dot: This dot appears above your chat, friend’s icon, stories, or spotlight icon. It means you have a new notification in that specific section. It might be a new message from a friend or a new story notification. Whenever you see a red dot, it’s Snapchat’s way of telling you there’s something new to check out.
• Yellow Dot: The yellow dot shows up on the avatar of your friend requests. It means someone has added you as a friend, and you can choose to add them back. Your private info is only visible to friends, so adding them back lets you share more with each other.

Also Read: How to Know if Someone Blocked You on Snapchat?

FAQs on the Snapchat Green Dot

Does the Green Dot Mean They Are Chatting? 

No, the green dot doesn’t necessarily mean they’re chatting. It just shows that they are currently using the app.

How Do You Know if Someone Is Active Online on Snapchat?

If someone is active, you’ll see a green dot near their avatar. However, if they have disabled this option, you won’t be able to tell if they are online or not.

What to Do if You See a Green Dot Next to Someone’s Name?

If you see a green dot on your Quick Add page, it means the person is active on Snapchat. You can reach out to them immediately if you want.

What Does the Yellow Dot Mean on Snapchat? 

The yellow dot indicates that someone has added you as a friend. It’s an invitation, and you can choose to accept or reject the request.

Can I Read a Chat on Snapchat Without Them Knowing? 

No, if you open the message, the other person will know that you read it. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to hide this since Snapchat notifies the sender when a message has been read.