What does pending mean on Snapchat? We will be discussing this topic in the following article.
First, let’s briefly discuss Snapchat.
Snapchat markets itself as a multimedia mobile app that is compatible with iOS and Android.
Its main use is to send pictures, videos, drawings, and texts. It’s a mobile messenger that has become very popular, very quickly over the past few years.
Snapchat was originally developed by Bobby Murphy, Evan Spiegel, and Reggit Brown (Snap Inc.). It was released to the public in 2011.
It’s headquartered in Santa Monica, California.
You must be at least 13 years old to sign up for a Snapchat account. However, SnapKids is a subsidiary of the platform for younger children.
This platform is most popular among Millennials and Generation Z. Currently, Snapchat is home to more than 280 million daily active users (DAU).
Nearly 70% of American teenagers claim to use it every day.
Now that we know some of the basics about Snapchat, we can dig into the topic of this article. What does pending mean on Snapchat?
What Does Pending Mean on Snapchat?
According to the dictionary, pending is both an adjective and a preposition that means “awaiting decision/settlement” or “until something happens”.
Court dates are “pending”. Basically, anything that you’re waiting for is pending.
That’s what pending means in general terms. Does it mean the same thing on Snapchat? Let’s find out.
Let’s face it. Everything is fun and funky on Snapchat, but understanding its nuances can be a challenge.
For instance, it’s hard to tell if someone has blocked you on the platform, which is something that’s pretty clear on other social apps.
Likewise, “What does pending mean on Snapchat,” is a confusing concept. When you see “pending on Snapchat”, it’s easy to assume that it means someone hasn’t added you yet.
However, there is more to the idea of “pending” than you might think. Therefore, let’s explore the reasons for “pending”, so you can know what’s happening on your app.
If you have ever had something shown as “pending” on Snapchat, you have also seen the accompanying gray arrow.
Pending when it appears with a gray icon is also something you might see in chats or DMs. What does it all mean?
Pending means that a message, photo, or text cannot be delivered to the specified person.
That means that either the person isn’t your friend on the app, or you’re not on their friends’ list.
Consequently, that’s not the only reason behind “pending” on Snapchat. Let’s learn more.
Why Have You Experienced “Pending” on Snapchat?
The next few numbered paragraphs will address why you see pending on Snapchat.
1. Your Friend Request Hasn’t Been Approved.
When someone hasn’t accepted a friend request from you, it will be marked as pending on Snapchat.
That’s the first and most recognized reason for the “gray area”.
It can mean they missed the notification, or they haven’t been online for a few hours.
They also could have ignored it for whatever reasons.
Until someone accepts a friend request, they won’t see any streaks you send.
2. Someone Has Unfriended You.
A second reason you might see “pending” on Snapchat is that the person you are trying to message has unfriended you.
You could have been friends for a long time, but now you get the gray arrow, which means they removed you from their friends’ list.
Snapchat doesn’t notify you when someone unfriends you. The only way to know is to go to their profile and check it.
If you want to remove someone from your friends’ list, here’s how you do that.
- Open the Snapchat app.
- Swipe left to view your chat page.
- Tap on the Bitmoji image of the friend you want to remove. Alternatively, you can tap their profile icon in a DM.
- Tap the three dots that are at the top right corner of their profile screen.
- Tap on “Remove Friend”.
Once you complete that process, your friend will be removed. That means you won’t get Snaps or Streak from them.
3. You’ve Been Blocked
The third reason we discovered “pending” on Snapchat is that you have been blocked by someone.
Like removing a friend, Snapchat doesn’t notify you when you are blocked.
4. You Have an Account Restriction
If you have violated Snapchat’s rules or harassed a user on the platform, Snapchat will restrict your account.
This can last for up to one month, so you will see many “pendings” on Snapchat during that time.
You will be restricted from sending streaks.
5. You’ve Encountered a Private Account.
Like most social media networks, you can choose to be public or private on the platform.
When accounts are public, there is no need to send friend requests to those accounts because you can freely send streaks to them.
If you see “pending” on a formerly public account, it likely means they have changed their setting to private.
Therefore, you have to send a friend request if you want to share anything with them.
6. A Glitch on Snapchat
Like any technology, Snapchat can glitch. While this is very rare, a glitch on the platform could result in seeing “pending” on Snapchat.
Can You Fix “Pending” on Snapchat?
The easy and short answer is yes and no. It depends on the reason for the “pending”, and what you want to do to fix it.
Naturally, you can’t “fix” a pending on Snapchat for most of the issues we mentioned above.
If you’re not their friend, they unfriended you, they blocked you, account restrictions, and switching to private accounts are not something you can fix.
Let’s see what you can do to resolve the issue.
1. Make Sure You Are Connected
Network issues can cause problems with your Snapchat account. That’s not a Snapchat glitch. It’s a network issue that you need to resolve.
Check your internet connections to see if Wifi is enabled or not connected.
Resolution of this problem can be as easy as restarting your connection, or as challenging as contacting your internet provider.
2. Send Streaks to People Who Are Your Friends
To see if you’re having account issues, send streaks to your other friends. If they are getting delivered, it’s not your account.
If you see the same “pending” icon next to other Snapchatters on your list, it is likely your account.
3. See if The Friend Will Connect with You on Other Apps
While Snapchat is wildly popular, there are other apps where you can send and receive pictures, texts, and videos.
Go to one of the other social apps where you are connected with that friend and let them know you sent them a request on Snapchat.
4. Cancel and Resend a Request
Sometimes Snapchat users get busy and don’t notice their friend requests.
Try canceling the initial request and resend a friend request to them.
This option requires that you remove them as your friend and perform a new friend request. If they know you, they will accept it. If not, they aren’t interested.
5. Just Move On
Just because someone doesn’t accept your friend request doesn’t mean you need to take it personally and let it affect your activities on the platform.
Just forget about it and move on with those who are your friends.
It’s easier to remove them from your list (cancel the request) and just don’t resend a friend request.
6. Find out If Other Users Are Having the Same Issues
If you suspect that a Snapchat glitch is impacting your account, ask your other Snapchat friends if they are having the same issues
If they have, you’re not being ignored. It’s likely a glitch. Try again later.
FAQs
What Does Pending Mean on Snapchat?
As we mentioned in the article, there are numerous reasons that you might see “pending” on your Snapchat.
It could be that you’ve been removed as a friend, someone hasn’t accepted your friend request, you are on Snapchat restriction, etc.
Why Am I Still Getting “pending” on Snapchat with Someone Who’s a Friend?
If you’re Snapchat friends, but you see “pending” on Snapchat, it’s probably a glitch or network connection problem.
Try restarting your Wifi or your phone. Also, you can uninstall and reinstall the Snapchat app to see if that fixes it.
Final Thoughts
After reading this article, you should have a better understanding of why you might see “pending” on Snapchat.
You also have some methods of resolving some issues that might be causing it. You can’t resolve issues that come from being removed or blocked by a friend.
If you have been restricted on Snapchat for whatever reasons, you will just have to wait out your restriction and avoid doing whatever you did to get there.
For instance, if it’s happening to others and you see it across your friend’s list, you should start by uninstalling and reinstalling the app if you have network connection issues.
Remember, if you uninstall and reinstall the app, you will likely be required to log back into the app.
If you have security protocols in place, you will also need to repeat those to regain access to your account.
This article has fully addressed the topic of Snapchat “pending” icons and arrows. Now you know.
