Snapchat is still alive and kicking with Gen Z as 2023 continues – with 363 million daily users, according to Statista’s latest data.
Though we love a good 30-second TikTok dance, sending funny or filtered photos and videos – which disappear seconds after they’ve been viewed – never gets old.
On Snapchat, you can show off your location with GeoFilters, check out your astrological profile, and make your pet look like a Disney character. They’ve even introduced a dual camera feature – which allows you to create Snaps, Stories or Spotlight videos from two angles.
Reckon you fancy joining the youth of today on yet another social media-slash-camera app?
Prepare yourself: there are a lot of slang terms and acronyms floating about, and you should probably know how to use ’em.
Here’s what some of them, including ICL, SB, SCM, NRS and ESB actually mean.
Snapchat acronyms, terminology and their meanings
ESB: This acronym stands for Everyone Snap Back. This is a request for everyone who sees it to send a Snap to the user – typically to ensure that snap streaks are maintained. The term is usually seen in stories or group chat messages.
FFF: This could mean Follow For Follow, which would see a Snapchat user would follow people who follow them back.
HMU: If you spot HMU in a message, it means Hit Me Up, which is an invitation to contact them. You could say something like ‘HMU later’, aka ‘get in touch later’.
ICL: This can mean a few different things, but the most common meaning is probably I Can’t Lie.
However, you might spot it meaning In Christian Love. You’ll be able to work it out from the context of the post. Hopefully.
MMS: This stands for, simply, Made Me Smile. Though if you’re feeling particularly old school, you could use it to say Multimedia Messaging Service…
NRS: This means No Replies. It’ll often be used when you’re in a situation that doesn’t allow you to send snaps repeatedly, such as going to sleep, not feeling up to it, or have little data/Wi-Fi.
PU: Essentially, PU is an acronym for Pop Up. A literal translation would be ‘get on Snapchat and message me’.
SB: Perhaps one of the most common, SB simply means Snap Back – or reply to the person you’ve been snapping with.
SCM: Want a reply? Or keen to move a conversation from another platform? Well, SCM means Snapchat Me.
Though, if you’re getting on a bit and are seeing this in a work or digital context, it could possibly mean something slightly less exciting: Social Media Optimisation.
SFS / S4S: This means Snap For Snap – or ‘shout out for shout out’ – which is essentially a way of promoting another Snapchat user.
SMH: You’ll see this one cross-platforms. It usually means Shaking My Head, which expresses disappointment or bewilderment.
SMO: OK, so this one really depends on the context. SMO could mean Serious Mode On (meaning you’re feeling or talking about something in a non-jokey way).
It could also mean Shout Me Out (meaning you want someone to give you a social media shout out).
SR: This can mean either Slow Replies – meaning the other user may take time to come back to you, if they are busy for example – or it could also be written S/R, which means Streaks and Recents.
This effectively means that the person using the phrase is set to send a mass snap to all the users they have streaks with, or have Snapchatted recently.
Snap score: Your score basically reveals how much you’ve been using the app. The higher the number, the more Snaps you’ve sent. Here’s how to find your Snap score.
Streak: A Snapchat streak keeps track of how many consecutive days you’ve sent Snaps to the same person.
If you were to send Snaps to your best friend every day for seven months, for example, you’d see a little flame next to their name, with a number marking how many days you’ve kept the streak doing.
SU: Usually, SU means Swipe Up.
If you’re looking at a Snapchat Story and see ‘SU’, if you swipe your finger up, you’ll usually be taken to your phone’s internet browser and a web page linked to the story.
TM: Could mean Text Message, Too Much or Trust Me, depending on the context of the chat.
WYLL: This popular acronym stands for ‘what you look like.’ But the real thing here is context. It can either be a question, or a bit of a reality check.
If someone asks it like a question, they are, in a way, asking for a selfie.
If someone who knows what you look like says this, they are basically indicating that you look a muppet. Are you doing something unusual to warrant them saying it? Have you tried a new hair or makeup style?
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