If you've ever opened the Snapchat app, you may have noticed a small text at the top-left corner of every snap.
This text reads "SN" and stands for Snap Notification - it simply means someone has sent you a snap! This guide will answer the question — what does SN mean on Snapchat?
Understanding how Snap notifications work
When someone sends you a snap, they will be notified when you view it. If they haven't viewed the snap yet, an 'SN' will appear beside the snap in your feed to indicate that a new notification has arrived.

Once you open up the snap or respond to it, the SN will disappear from your feed, and your friend will be notified that you've seen their message.
When someone sends you a snap, they will be notified when you view it. If they haven't viewed the snap yet, an 'SN' will appear beside the snap in your feed to indicate that a new notification has arrived.
This is what SN stands for on Snapchat - Snap Notification.
When you open the snap and view it, Snap will notify your friend. This notification can be either a push or an in-app notification.
Push notifications are sent directly to your device when a new snap has been received, while in-app notifications appear within the app itself.
Depending on how you have your Snapchat settings configured, you may also receive email notifications whenever someone sends you a snap.
Viewing your received snaps
Once you've received a snap from someone and seen their SN notification, you can open up the snap by tapping on it in your feed.

Doing so will bring up the image or video shared by your friend and allow you to respond with a comment or another snap of your own. You can also save the snaps to your device or delete them if you no longer need them.
Keep in mind that some snaps (including text, stickers, and location-sharing) don't need to be opened for you to respond.
You can use the chat option to reply directly or tap the snap to open it in order to get a better view of what your friend has sent. When viewing a snap from someone, several options are available at the bottom of your screen.
If you want to save the snap, simply tap on the download button or screenshot icon, depending on your device type. If you wish to delete it instead, simply hit the trashcan icon next to the image or video.
If you've received a Story Snap from someone, this will appear as a line item in your feed with an eye icon next to it. This indicates that the snap has been shared with you, and you can view it at any time.
To do this, simply tap on the eye icon to open up the Story Snap in full screen for viewing. You can also save or delete these snaps and view their content multiple times if needed.
If your received snap is a video, tapping on it will automatically play the clip once opened.
While watching the video, several options are available at the bottom of your screen, including rewinding or fast-forwarding through parts of the clip without watching it all over again.
Sending your own snaps
You can also send your own snaps to friends and family on Snapchat. To do so, tap the 'camera icon' at the top left-hand side of your screen and select a photo or video to share.

You can then add filters, text, emojis, stickers, and more before sending it off. When you send a snap, an SN will appear next to it in your feed - this indicates that you've sent someone a snap!
Note that sending a snap is not saved to your device or in your account. If you want to keep the snap for yourself, be sure to take a screenshot or save it in another way before sending it off.
You can also set how long someone can view your snap - this is called the ‘viewing time’. To do so, tap the clock icon next to the 'Send' button and select either 2, 4, 8, or 24-second viewing times.
Senders will also receive a notification if receivers screenshot their snaps.
Most importantly of all, remember to follow Snapchat's community guidelines when sending snaps — no harassment, nudity, and other offensive content permitted! When in doubt, always err on the side of caution.
Receiving replies
When someone sends you a reply to your snap, their SN notification will appear beside the image or video they sent.

This lets you know that they've seen yours and replied to it. If you haven't seen the reply yet, their SN will remain beside their snap until you view it.
Final thoughts
SN stands for Snap Notification - it simply means someone has sent you a snap and is waiting for your response!
Whenever you receive a new snap from someone, an SN will appear beside it in your feed to let you know that they've sent something. You can then open up the snap to view or respond to it.
Additionally, when you send a snap of your own, an SN will appear next to it in your feed, indicating that someone has received it and may be replying soon.
Understanding how Snapchat notifications work can help make sure that everyone is always on top of the conversation!