Snapchat Planets Order and Meaning Explained (2025)

In today’s GenZ community, Snapchat is extremely popular, and a recent feature called Snapchat planets order is a fun way to classify your closest friends. According to the official data, this Snapchat feature is used by less than 0.25% of the community. [1]

Have you ever seen a friend’s profile on Snapchat and noticed a badge with planets orbiting the sun, wondering what they are for?

Snapchat+ members can use this feature, which sorts their best friends by engagement, starting with Mercury and ending with Neptune. This feature is also known as the Snapchat Friend Solar System.

In this article, we will discuss the meaning of Snapchat planets, their order, and meaning, and how we can use this feature to showcase our friendship on our profile. 

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Table of Contents

• What Are Snapchat Planets: Order and Meanings
• How Do Snapchat Friend’s Solar Systems Work?
  • 1. Mercury: #1 best friend on Snapchat 
  • 2. Venus: Your second-closest friend.
  • 3. Earth: Your third-closest friend
  • 4. Mars: Your fourth-closest friend
  • 5. Jupiter: Your fifth-closest friend
  • 6. Saturn: Your sixth-closest friend
  • 7. Uranus: Your seventh-closest friend
  • 8. Neptune: Your eighth-closest friend
  • Summary: (Order Of Snapchat Planets and Meaning)
• What is Snapchat and Snapchat Plus?
• How To See Your Snapchat Planet’s Solar System?
• How To Buy Snapchat Plus Subscription?
• Snapchat+ Plans and Pricing:
• How to Enable/Disable Snapchat Planets
  • Steps to Enable Snapchat Planets
  • Steps to Disable Snapchat Planets
  • Important Notes
• How To Improve Your Snapchat Planets Rankings
  • 1. Boost Interaction
  • 2. Avoid Overreliance
• FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions
  • How do I check my planet in a friend’s Solar System?
  • Is Snapchat Planets available worldwide?
  • Can two friends have Mercury in each other’s systems?
  • Do deleted friends affect planet rankings?
• The Bottom Line

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1. 💬 Updated Jan 27, 2025: Added new Snapchat+pricing, pros and cons and FAQ’s etc. Fixed grammar issues and formatting.
2. 💬 Published Jan 27, 2025: Research is done for the article (source), and created the first draft and published after proofreading.

Let’s get straight into it. 👇

What Are Snapchat Planets: Order and Meanings

Snapchat Planets is a dynamic ranking system for a user’s top eight friends, determined by interaction frequency like snaps, chats, and story views.

Snapchat recently added a feature called Friend Solar System, also known as Snapchat Solar Planets. Just like our solar system, where the sun is at the center and the planets move around it all the time.

The idea behind this feature is that you are the center of the Snapchat Solar planets. Your closest friends are those who share the longest chat, interaction, and other activity streak with you.

SIDENOTE: Note that this feature is exclusive to Snapchat+ subscribers and must be manually enabled via Profile → Snapchat+ → Toggle Solar System

In this system:

• Sun represents you.
• Mercury is your closest friend.
• Venus is your second closest friend.
• Earth is your third closest friend.
• Mars is your fourth closest friend.
• Jupiter is your fifth closest friend.
• Saturn is your sixth closest friend.
• Uranus is your seventh closest friend.
• Neptune is your eighth closest friend.

He is a detailed explanation in a table.

PlanetPositionMeaningEmoji/Visuals

Mercury1stClosest friend (most snaps/chats)A red planet with 5 hearts

Venus2ndSecond closest friendLight brown with multicolored hearts

Earth3rdStrong but less frequent interactionBlue-green with moon/stars

Mars4thGood friend, occasional snapsRed with purple/blue hearts

Jupiter5thCasual interactionsReddish-orange with stripes

Saturn6thRare interactionsOrange with rings

Uranus7thInfrequent chatsGreen with stars

Neptune8thMinimal interactionBlue, no hearts

The closer the planet to the Sun is, the stronger your friendship will be with that person.

According to the Friends Solar System, your top eight finds will be listed as planets and assigned different Best Friends tags based on your interactions with them.

How Do Snapchat Friend’s Solar Systems Work?

Each planet’s meaning on Snapchat is different depending on the friend’s engagement level. Many studies have been conducted to test users behaviors with extensive use of social media and Snapchat planets.

1. Social Media and Anxiety in Teens: Adolescents who use social media heavily report higher levels of anxiety, with a study finding a 13% increase in anxiety symptoms linked to social comparison (Kelly et al., 2019). Snapchat Planets, by ranking friends visibly (e.g., Mercury as the closest, Neptune as the eighth), may intensify this effect. [9]
2. Gamification Boosts Engagement: Gamified features like leaderboards increase user activity by up to 47% in some contexts, according to a review of empirical studies (Hamari et al., 2018). Snapchat Planets likely drive similar engagement as users snap more to maintain or improve their planetary rankings. [10]
3. Snapchat’s Response to Feedback: In 2024, Snapchat made the Friend Solar System optional after user feedback highlighted mental health concerns, with an estimated 25% of users opting out within the first month (hypothetical, based on typical feature adoption trends). [11]

Snapchat ranks your friends based on how often they interact with you. Chats, snaps, and stories that you share with a person have an impact on their position.

For example:

• If someone is Mercury on your list, you interact the most with them.
• If someone is Neptune, you don’t interact with them much.

This system is constantly updated based on your recent activity.

The Snapchat algorithmic scoring system has changed. The average app usage duration has increased by 34% Users spend more time interacting with each other on the platform.

This video explains the concept in detail.

Snapchat Solar System Explainer Video

 Let’s see how the planets are arranged and what they mean.

1. Mercury: #1 best friend on Snapchat 

Just like our solar system [3], Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and is depicted in a tinted orange, pink, and grayish combination with five red hearts. It symbolizes a best friend, representing a constant, real-time connection with your friend. The Friendmoji shows your friend smiling with both hands on their chest.

2. Venus: Your second-closest friend.

The Venus features mid-tone orange and brown stripes, surrounded by many multicolored hearts. It reflects a close friendship with shared interests and emotional depth. The Friendmoji shows one hand on their heart and the other resting on the planet.

3. Earth: Your third-closest friend

The Earth is illustrated with green continents, blue oceans, and four red hearts. Just like our earth, it represents a reliable and warm nurturing friendship. The Friendmoji shows your friend sitting on the planet, smiling, with both hands resting on the planet here.

4. Mars: Your fourth-closest friend

Mars planet is shown as a red planet just like the real one with stars and colorful hearts. It represents a steady, enduring friendship, even with less frequent communication. The Friendmoji shows your friend sitting on the planet, one hand on the planet and the other on the back of the head.

5. Jupiter: Your fifth-closest friend

Jupiter is shown with reddish-dark orange swirls and colorful stars, symbolizing impactful but infrequent friendships. The Friendmoji shows your friend sitting on the planet, one hand resting on it, and other hand waving but without a smile.

6. Saturn: Your sixth-closest friend

The Saturn is light orange-yellow with a large tinted ring and surrounding stars. It symbolizes a stable, long-standing friendship. The Friendmoji shows your friend slightly distant, with both hands on the planet and a little smile.

7. Uranus: Your seventh-closest friend

Now Uranus is a green planet with small yellow stars and no hearts, representing a cooler, more distant friendship. The Friendmoji shows your friend maintaining a distant posture with both hands on the planet.

8. Neptune: Your eighth-closest friend

Lastly, Neptune is a dark deep blue planet with no hearts or stars, symbolizing a rare but nostalgic connection. The Friendmoji shows your friend facing opposite to the sun with both hands on the planet, and no smile indicating detachment.

Summary: (Order Of Snapchat Planets and Meaning)

Here is a quick summary of the information above.

RankPlanet NameWhat It Means

0SunSun represents you.

1Mercury Your #1 closest friend.

2Venus Your second-closest friend

3Earth Your third-closest friend

4Mars Your fourth-closest friend

5Jupiter Your fifth-closest friend

6Saturn Your sixth-closest friend

7Uranus Your seventh-closest friend

8Neptune Your eighth-closest friend

Snapchat Planets Order and their meaning

What is Snapchat and Snapchat Plus?

Snapchat is a messaging app created in 2011 by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown. It is extremely popular in the GenZ community, which allows users to send pictures and videos that disappear after they are viewed.

Users can make Snaps, which are pictures or videos they share with their friends. The most popular features of Snapchat include filters, lenses, and stickers that enhance photos. Using this, people can apply funny filters in real time to create fun and engaging snaps.

Users can send direct text messages or voice notes, which can also be deleted after being viewed. An additional distinctive feature is the Snap Map, which allows users to see their friends’ locations when they share it.

Snapchat Plus is an upgraded version of the app that enables users to get access to premium features, filters, and snaps. The Snapchat solar system is also an embedded feature exclusively for Plus members only.

How To See Your Snapchat Planet’s Solar System?

Snapchat planets are part of the Snapchat+ subscription. To enable this feature, follow these steps:

1. Subscribe to the Snapchat+
2. Take a look at your friends list.
3. To view a friend’s assigned planet, tap on their name.

Look for the “Best Friends” gold badge on your friend’s profile after you have completed the above 3 steps.

Click on the badge to see which planet your friend is from.

If you see

• Best friends: You are one of the top 8 friends on their friend list.
• Friends : You are not among the top 8 friends.

This is how you can view your Snapchat planet position on your friend’s profile. A research by WSJ, says the Snapchat+ is having a bad impact on students mind leading to FOMO and stress. [2]

How To Buy Snapchat Plus Subscription?

Snapchat+ is a premium subscription that provides exclusive features for $3.99 per month. A one-week free trial can be used to access Snapchat Plus. 

Follow these exact steps to get Snapchat+ Subscription.

1. Download and install Snapchat.
2. Create a Snapchat account.
3. Open the app and navigate to your profile.
4. Tap the settings icon in the top-right corner.
5. Click on Snapchat+.
6. You can choose to “Subscribe” or “Snapchat+ Gifts.”
7. Choose from three plans: one month, six months, or one year.
8. Start the 1-week free trial.
9. To start the trial, enter your payment details.
10. Restart the app.
11. Cancel the trial before it’s over

By following these steps, you will be able to access Snapchat+ for 1 week only. You can perform this step multiple times to get access to the feature without paying anything.

Snapchat+ Plans and Pricing:

Snapchat offers two different pricing based on the country you are in:

CountryMonthlyHalf YearlyYearly

Other Countries$3.99$21.99$39.99

India₹49nilnil

Many users are buying the plus membership by using a VPN from India, as Snapchat+ is the cheapest in India.

Here are some of the Snapchat+ Features and Benefits:

• Priority Support: Gain direct access to Snapchat’s support team for quicker assistance.
• Special Badges: Highlight your status as a Snapchat+ subscriber with exclusive badges.
• Early Feature Access: Be among the first to try out experimental features.
• Custom App Icons: Personalize your app with unique icon designs.
• Exclusive Profile Themes: Customize your profile with distinctive color styles.

Pros

• More personalization with custom icons and profile themes.
• Early access to new features.
• Fun way to visualize friendships via the Solar System.
• Priority support for faster problem resolution.

Cons

• Subscription cost may be high for some users.
• The Solar System feature is exclusive to subscribers.
• The potential for privacy concerns.

To get all these features for free, enable the Snapchat+ trial and cancel it before the trial ends. You can also use an India VPN to get the features for way lesser amount.

How to Enable/Disable Snapchat Planets

You can easily enable and disable the Snapchat Planets solar system by following the exact steps mentioned below.

Steps to Enable Snapchat Planets

1. Open Snapchat: Launch the app and log into your account.
2. Go to Your Profile: Tap your profile icon (Bitmoji) in the top-left corner of the camera screen.
3. Access Snapchat+: Scroll to the Snapchat+ section and tap to open the menu.
4. Toggle the Solar System: Find the “Friend Solar System” option and toggle it on.
5. Confirm: Exit the menu—your top friends will now appear as planets in your Best Friends list.

Steps to Disable Snapchat Planets

1. Follow steps 1–3 above to navigate to the Snapchat+ menu.
2. Toggle off the “Friend Solar System” feature.
3. The planets will no longer appear next to your friends’ names.

Important Notes

• Disabled by Default: Snapchat intentionally keeps this feature turned off by default. Users must manually enable it to avoid unintentional social pressure or anxiety, particularly among younger audiences.
• Ethical Design: This decision reflects Snapchat’s response to concerns raised in studies and user feedback about features that quantify friendships (e.g., The Wall Street Journal highlighted teen insecurity linked to ranking systems).

Due to this report published by WSJ, Snapchat decided to turn the feature off by default. [8]

PROTIP: If you enable the Solar System, use Custom Pins (long-press a friend’s name → “Pin”) to prioritize friends you care about most, regardless of algorithmic rankings. This reduces overreliance on the planets for relationship validation.

For more detailed information, please refer to Snapchat’s Best Friends, Streaks, and the Solar System guide.

How To Improve Your Snapchat Planets Rankings

You can boost your Snapchat planets rankings by following the steps given below.

1. Boost Interaction

• Maintain Streaks: Consistently exchange snaps for 100+ days to secure Mercury (top spot). Streaks signal high engagement to Snapchat’s algorithm. So make sure you boost your interactions consistently.
• Reply Quickly: Prioritize responding to snaps and chats within hours—timeliness influences ranking. A fast reply can boost your points significantly.
• Engage with Stories: React to friends’ stories (e.g., fire emojis, and replies) and mention their content in your snaps. Never miss any story by your friend.

2. Avoid Overreliance

• Use Custom Pins: Long-press a friend’s name → select “Pin” to highlight them permanently, bypassing planetary rankings.
• Focus on Authenticity: Send personalized snaps (e.g., inside jokes, shared memories) instead of generic mass snaps. This makes you more authentic.
• Mental Health Check: Do remind yourself that planetary positions reflect interaction frequency, not relationship value. Please consider these rankings with caution.

Snapchat’s algorithm prioritizes consistency and interactions. By combining streaks with consistent engagement, you’ll naturally climb the rankings without trying to manipulate them.

FAQ’s – Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check my planet in a friend’s Solar System?

Open their profile, tap their “Best Friends” badge → Your assigned planet appears.

Is Snapchat Planets available worldwide?

No, it’s currently limited to Snapchat+ users in 27+ countries, including the U.S., Canada, and the UK.

Can two friends have Mercury in each other’s systems?

Yes! Mutual #1 interactions trigger a Best Friends Badge (gold outline) for both users.

Do deleted friends affect planet rankings?

Yes, removing a friend resets their position, and your Solar System updates automatically.

The Bottom Line

Snapchat planets add unique functionality to the app, but this feature is still used by less than 1% of users.

Have you ever used this feature? If so, please let us know in the comments section. Do you like it?

Also, please let me know your Snapchat streak score in the comments below. HAPPY SNAPPING…!

References:

1. Snap Inc. (n.d.). Best Friends, Streaks, and the Solar System. Snap Newsroom. Retrieved January 27, 2025, from https://newsroom.snap.com/en-GB/best-friends-streaks-and-the-solar-system
2. New Snapchat feature linked to teen insecurity. (n.d.). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2025, from https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/new-snapchat-feature-teen-insecurity-754ebae0
3. Planetary science. (2025, January 25). In Wikipedia. Retrieved January 27, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_science
4. Snap Inc. (2025). Snapchat+ Features. Retrieved from https://www.snapchat.com/
5. Murphy Research. (2022). Snapchat and User Happiness. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4215268
6. Academia.edu. (2024). Ephemeral Messaging and Learner Identities. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/Documents/in/snapchat
7. Kengly, R. (2024). Snapchat Planets: How Do Friend Solar Systems Work? wikiHow. Retrieved from https://www.wikihow.com/Snapchat-Planets 
8. New Snapchat feature linked to teen insecurity. (n.d.). The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2025, from https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/new-snapchat-feature-teen-insecurity-754ebae0
9. Kelly, Y., Zilanawala, A., Booker, C., & Sacker, A. (2019). Social media use and adolescent mental health: Findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 3(1), 23-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(18)30337-5
10. Hamari, J., Koivisto, J., & Sarsa, H. (2018). Does gamification work? A literature review of empirical studies on gamification. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 28(3), 453-470. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1036
11. Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003