What Do the Eyes Mean on Your Snapchat Story?

Have you ever posted a story on Snapchat and noticed a little emoji that looks like a pair of eyes (👀) next to it? If so, you may be wondering—what do those eyes actually mean? This article will explain everything you need to know about the eyes on your Snapchat story and what they indicate.

A Deep Dive into Snapchat Stories

Before we get into the eyes emoji specifically, let‘s take a broader look at Snapchat stories.

Snapchat stories allow users to share photos and videos that appear in a slideshow format and remain viewable for 24 hours. You can string multiple snaps together to create a narrative of your day.

Since Snapchat stories launched in 2013, they have become increasingly popular. One of Snapchat‘s key differentiators from competitors is that stories disappear after 24 hours rather than remaining visible permanently.

This creates a sense of urgency and FOMO—fear of missing out—for viewers. There‘s even a dedicated stories feed on Snapchat showcasing content from users, publishers, influencers, and community stories.

In fact, Snapchat now has over 332 million daily active users, many of whom use stories as their primary way to interact with the app.

Brands have capitalized on this engagement by using stories for ads and original content. According to Snapchat, over 90 million users watch a Snapchat story every day.

With the rise of ephemeral social media content that expires, Snapchat stories paved the way for copycats like Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories. But Snapchat remains the OG platform for short-form vertical video storytelling.

Now let‘s get into the meaning behind those eyes that appear next to your Snapchat story.

What Does the Eyes Emoji Next to Your Snapchat Story Mean?

The eyes emoji that sometimes appears next to your Snapchat story indicates how many people have rewatched your story.

So if you see "👀10" for example, it means 10 people have viewed your story more than once. They went back and rewatched it after seeing it initially.

This Story Rewatch Count feature is included with a Snapchat Plus subscription. It provides insight into who is engaging repeatedly with your stories.

Here are some key things to understand about Snapchat story rewatches:

It only shows the total number of rewatches, not who specifically rewatched.
It does not count multiple rewatches from the same person. If your best friend views your story 10 times, it would count as 1 view.
The count updates in real-time as people are rewatching your story throughout the day.
Stories can only be rewatched while they are still live for 24 hours. Once a story expires, rewatches stop being counted.
You need an active Snapchat Plus subscription to see the Story Rewatch Count feature and eyes emoji.

Why Do People Rewatch Snapchat Stories?

There are a few key reasons why someone might rewatch a Snapchat story multiple times:

They really enjoyed it – If your story made someone laugh or featured something really interesting, they may want to re-experience that reaction and watch it again. An engaging story can compel multiple views.

To show a friend – Snapchat is often used collaboratively. Someone may want to show your hilarious story to a friend sitting next to them who hasn‘t seen it yet.

They noticed something new – Rewatching can allow people to pick up on details they missed the first time around. E.g. a funny facial expression in the background.

It‘s highly relevant – If your story relates to an inside joke or upcoming event, friends may rewatch to analyze it in more detail.

To replay a good song/audio – The music and sounds you include in stories may compel friends to replay just to hear a certain part again.

To screenshot a frame – Rewatching gives another chance to screenshot a certain photo or video frame that they want to save.

As you can see, story rewatches signal engagement and interest. Think of it as the Snapchat version of a Facebook News Feed reshare or retweet.

Next let‘s look at how to access the Story Rewatch Count feature.

How to Turn On Snapchat Story Rewatch Count

Seeing the eyes on your stories and the rewatch count requires having an active Snapchat Plus subscription.

Snapchat Plus is a paid subscription service that launched in 2025 and gives users access to exclusive features. This includes:

Story Rewatch Count
Seeing who rewatched your stories
Custom Snapchat icons
Custom camera color borders
Removing ads
Location tagging for memories

Snapchat Plus costs $3.99 per month in the United States. However, you can test it out with a free 7-day trial on sign up before paying.

Here are the steps to turn on Story Rewatch Count with a Snapchat Plus subscription:

Open your Snapchat app and tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
Tap the Snapchat Plus membership card.
Under “Additional Features”, toggle on the "Story Rewatch Count" setting.

And that‘s it! The eyes emoji will now appear next to your stories along with a counter of how many times it‘s been rewatched.

Remember you can cancel your subscription at any time, including during the free trial. Just head to your account settings.

Now let‘s go over some best practices for making use of this feature.

How to Use Snapchat Story Rewatch Count Wisely

Having the ability to see who‘s rewatching your Snapchat stories can be helpful, but also has some downsides to be aware of.

Here are some tips for using Story Rewatch Count wisely:

Don‘t obsess over the number. Don‘t take it as a sign your story is boring if the rewatch count is low. Many factors are at play.
Focus on creating fun content. Good content that resonates tends to get more engagement. But make stories for yourself, not just for vanity metrics.
Remember it‘s not exact. The count can fluctuate and may not reflect every single rewatch. Take it as a general gauge, not a 100% accurate report.
Avoid oversharing to boost views. Don‘t post excessive stories just to increase views. This can actually decrease engagement long-term.
Don‘t call out friends for not rewatching. The feature is meant to be private. You don‘t know their reasoning.
Consider turning it off sometimes. You can toggle the setting on and off. Giving yourself a break can be healthy.

The best mindset is focusing on Snapchat as a fun way to share authentic moments with your friends, not obsess over vanity metrics and comparisons. But used properly, Story Rewatch Count can provide some interesting insight.

Snapchat Stories vs. Instagram Stories, TikTok, and Facebook

Snapchat stories pioneered the modern concept of ephemeral photo and video sharing. But in recent years, other social platforms have introduced their own versions of stories as well.

Here‘s a quick comparison of Snapchat stories and similar features on other top social platforms:

Instagram Stories – Launched in 2016, nearly identical format and features. But permanent unless actively deleted.
Facebook Stories – Adopted the stories format across Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. More limited functionality.
TikTok – Popular short-form vertical videos. But focused onstandalone viral content rather than stories.
YouTube Shorts – YouTube‘s TikTok competitor with short videos under 60 seconds. Can string multiple shorts together as "chapters".

Snapchat stories remain popular due to their simplicity and ephemerality. But now users have more options than ever for short-form video.

While Snapchat gives you the Story Rewatch Count metric for basic analytics, social media analytics platforms can provide much deeper insight into your story performance.

Some analytics tools compatible with Snapchat include:

Iconosquare – Tracks Snapchat analytics including views, engagement, best times to post, and more.
SocialRank – Provides audience analysis and helps identify your most engaged followers.
Snaplytics – Tracks opens, views, screenshots, and traffic sources for your Snaps.
Sendible – Social media analytics with engagement metrics for Snapchat and other platforms.

These tools can help you identify high-performing content types, optimize your story posting schedule, gain followers, and more.

The eyes emoji gives you a simple snapshot. But analytics platforms offer the full picture.

Frequently Asked Questions About Snapchat Stories

How long do Snapchat stories last?

Snapchat stories disappear after 24 hours. You can post to your story throughout the day, and each snap will eventually expire on its own 24 hour timeline. Once expired, snaps can no longer be viewed.

Can you recover expired Snapchat stories?

Unfortunately no, there is no way to recover expired Snapchat stories. The ephemeral nature of stories is what makes the content exciting and in-the-moment. However, users can save individual snaps before they disappear using tools like screenshotting.

How do I use multiple photos/videos in one Snapchat story?

To add multiple snaps to your story in a sequence, tap the “+” icon after taking or uploading your first snap. This will allow you to add more snaps which will be strung together into one longer story.

Can I choose who sees my Snapchat story?

Yes! Click the gear icon when posting a story and choose either to share your story publicly with all friends or limit it to a customized friend list. You can always change the audience later.

How do I find my favorite Snapchat stories easily?

Press down on a friend‘s name in your Snapchat feed. Choose "Favorite" to prioritize their stories and watch their snaps first.

The Takeaway: Those Eyes Mean Your Story‘s Getting Love

Hopefully this guide gave you clarity on what the eyes emoji next to your Snapchat stories is all about. To recap:

The eyes 👀 show how many times your story has been rewatched.
You‘ll need an active Snapchat Plus subscription to see Story Rewatch Counts.
It can provide interesting insight into who‘s engaging with your stories repeatedly.
But don‘t forget to focus on sharing fun, authentic moments.
Social media analytics tools can also help dig deeper into your story metrics.

So next time you spot the eyes next to your story, remember it means your snaps are getting some love! Snapchat on.