Maintaining your streak on Snapchat isn’t as easy as you may think. Following these Snapchat streak rules can help keep that special connection open.

If you haven’t heard of Snapchat, you’re way behind on the times. This app is one of the most popular ones out there – and for good reason, too. You can connect with a large number of people in a more intimate way than just sending a message. But if you want to maintain that connection, you’ll have to follow a few Snapchat streak rules.

Why couples love Snapchat so much

I’ll be the first to admit that Snapchat has changed the dating game. Before snapping a cute picture of yourself to a potential lover, we really only had messages to flirt through. Being able to send a quick picture with a fun facial expression makes flirting so much easier.

And if also feels as though you’re more connected – even when you’re far apart. That’s why couples love it so much. You can be away from each other and still feel that bond. [Read: Sexy and sweet snapchat ideas to improve your relationship]

Snapchat streak rules that’ll help keep the spark alive

The best thing about Snapchat right now is the streak feature. After 3 days, you get a little fire emoji next to the name of a person you’ve sent a picture to for 3 days consecutively. This number will grow with each day you send a message.

Not only is this a fun little incentive to keep in touch with others, it’s cool to see how long you’ve been in daily contact with them. But if you want to make that number grow, you have to follow certain Snapchat streak rules. [Read: 30 naughty questions to keep the spark alive]

Why you want to keep your snapchat connection alive

Some may think that having that snapchat connection open doesn’t mean anything. But believe me, it does. Here’s why you might want to grow your streak every day.

#1 It helps you gauge someone’s interest. If someone is snapping you all day, then they must like you. They wouldn’t go out of their way to make sure you get attention if they don’t really care about you.

Sure, they may like having a streak, but more than likely, they just like seeing your face on their screen. It’s great for figuring out how much someone actually cares about you. The more they snap you, the more they must like you. [Read: 25 surefire signs that tell you if a guy likes you]

#2 It shows you how often you talk to someone. It’s really hard to keep up with friendships nowadays. You can spend days binging Netflix and not even realize you haven’t talked to one of your best friends.

That’s why snapchat streaks are great. You can actually see if you’ve reached out to someone that very day. If you didn’t, your streak will disappear.

#3 It encourages you to reach out to people. This is especially true if you’re someone who likes having your snap streak go up every day. It’s an incentive to keep the connection open and therefore, you’ll reach out to more people.

This is great for growing better friendships. The more you talk to people, the closer you become. And having many close friends will only enrich your life more. [Read: 15 reasons your ex still texts you and stays in touch]

#4 It shows a level of commitment. Maintaining that streak is NOT easy. With all the snapchat streak rules you have to follow in order to keep it, only those fully committed can actually do that. And having commitments in life is a great thing.

You can also tell just how committed to you someone is. If they’re keeping your snapchat streak going for a very long time, it’s clear they’re definitely into you.

#5 It’s just fun to compare numbers with others. Having a snapchat streak that’s ridiculously high is fun. You can compare your number with others just to see the difference. Your connection with someone is stronger than theirs if you have a higher streak. Knowing that can give you a little confidence boost, too.

Snapchat streak rules you must follow to maintain that connection

If you’re looking to date someone and build a stronger connection with them, following certain Snapchat streak rules is the way to go. Here’s what you should be doing if you want to maintain your connection without looking too desperate. [Read: How to be careful when sending dirty snapchats]

#1 Snap them each morning. Make this a routine. You can’t really expect to keep your snapchat streak if you don’t have a set time to actually send one. Doing this right in the morning is best because everyone loves that, “good morning,” snap.

Show them your fresh face right away and you won’t have to worry about snapping them for the rest of the day. You can either do it in the morning or at night. So long as you remember to do it at the same time, you’re good. [Read: How to decode snaps and texts from the guy you like]

#2 Snap them if you notice the timer emoji next to their name. If you’ve forgotten to text them in the morning, you’ll likely get a timer emoji next to their name. This shows that you only have a short amount of time to snap them if you want your streak to stay alive.

The second you see this, send them a fun snap. If you’re lucky, they’ll snap you back right away and your streak will remain intact.

#3 Don’t send too many unanswered snaps just to keep it alive. If the timer has been there for a while and you’ve already sent a couple snaps without receiving one back, just stop. Clearly, that person either can’t snap you back at that time or doesn’t want to.

Either way, you can’t keep sending snaps. This will get annoying and it’ll make the other person NOT want to snap you back. They won’t want to deal with the annoyance. [Read: 13 annoying boyfriend traits and how to avoid them]

#4 Make your snap worthwhile so they’ll respond. Don’t just send random pictures with the caption, “for the streak.” It seems like a popular thing to do but it’s kind of useless. People don’t want you to snap them JUST for the streak.

Send them a genuine snap checking in on their day. If you send them great snaps that prompt them to answer a question, you’re more likely to keep your streak alive.

#5 Don’t JUST snap them to keep the streak alive. A true, valuable streak is one that is kept because two people enjoy talking with one another, not because they just want to see the number get higher. So quit paying attention to that snap streak and start paying attention to what that person is actually sending you. Keep the real connection alive with great conversation and fun pictures.

Maintaining your streak on Snapchat can be a lot more challenging than you think. But if you follow these Snapchat streak rules, you’ll see higher numbers than you could’ve imagined.