Remember that weird feeling when you’re scrolling through your Snapchat friends list, and you see it—a little purple circle next to someone’s name? Your brain does a quick scan: Is that new? Did I miss an update? Is my friend a secret VIP now? You tap their name, but nothing obvious happens. The mystery deepens, leaving you slightly annoyed and massively curious. If this sounds familiar, take a deep breath—you’re not alone, and the answer is surprisingly simple.
The purple circle on Snapchat means your friend has a “Public Story” or a “Spotlight Snaps” submission that you haven’t viewed yet. It’s Snapchat’s way of flagging content posted for a wider audience, not just sent directly to you.
🧠 What Does the Purple Circle Mean on Snapchat?
Let’s cut through the confusion. Unlike the blue circle (unopened Chat), red square (unopened Snap), or the rainbow (best friends), the purple circle is all about public content. When you see this icon—a solid purple ring encircling your friend’s Bitmoji on the Chat screen—it signals that this user has recently added something to their “Public Story.”
This is different from their private Story (which shows as a colorful ring around their Bitmoji). The purple circle specifically indicates a story they’ve chosen to share with a broader audience, potentially on their Public Profile or as a submission to Snapchat’s Spotlight feature (the platform’s answer to TikTok). It’s Snapchat nudging you, saying, “Hey, this person you know has posted something for everyone to see, and you haven’t watched it yet.”
In short: Purple Circle = Unviewed Public Story or Spotlight Snaps from a friend.
📱 Where Is the Purple Circle Commonly Seen?
You’ll spot this specific icon in a couple of key places within the Snapchat app. It’s not a glitch and it’s not on every profile—it has a very specific purpose.
- 📍 On the Chat Screen: This is the most common place. As you scroll through your list of friends in the Chat tab, look to the left of their name. A purple circle will wrap around their Bitmoji.
- 📍 On the Friend Profile / Add Friends Screen: You might also see it if you visit someone’s profile from the Add Friends screen.
- 📱 Platform Exclusivity: This is a Snapchat-specific icon. You won’t find a purple circle with this meaning on Instagram (green circle for active status), Facebook, or TikTok.
- 🎯 Content Type: It’s directly tied to Public Stories and Spotlight submissions. It’s Snapchat’s ecosystem encouraging discovery and viewership of content meant for more than just a private friend list.
💬 Examples of the Purple Circle in Action
The best way to understand it is to see it in the context of real app use. Here’s what you might encounter:
- The Public Story Alert:
- You: Opens Snapchat, goes to Chat tab.
- App: Shows a purple circle around your friend Alex’s Bitmoji.
- Action: You tap on Alex’s name. Instead of opening a chat, it takes you to view their Story, which is a public post from their concert last night.
- Spotlight Submission Sighting:
- You: Scrolling through friends.
- App: Purple circle around Jamie, who makes funny skits.
- Action: Tapping Jamie’s name reveals they’ve submitted a video to Snapchat Spotlight. Watching it removes the circle.
- Differentiating from Other Icons:
- Scenario: Friend has a blue square with an arrow (unopened Chat) and a purple ring around their Bitmoji.
- Meaning: They sent you a private message (blue) AND posted a new public story (purple).
- After Viewing:
- Before: Solid purple circle.
- Action: You watch their public story fully.
- After: The purple circle disappears. Their Bitmoji might now just have the standard border (if they have a regular Story) or no ring at all.
- On a Friend’s Profile:
- You: Search for a friend’s name.
- App: On their profile preview, you see the purple circle by their name.
- Meaning: They have public content live right now that you haven’t seen.
🕓 When Does the Purple Circle Appear & When Does It Vanish?
Understanding the triggers for this icon helps you master your Snapchat feed.
✅ When the Purple Circle WILL Appear:
- When a friend on your list posts a new update to their Public Story.
- When they submit a Snap to the Spotlight feed for the first time (it may appear for their friends).
- When you haven’t fully watched all the segments of their available public content.
- It’s a persistent reminder until you view the content or they remove it.
❌ When the Purple Circle WILL NOT or Will DISAPPEAR:
- It won’t appear for private stories sent to specific friends. Those show as a colored ring (red, pink, etc.).
- It won’t appear for direct Snaps or Chats (those are blue or red).
- It disappears immediately after you watch all snaps in their public story/Spotlight submission.
- It disappears if the friend deletes their public story or the 24-hour window expires.
- It won’t appear for accounts you follow but who aren’t on your friends list, unless their public content is promoted by the algorithm.
| Context | Example (What You See) | Why This Icon Is Used |
|---|---|---|
| Friend’s Public Story | Purple circle around Sarah’s Bitmoji. | Flags friend-generated public content you haven’t consumed. Differentiates it from private messages. |
| Spotlight Promotion | Purple circle on a friend who rarely posts stories. | Indicates they’ve tried to reach a wider audience via Spotlight. Encourages friends to watch & boost engagement. |
| Marketing/Discovery | N/A (App design) | Snapchat uses visual cues (like purple for public) to train users and increase time spent watching discoverable content. |
🔄 Similar Snapchat Icons & Their Meanings
The purple circle is just one part of Snapchat’s colorful visual language. Here’s a cheat sheet to decode the others:
| Icon / Color | Meaning | When You See It |
|---|---|---|
| Purple Circle | Unviewed Public Story / Spotlight | Around a friend’s Bitmoji on the Chat screen. |
| Blue Solid Circle | Unopened Chat Message | Next to a friend’s name in the Chat list. |
| Red Solid Square | Unopened Snap (No Audio) | Next to a friend’s name. |
| Purple Solid Square | Unopened Snap (With Audio) | Next to a friend’s name. |
| Colorful Ring (Rainbow) | #1 Best Friend (Both Ways) | Around their Bitmoji on the Chat screen. |
| Gold Ring | Someone you share a #1 BFF with. | Around their Bitmoji. A “friend in common” highlight. |
| Red Ring / Pink Ring | Friend has an unviewed Private Story | Around their Bitmoji. Color varies. |
| Blue Hourglass | Snapstreak about to expire | Next to the friend’s name in the Chat list. |
| Baby Blue Heart | New Best Friend for 2 weeks. | Next to their name on the Chat screen. |
✨ How to Get a Purple Circle on Your Profile (And Why You Might Want To)
Want to be the one with the mysterious purple ring? It’s about creating public content.
- Create a Public Profile: Go to your profile, tap ‘Add to Spotlight’ or ‘Create Public Profile’.
- Post to ‘Our Story’ or ‘Spotlight’: When posting a Snap, choose to add it to “Our Story” (location-based) or submit it to “Spotlight”.
- Post to Your Own Public Story: If you have a Public Profile, you can post stories that go to all your followers and will trigger the purple circle for friends who haven’t seen it.
Why do it? It increases your reach, can get you Spotlight views and potential revenue, and makes your content discoverable to people outside your friend list.
❓ FAQs
Q1: Does the purple circle mean someone saved me in their Snapchat?
A: No, not at all. That’s a common myth. The purple circle is purely content-based (unviewed public story). Being saved as a contact shows a different emoji next to their name (like a grimace face for a new saved friend).
Q2: Why did the purple circle disappear after I tapped it?
A: Because you viewed the content! Tapping it takes you directly to their public story or Spotlight snap. Once you watch it, the app removes the notification icon. It’s working as designed.
Q3: Is the purple circle flirty or does it have a secret meaning?
A: Nope, it’s not flirty, romantic, or secret. It’s a neutral, functional icon from Snapchat’s algorithm. Don’t read into it socially—it just means they posted something public.
Q4: What’s the difference between a purple circle and a purple square?
A: Major difference! A purple circle around the Bitmoji = unviewed public story. A purple square next to their name = an unopened Snap they sent directly to you that contains audio.
Q5: Can I disable the purple circle notification?
A: You can’t disable the icon itself, as it’s a core part of the UI. However, you can control notifications. Go to Settings > Notifications > Story Notifications to toggle off alerts for when friends post new stories.
💜 Conclusion
So, the next time that purple circle pops up on your Snapchat, you can swipe away the confusion. It’s not a hidden signal, a glitch, or a status symbol—it’s simply Snapchat’s friendly (if persistent) nudge toward discoverable content. In an app built on ephemeral messages, the purple ring is a small beacon for the more permanent, public-facing side of the platform. It encourages you to see what your friends are sharing with the world, maybe discover a viral Spotlight video, and engage just a little bit more. Now that you’re in the know, you can tap that circle with confidence, watch away, and maybe even start posting to get your own purple ring of public storytelling. Happy Snapping! 👻
