You can clear your Best Friends list by removing individual people or by turning the feature off entirely
Snapchat's Best Friends list shows your most-contacted people at the top of your chat screen. If you want to stop showing certain people as close friends, or if you want to hide the list altogether, you have two options: remove specific people one at a time, or disable the Best Friends feature so no one appears in that section. The steps are different depending on which you choose.
Removing people from Best Friends does not block them, unfriend them, or notify them that you removed them. They can still message you and see your public stories. It only changes what Snapchat displays on your own screen based on how often you message each other.
Key Takeaways
- Removing someone from Best Friends does not block them or end your friendship — it only stops Snapchat from listing them as a frequent contact on your screen.
- To remove one person, open the chat, press and hold their name, and tap "Remove from Best Friends."
- To hide the entire Best Friends section, go to Settings, tap "Who Can" under Contact Me, and turn off "See My Best Friends."
- Turning off Best Friends visibility means no one can see your list, but Snapchat still tracks your most-contacted people behind the scenes.
How to remove a single person from Best Friends
Open Snapchat and go to the Chat tab. Find the person you want to remove and press and hold their name or profile picture until a menu appears. Tap "Remove from Best Friends." That person will no longer show in your Best Friends section, but you can still message them normally.
If you have multiple people to remove, repeat this step for each one. There is no way to remove everyone at once using this method — you must do it individually. This approach is useful if you want to keep the Best Friends feature but just hide specific people from that list.
How to turn off Best Friends visibility for everyone
If you do not want anyone to see your Best Friends list, you can hide it entirely. Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left corner. Tap the Settings gear icon. Scroll down and tap "Who Can" under the Contact Me section. Find "See My Best Friends" and toggle it off.
When you turn this off, your Best Friends list becomes private. Other people cannot see who your close contacts are, even if they view your profile. Snapchat still tracks your messaging patterns internally, but the list will not display to anyone else. You can turn this setting back on at any time using the same steps.
The difference between removing someone and hiding the whole list
Removing individual people keeps the Best Friends feature active — other people can still see your list, just without those specific names on it. Hiding the entire list means no one can see it at all, but you still have a Best Friends section on your own screen showing your frequent contacts.
Choose removing individuals if you want to keep the feature but exclude certain people. Choose hiding the whole list if you prefer privacy and do not want anyone knowing who you message most often. Both actions are reversible, so you can change your mind later.
What happens after you remove someone from Best Friends
The person you removed will not receive a notification. They cannot see your Best Friends list unless you have made it public in your settings, so they will not know you removed them. Your messaging history with them stays the same, and you can still send and receive snaps normally.
If you message that person frequently again, Snapchat may automatically add them back to your Best Friends list over time, depending on your messaging patterns. There is no permanent removal — the list updates based on your actual contact frequency.
Why Snapchat shows a Best Friends list
Snapchat uses your messaging frequency to create the Best Friends list automatically. The more you message someone, the higher they appear in your chat list and the more likely they are to show in your Best Friends section. This is Snapchat's way of organizing your contacts based on how you actually use the app.
The list is meant to make it faster to find people you talk to most. However, some people find it intrusive because it reveals who they communicate with frequently. That is why Snapchat offers the option to hide it from others, even though the app still tracks the data internally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will someone know if I remove them from Best Friends?
No. Snapchat does not send a notification when you remove someone from Best Friends. They cannot see your Best Friends list unless you have made it public in your settings, so there is no way for them to know you removed them.
Can I remove everyone from Best Friends at once?
No. You must remove people individually by pressing and holding their name in the chat tab and selecting "Remove from Best Friends." If you want to hide the entire list from everyone, you can turn off the visibility setting in Settings instead, which hides it for all viewers at once.
If I turn off Best Friends visibility, can I still see my own list?
Yes. Turning off "See My Best Friends" in your settings only hides the list from other people. You will still see your Best Friends section on your own screen showing your most-contacted people. Only the visibility to others changes.
Will someone be added back to Best Friends if I message them again?
Possibly. Snapchat updates your Best Friends list based on your actual messaging patterns. If you message someone frequently again after removing them, they may reappear on the list automatically. There is no permanent removal — the list reflects your current contact habits.
Does removing someone from Best Friends affect our friendship or messages?
No. Removing someone from Best Friends does not block them, unfriend them, or change your message history. You can still send and receive snaps and messages normally. It only changes what appears on your screen in the Best Friends section.