Snapchat is weirdly obsessed with making us feel like the center of the universe. Or, at the very least, making us feel like we’re orbiting someone else’s life. If you’ve ever tapped on a "Best Friends" badge and seen a tiny, cartoonish Goldilocks planet or a ringed gas giant, you’ve encountered the snap best friends list planet system. It’s part of Snapchat+, the paid tier that basically gamifies your social hierarchy.
Honestly, it’s a lot to take in. People get genuinely stressed about whether they are Mercury or Mars in their crush’s orbit. It’s digital astrology, but with higher stakes for your ego.
What Are These Planets Anyway?
Basically, the system assigns a planet to your position on someone’s Best Friends list. It’s a literal solar system. The person whose profile you are viewing is the Sun. You are one of the eight planets orbiting them. If you’re their #1 best friend, you’re Mercury—the closest one. If you’re #8, you’re Neptune. It’s a visual shorthand for how much you talk to each other compared to everyone else.
Snapchat didn't just pick these randomly. They followed the actual order of our solar system. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. No Pluto, sorry.
But here’s the kicker: the system is private. You can only see your position in their solar system. You can’t see who their other seven planets are. This creates a weirdly specific type of digital anxiety. You know you’re the Earth (third closest), but you have no idea who is Mercury or Venus. It’s a recipe for overthinking.
Decoding the Visuals: Which Planet Are You?
Snapchat doesn't explicitly label the planets with text when you see them. You have to recognize them by their appearance. This is where people usually get confused, especially between the reddish ones or the ones with rings.
Mercury is a pinkish-red planet with five little red hearts floating around it. It means you’re their absolute #1. You snap this person more than anyone else snaps them, and they snap you back just as much. It’s the top spot.
Venus is beige or light yellow with blue, yellow, and pink hearts. It’s the second spot. Still prestigious, but you’re the runner-up.
Earth is the easiest to spot. It’s green and blue with a moon and some stars. You’re third. It’s solid. You’re definitely in the "inner circle," but maybe you aren't the person they go to for every single mundane update.
Mars is red. Just red. It has little purple and yellow hearts. Being Mars means you’re fourth. You’re still a "Best Friend," but the frequency of your interactions is starting to dip compared to the top three.
Jupiter is the big one. It’s orange with dark orange stripes. No hearts here. Just stars. Fifth place.
Saturn is orange too, but it has a ring. This is the one people often mistake for Jupiter because of the color, but the ring is the giveaway. You’re sixth.
Uranus is green. It looks a bit like a radioactive marble. Seventh place.
Neptune is blue and lonely. It’s the eighth spot. You’re technically on the list, but you’re right on the edge of falling off into the deep space of "regular" friends.
Why Does the Snap Best Friends List Planet Matter?
It shouldn’t. Truly. But in the world of modern digital communication, it’s a metric of intimacy.
Snapchat introduced this as a perk for Snapchat+ subscribers. Before this, the "Best Friends" list was mostly about emojis. You’d see a yellow heart, a red heart, or those super-rare pink hearts if you stayed #1 for two months. The planet system adds a layer of granularity. It tells you exactly where you stand in the top eight.
For some, it's a badge of honor. For others, it’s a source of massive drama. Imagine seeing you’re "Earth" in your boyfriend’s solar system. Immediately, the question becomes: "Who are Mercury and Venus?"
It’s worth noting that the algorithm isn't just about how many snaps you send. It’s a weighted average of your two-way communication. If you spam someone but they never reply, you aren't going to be their Mercury. It requires a reciprocal flow of data. Photos, videos, and even chats play a role, though snaps carry the most weight.
The Controversy and "Privacy" Settings
Snapchat actually caught a lot of flak for this. The "Friend Solar System" feature was criticized for being "cruel" or "anxiety-inducing," particularly for younger users. In early 2024, Snap actually decided to turn the feature off by default.
You now have to actively opt-in to see your solar system position. They realized that for a lot of people, knowing they were someone’s 7th best friend—while that person was their 1st—was a bit of a gut punch.
If you have Snapchat+ and you can’t see the planets, that’s why. You have to go into your settings and toggle the "Solar System" feature on. Even then, you’ll only see your position on someone else’s profile if they also have their friendship settings configured to allow it. It’s a bit of a "don't ask, don't tell" situation now.
How the Algorithm Actually Ranks You
The snap best friends list planet isn't updated in real-time. If you send ten snaps right now, you won't instantly jump from Saturn to Mars. The algorithm usually refreshes once a day, sometimes less frequently depending on server load.
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A common misconception is that "Streaks" determine planet rank. They don't. You can have a 500-day streak with someone and be their Neptune if you only send one snap a day, while they send 50 snaps a day to someone else they don't have a streak with at all. Volume and frequency over the last few weeks are what drive the ranking.
If you’re trying to climb the planetary ladder, it’s about consistency. Group chats don't count toward individual solar system rankings. It has to be direct, one-on-one interaction.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the Solar System
If the planet system is stressing you out or if you’re just trying to figure out how to use it better, here is the move.
First, check your subscription. You cannot see your planet status without Snapchat+. It’s a paid feature. Period. If you aren't seeing it, check if your subscription lapsed or if you’ve disabled the feature in the "Snapchat+ Management" menu.
Second, understand the visual cues. Don't go starting a fight because you thought you were Mars (4th) when you were actually Mercury (1st). Look for the hearts. The top four planets (Mercury through Mars) have hearts orbiting them. The outer four (Jupiter through Neptune) only have stars. If you see hearts, you're in the top half of their inner circle.
Third, manage your expectations. People use Snapchat differently. Some use it as their primary texting app; others only use it for filters. If you’re Neptune in someone's orbit, it might not mean they don't like you—it might just mean they have a group of five friends they send "Good Morning" streaks to every single day.
Finally, remember that you can hide this. If the solar system makes you feel insecure about your friendships, go to your profile, tap the Snapchat+ banner, and turn off "Solar System." You’ll still get your other features like custom app icons or ghost trails, but you won't have to deal with the cosmic hierarchy of your social life.
The reality of the snap best friends list planet system is that it’s a data visualization of your habits. It’s not a definitive statement on the value of your soul. Use it for what it is: a fun, slightly addictive way to see who you talk to the most. Just don't let it ruin your weekend if you find out you’re Uranus.