The customizable scannable codes Snapchat users can use to add friends are called Snapcodes.
A Snapcode is Snapchat’s proprietary two-dimensional barcode. Users can scan one with Snapchat’s camera to open a profile and add that person, avoiding the need to type a username. Snapchat also expanded Snapcodes beyond friend-adding: they can link to websites, unlock lenses, and direct users to other in-app content.
Snapcodes resemble QR codes, but they are not simply generic QR codes in their original form. Their familiar yellow design, black dot pattern, and central Snapchat ghost made them recognizable as Snapchat’s own system. Users could customize parts of a personal Snapcode, including its central image.
Snapcodes debuted on January 27, 2015, alongside Snapchat’s Discover content hub. The technology came from Scan, Inc., a QR-focused startup that Snapchat acquired in late 2014. Later versions incorporated more conventional QR-code styling and Bitmoji imagery, but “Snapcode” remains the canonical name.