Home » Social Media » Snapchat » What Does “Pending” Mean on Snapchat?

What Does “Pending” Mean on Snapchat?

Did you recently send a snap or a message to someone on Snapchat but it says Pending?

Or maybe you didn’t send them a snap or a message in a while, but it says Pending under their username.

The Pending status can be due to several reasons—it does not always mean that the user has blocked you.

In this article, you’ll learn why you received the Pending status and other frequently asked questions.

By the end of the article, you should have a clear understanding of why Snapchat says Pending.

What does “Pending” mean on Snapchat?

Pending on Snapchat either means that the user didn’t add you back or they removed you as a friend.

It can also mean that the user has blocked you or they deleted their account.

If you don’t have an internet connection, the “Pending” status might show as well.

Below are the causes for the status on Snapchat.

1. The user didn’t add you back

Snapchat pending

The first reason why it says Pending on Snapchat is that the user didn’t add you back as a friend.

Whenever you add someone on Snapchat, you can start sending them snaps and messages.

If the user didn’t add you back, the status below their username will say “Pending”.

After the user adds you as a friend, the status will change from “Pending” to “Received” or “Opened”.

However, if the user didn’t add you back, the status below their username will say “Pending”.

If the user adds you back, the status will be “Received” if they saw your message

On the other hand, if the user opened the snap, the status will change from Received to Opened.

In order for these statuses to be shown, the user needs to add you back on Snapchat.

Only then will the status change whenever you send them a snap or a message.

2. The user removed you

Snapchat how to remove friend

If the user removed you as a friend on Snapchat, the status below their username will say “Pending”.

Here’s what happens if someone removed you as a friend on Snapchat:

  1. You added someone on Snapchat and they added you back.
  2. You sent them a snap and they opened it.
  3. The status of the snap will change to “Opened”.
  4. They removed you as a friend.
  5. The status of the snap will change from “Opened” to “Pending”.

Based on the above experiment, the snap status will change to “Pending” if the user removed you as a friend.

Before that, you’ll be able to see the various snap statuses.

If you’ve chatted with someone on Snapchat in the past, and their status recently changed to “Pending”, they’ve most likely removed you as a friend.

Let’s say that you’ve chatted with someone on Snapchat in the past.

If you happen to see the Pending status after, then there’s a high chance that they removed you as a friend.

To get rid of the Pending status, the person needs to add you back on Snapchat.

3. You’re blocked

How to block on Snapchat

The third reason for the “Pending” status is because the user blocked you on Snapchat.

When someone blocks you on Snapchat, they won’t be able to receive your snaps or messages.

In addition, they won’t be able to see your stories or group charms.

Blocking is different than removing someone as a friend.

When someone removes you as a friend, they can still send snaps, chat, and watch your public stories.

However, if they block you, they won’t be able to do any of that.

Blocking and removing are similar as they’ll both change the person’s (that you’re snapping) status to “Pending”.

Hence, if someone blocks/removes you on Snapchat, their status will change to “Pending”.

4. No internet connection

Snapchat could not connect

If the status of a user is Pending, it might be because they don’t have an internet connection.

If you send a snap to someone who has no internet connection, they will not be able to receive it.

Fundamentally, the difference between a received snap and an undelivered snap is its status.

When a snap or a message is sent to someone who has no internet connection, the status of it will be “Pending”.

However, if a message is sent to a mutual friend, the status of it will be shown as “Received”.

Another reason is that your friend might have turned off their phone.

If that’s the case, then the status will only change from “Pending” to “Received” if the person turned their phone back on.

Otherwise, the connectivity issue might be from your end.

Make sure to test your internet speed using an online tool.

At times, your snap or message is pending because your internet speed is too slow.

In order to fix this, you can use your mobile data instead of Wi-Fi (and vice-versa).

5. The user has deleted their account

How to delete your Snapchat account

Lastly, the user may have deleted their Snapchat account.

When a user deleted their Snapchat account, it’ll be first deactivated for 30 days.

During that 30-day period, they won’t able to receive snaps or messages from you.

Hence, if you send them a snap or a message, the status will be shown as “Pending”.

If the user deleted their account, sending them a snap or a message will not be shown as received or read.

Instead, the status of the snap or message that you sent will be Pending.

Does pending on Snapchat mean they blocked you?

Pending on Snapchat does not always mean that the user has blocked you.

The most common reason why the status is shown as pending is that the user didn’t add you back on Snapchat.

If the snap or message that you sent is pending, there can be other reasons for it.

It could be because they have removed you as a friend or that they didn’t add you back in the first place.

Another reason why the status is pending is that the user has either blocked you or deleted their Snapchat account.

How long will a Snapchat stay pending?

A Snapchat will say Pending forever unless the user added you back as a friend.

If the user blocked you, they need to unblock you for the Pending status to change.

If you send a snap or a message to someone who didn’t add you on Snapchat, it will be Pending.

When you’re blocked, the user needs to unblock you in order for the Pending status to go away.

Conclusion

Statuses on Snapchat can be quite confusing.

In a nutshell, there are three statuses on Snapchat—Pending, Received, and Opened.

Pending typically means that the person hasn’t added you back on Snapchat.

Received means that the person saw your message, while opened means that they opened your snap.

Do keep these in mind whenever you’re snap-chatting someone in the future.

Further Reading

Does Snapchat Notify When You Look at Someone’s Location?

How to Unfollow Someone on Instagram Without Them Knowing

What Is The “User not found” Error on Instagram?

Tags

About the author

Lim How Wei

Lim How Wei is the founder of followchain.org, with 8+ years of experience in Social Media Marketing and 4+ years of experience as an active investor in stocks and cryptocurrencies. He has researched, tested, and written thousands of articles ranging from social media platforms to messaging apps.

Lim has been quoted and referenced by major publications and media companies like WikiHow, Fast Company, HuffPost, Vice, New York Post, The Conversation, and many others. One of his articles about the gig economy was quoted by Joe Rogan who hosts The Joe Rogan Experience (arguably the most popular podcast in the world), in the This Past Weekend podcast by Theo Von.

In his free time, Lim plays multiple games like Genshin Impact, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Hearthstone, RuneScape, and many others. He creates guides, walkthroughs, solutions, and more on games that he plays to help other players with their progression.