What Does ASL Mean? Snapchat, Texting, and More

Co-authored by Imad Jbara and Eric McClure

Last Updated: April 7, 2022 References

Did someone just randomly message you “ASL?” Are you trying to figure out what your friend means when they tell you that you’re “wild asl”? We’re here to break down what this abbreviation might mean on Snapchat. We’ll also cover the way it’s used on Omegle, over text, and on any other social media you might be using. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this unique and versatile acronym.

Section 1 of 8:

What does ASL mean on Snapchat?

1
"ASL" means “age, sex, location” as a standalone question. If someone just says “ASL?” and you don’t know who they are, they’re asking for your age, sex, and location. By location, they mean geographic location—not where you are in your home, school, or workplace. Don’t give your address or specific location.
- Them: “ASL?”
- You: “19, Male, France”
- ASL is often abbreviated as “A/S/L” or “A, S, L” (and occasionally just “asl”). These mean the same thing.
- This usage of ASL is usually capitalized, but some people will just keep it lowercase.
2
"Asl" means "as hell" if it’s a friend messaging you or it’s used in a sentence. Asl is a contraction of “as hell,” and it can be used to emphasize something the same way you might say “like crazy,” or, “seriously.” For example, if someone says “I’m tired asl,” it would just mean “I’m tired as hell,” which would just mean, “I’m really tired.” Someone might say:
- “Did you see the new kid at school? They’re cute asl.”
- “People think I’m joking, but I’m serious asl.”
- If you really can’t tell which version someone is using, you can replace the “asl” in their sentence with “as hell.” If it still makes sense, they’re using it as a contraction.
- This version of “asl” is almost never capitalized.

Section 2 of 8:

What does ASL mean on Omegle?

”Age, sex, location” is the most common usage of "ASL" on Omegle. This video chat service connects you with strangers all over the globe, and people often start conversations with “ASL?” to get your basic info up front. They may not want to speak to someone of another gender, or they may be trying to avoid talking to someone who doesn’t speak their language.^{[1]
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- Them: “A/S/L?”
- You: “Hey! 18, Girl, Canada”

Section 3 of 8:

What does asl mean on social media or over text?

On social media or over text, “as hell” is the most prevalent usage of "asl." People don’t typically ask for your age, sex, and location on social media since they can just click on your profile and get that info. If someone uses “asl” in a text convo with you or on Instagram, it’s a contraction for, “as hell.”^{[2]
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- “I’m tired asl, I don’t think I’m coming out tonight.”
- “This sounds fun asl! We gotta take a road trip together soon.”

Section 4 of 8:

How do you use ASL on Snapchat?

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Use ASL to get someone's basic demographics. If someone you don’t recognize sends you a message on Snapchat, you could send them “ASL?” to ask them to identify themselves. You might send this if you’d be potentially interested in chatting with someone so long as they’re a certain age or gender, or if you only want to meet people near you.
- If you’re messaging someone you don’t know, you might just message them, “ASL?” They’d reply with something like “22, F, California. U?”
- The implication with “ASL?” is that you’re open to chatting with strangers. If you want to know who someone actually is or how they found you, message them “Do I know you?” or “Who are you?” instead.
2
Use asl to emphasize a feeling. If you want to use the “as hell” version of asl, drop it in a sentence the same place you’d normally say “like crazy” or “by a lot.” This is a casual way of highlighting the way you feel about something. For example:
- “Can we go get Mexican food? I’m hungry asl.”
- “I’m happy asl that you agreed to go on a date w me 😊”
- “I’m so heated rn. I’m sitting in math and James is being annoying asl.”
- “You trying to go out tonight? I’m bored asl just sitting at home.”

Section 5 of 8:

How do you respond to ASL on Snapchat?

1
List your age, sex, and location in that order. ASL is sort of like three individual questions, and most people just respond to asl by listing each of the answers in a row. You don’t need to put them into a complete sentence or anything; this way, the person asking can know right away if the two of you are a good match to chat.
- Them: “ASL?”
- You: “25, Girl, Ohio”
- People usually don’t list the city they live in for the “location” part unless it’s a major city.
2
If you aren’t comfortable with it, don’t share your ASL. If you don’t know who you’re talking to or you don’t want to share any information with a stranger, don’t. It’s possible that the person messaging you is just someone your age looking for someone to talk to, but it’s also possible that it’s just some creep. If you don’t want to engage, don’t.
- If someone messages you “ASL?” you can say, “Who are you?” “Sorry, I don’t give that information out,” or, “Uhh, do I know you?”
- If you don’t want strangers to message you on Snapchat, go into your mobile number and email settings, and disable the “let others find me” option so that random people can’t message you. Then, scroll down to “contact me” and change it to “my friends.”

Section 6 of 8:

How do you respond to ASL on Omegle?

Provide your age, sex, and location in the chat. Simply list how old you are, your gender, and where you live. If you want to know about them, you can ask the same thing back. Don’t worry about using complete sentences or anything—just list your info.
- Them: “ASL?”
- You: “26, Male, Wisconsin. You?”

Section 7 of 8:

Alternative Definitions of ASL Online

ASL might be short for American Sign Language. This isn’t going to be a super common usage over text, on Snapchat, or on social media, but ASL could be short for “American Sign Language.” ASL is a gesture-based language used by people are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate.^{[3]
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Research source} Someone might say:
- “Do you know ASL?”
- “I’m trying to learn ASL so that I can talk to my deaf nephew.”

Section 8 of 8:

Staying Safe Online

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Be wary of sharing info with older users if you’re under 18. There are no age restrictions on Snapchat and Omegle, and there are bad people out there who ask “ASL?” at the start of conversations with strangers to look specifically for younger people. If a stranger messages you “ASL?” and you’re uncomfortable, don’t respond.^{[4]
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- Omegle in particular is probably not appropriate for younger users. If you’re a parent, you may be better off blocking the site in your home. There tends to be a lot of sexual content on the platform.^{[5]
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Don’t share specific personal information. The other concern with “ASL?” is that it could be a scammer looking for victims. There’s nothing especially dangerous about giving someone your age, gender, and general location (like your state or country), but if someone goes fishing for more specific info beyond that, don’t give it out.^{[6]
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- Keep it vague whenever someone asks for your location. It’s okay to say if you live in Michigan for example, but don’t give someone the street you live on or your actual address.
- Never share passwords, phone numbers, or other personal data online.