The Hourglass Last on Snapchat – The Snapchat Hourglass: What It Means and How Long It Lasts
The Snapchat hourglass can be a small but mighty source of anxiety for some users. You’ve crafted the perfect 10-second Snap combining emojis, captions, Bitmojis, and more.
You click send and…the hourglass pops up and gets stuck. And stuck. And stuck some more, well past the 10 allotted seconds.
What does this confusing little hourglass symbol mean, why won’t it go away, and how long should it reasonably last before you get worried?
The Hourglass Last on Snapchat
This ultimate guide breaks down everything you need to know about the Snapchat hourglass from what causes it to appear to how long before it disappears.
What Does the Snapchat Hourglass Mean?
The Snapchat hourglass is an uploading indicator that pops up after you send or attempt to send a Snap. It signifies that your Snap or Snapchat video is still in the process of getting transferred from your device to Snapchat’s servers.
Once your Snap is fully uploaded on Snapchat’s end, the hourglass disappears and the app registers your Snap as successfully delivered to the recipient.
Essentially, the hourglass waits for your Snap’s content—whether a photo, video, caption, or other—to complete uploading before sending it off.
It’s the interim period between hitting send on your end and the recipient opening that familiar Snapchat notification on their device.
Why Does an Hourglass Appear on Snapchat?
The main reason you see a Snapchat hourglass is that you’ve sent a Snap, particularly one with a photo or video.
The hourglass icon pops up after you tap the send arrow as a visual indicator that your Snap is making its journey through cyberspace en route to your desired viewer.
Anytime you attach a photo, video, or other large file to your Snap, the app needs extra time to fully upload that hefty content before it can deliver your message.
The hourglass simply means the uploading and sending process is still in progress. Once the upload completes and Snapchat transfers the file from their servers to the recipient, the hourglass disappears.
When Should the Snapchat Hourglass Disappear?
Ideally, the Snapchat hourglass should only hang around for a few quick seconds—maybe 5 seconds tops in optimal conditions.
At most, 10 seconds is still within the typical range for the hourglass to send a photo or brief video Snap before giving way to an opened/unopened notification.
If the hourglass overstays its welcome for longer than 10 seconds or so, there’s likely a technical issue bogging things down.
Why Does My Hourglass Stay for So Long?
Several key culprits might cause your Snapchat hourglass to linger longer than the typical 5 to 10 seconds:
Poor Internet Connection
A lagging WiFi signal or glacial 3G/4G LTE speeds can absolutely decelerate your hourglass. Snapchat needs to fully upload your photo or video content before it can send your Snap.
Sluggish internet PROVIDES less available bandwidth for Snapchat to transfer data swiftly.
Switching from WiFi to cellular data or vice versa may help give your hourglass a kickstart if connectivity is the issue.
Large Snap File Size
High-resolution images and lengthy video files understandably take longer to upload than a basic selfie.
The bigger the file size you’re SNAPchatting, the harder Snapchat‘s servers have to work to upload and then transmit that data packet ahead to its destination.
While megapixel-heavy cameras provide stellar visual quality, all those extra pixels add to upload times. Downsizing your video and photo quality settings can help shrink file sizes.
Server or App Issues
Like any technology platform, Snapchat’s systems are vulnerable to occasional hiccups. High traffic volumes can impact server performance. Infrequent app glitches may also interfere with the sending process and backup wait times.
If your hourglass sticks around longer than usual, check Snapchat’s Server Status page or App status page. Outages could confirm if external problems are contributing rather than device-specific issues.
How Long is Too Long for an Hourglass?
As a general rule of thumb, any Snapchat hourglass enduring longer than 10 seconds warrants attention—especially if high hourglasses are a recurring phenomenon rather than a random one-off.
While the hourglass can understandably take a few seconds longer during peak times of high traffic or massive data demands, consistent extra-long upload delays suggest room for improvement.
Here’s a breakdown of troubling hourglass timelines:
10-20 Seconds: Keep an eye out to see if it’s a one-time blip or pattern.
20-30 Seconds: Try restarting your phone or toggling WiFi/cellular data to jog things loose.
30+ Seconds: This likely points to a device-specific or account issue hampering uploads.
1+ Minute: Don’t panic yet, but reboot the app and your phone to troubleshoot.
5+ Minutes: Consult Snapchat Support if the hourglass won’t disappear no matter what.
How to Speed Up a Slow Snapchat Hourglass
If you notice your Snapchat hourglass lagging longer than 10 seconds, a few basic troubleshooting techniques may help cut down upload times:
⛸️ Toggle Between Cellular Data and WiFi
If WiFi is struggling, switch to cellular data or vice versa to check if speeds improve.
📶 Change Locations
In some areas, certain carriers or public WiFi networks deliver worse performance. Try sending Snaps from elsewhere.
🔁 Hard Reset Your Phone
Forced restarts refresh systems and clear out temporary memory glitches.
🔃 Force Quit and Relaunch Snapchat App
Closing background processes provides apps with a clean slate. Make Snapchat your sole running app.
🗑️ Delete Old Conversations + Media
An overloaded cache bogs things down. Do occasional spring cleaning of stale Snaps.
👍 Clear Browser Cookies and Caching
residual junk data in your phone browser can slow things down unexpectedly.
😴 Restart Your Router
If everyone’s devices at home are lagging, cycling your router resets connectivity.
⛓️ Disable VPN App
Encrypted connections add extra data transfer time. Disable VPN temporarily as needed.
When to Contact Snapchat Support
If you diligently troubleshoot and optimize your device yet STILL encounter hourglasses exceeding 30 seconds, contacting Snapchat Support is the next logical step before frustration sets in.
Explain the extended hourly glass delays through the in-app Support contact form. Detail what phone model, operating system, and app version you have installed along with what troubleshooting steps you’ve tried.
Support can investigate whether an account-specific configuration issue or device compatibility problem might be responsible for stubborn hourglasses compared to the general user base.
FAQ
Q. How long should the Snapchat hourglass last?
At maximum, the Snapchat hourglass should disappear within 5 to 10 seconds. Anything longer often indicates an upload delay.
Q. Why is my Snapchat hourglass taking so long to go away?
Slow internet connections, congested cellular networks, large file sizes sent, and performance issues on Snapchat’s servers are common reasons for extra-long hourglasses.
Q. Is my phone broken if the hourglass stays forever?
Not necessarily! An enduring hourglass doesn’t automatically signal a faulty device. More likely, connection problems or isolated account issues are slowing things down. Still, contact Support if persisting over 30+ seconds though.
Q. Should I keep retrying or sending the same Snap repeatedly?
No need to panic or spam friends if your Snap seems stuck! Retry once or twice then give the app a break rather than send duplicates. The original likely got buffered and will still deliver eventually.
Q. How do I stop Snapchat hourglasses from taking so long all the time?
Beyond closing background apps and resetting devices/networks, optimizing connectivity for speed, reducing Snap file sizes when possible, and keeping the app pared down through deleting old Snaps helps minimize hourglass delays.
Conclusion
Don’t let the Snapchat hourglass stress you out! Hourglasses lasting up to 10 seconds are perfectly normal and signal your Snap is still mid-upload.
Consistent hourglasses past 10 seconds indicate room for troubleshooting whether via improving connectivity, reducing Snap data demands, or consulting Support if device-specific issues are responsible.
With a few tweaks and app updates, lingering Snapchat hourglasses usually give way once again to lightning-fast fun.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information and should not be taken as legal, financial, or other professional advice.
The content herein is provided for informational purposes only and is not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. Please seek professional assistance from a qualified advisor before making decisions regarding the subject matter in this article.
The creator of this content is not liable for any damages arising from actions based on the content contained herein.
