On Kik you have a code scanner, and other Kik users can scan that and add you (similar to Snapchat). You can search for your friends name only if you connected your contacts to Kik, and the names have to be whatever is put into your contacts for them.

Who is lurking Kik?

With the talkers and activity commands, you can easily figure out whos lurking (someone who reads the chat but fails to contribute) in your group by viewing and comparing a users time on the two lists.

Can I be anonymous on Snapchat?

The app allows users to answer questions posted to Snapchat stories anonymously. The messages or replies are completely anonymous. To protect identity, the sender is identified as “Someone” when the message shows up on the Snapchat users phone.