Snapchat+ includes several unique features, but few have generated as much interest as Snapchat Planets. The Friendship Sun section of the app, turns your Best Friends list into a planet ranking, assigning your top eight friends a planet based on how often you hang out.
From Mercury, which represents your closest friend, to Neptune, which represents the eighth place closest to you, the system gives you a quick visual snapshot of your interactions. But what do the different planets actually mean, and how does Snapchat decide who gets which?
Here’s everything you need to know about the Planets on Snapchat, including the full order, what each level represents, and how to view your friend’s own solar system.
Order of Snapchat Planets
Snapchat’s Friend Solar System follows the same order of the real solar system, with each planet representing one of your eight best friends. The closer a planet is to the sun, the higher that person is on your Best Friends list based on your interactions.
The order of Snapchat Planets is:
- Mercury
- Venus
- The world
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus
- Neptune
And yes, Pluto is left out as well.
Each planet represents a specific position in the hierarchy of your best friends, rather than a different type of friendship. Mercury is assigned to your closest friend, while Neptune represents your eighth closest friend. Levels are not permanent and may change over time as your activity on Snapchat changes.
Snapchat Planets: What Each Position Means
Each Snapchat planet represents your position on the Best Friends list rather than a different type of friendship. Mercury is assigned to your closest friend, while Neptune represents your eighth closest friend, with the rest of the planets falling in between.
| The planet | Best Friends Level | What does it mean |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | #1 | You are their closest Snapchat friend based on interactions. |
| Venus | #2 | He is their second closest Snapchat friend. |
| The world | #3 | He is their third closest Snapchat friend. |
| Mars | #4 | He is their fourth closest Snapchat friend. |
| Jupiter | #5 | He is their fifth closest Snapchat friend. |
| Saturn | #6 | He is their sixth closest Snapchat friend. |
| Uranus | #7 | He is their seventh closest Snapchat friend. |
| Neptune | #8 | He is their eighth closest Snapchat friend. |
The planets are merely a visual representation of the quality of your best friends and are not intended to measure the strength of the friendship. As your connection on Snapchat changes, so can your degree, meaning a Mercury person today could move to Venus or Mars later.
How Snapchat’s Friend Solar System Works
Friend Solar System is one of Snapchat+’s special features, designed to visualize your Best Friends list using the eight planets in our solar system. Instead of giving numerical rankings, Snapchat represents your top eight friends on the planet, making it easy to see where someone stands based on how you use the app.
Your position in the Friend Solar System is not permanent. As your work changes, whether that’s through snapshots, conversations, or other interactions, the level updates to reflect those changes. Snapchat hasn’t revealed the exact requirements behind the system, so there’s no guaranteed way to move someone up your rankings without interacting with them frequently.
Best Friends Badges
The Friend of the Day program only works on the Best friends list, but you may also notice the friends badge on other profiles. The two are not the same.
The Best Friends badge shows that you and another user are among the closest Snapchat contacts. The friends badge simply means that you have an existing friendship on Snapchat, but the rank is not necessarily consistent. In other words, someone can appear as your Mercury without you being in the same position in their Friend Solar System.
How to see your Snapchat Planet
Once you understand how the Friend Solar System works, finding your Snapchat Planet takes just a few taps. Keep in mind that this feature is only available to Snapchat+ subscribers, so you’ll need an active subscription before you can view your rankings.
- Step 1: Open Snapchat.
- Step 2: Go to a friend’s profile.
- Step 3: Look for a Best Friends or Friends badge with a gold ring around it.
- Step 4: Tap the badge.
- Step 5: Snapchat will show which planet that friend’s Solar System is on.
If you don’t see a badge, it usually means you don’t have Snapchat+, Friend Solar System isn’t allowed, or you’re not at that person’s virtual friend level.
How to unlock Snapchat planets
Before you can use Snapchat Planets, you need Snapchat Plus. Prices may vary by location and plan, so the safest way to check current costs is within the Snapchat app or via the Snapchat subscription page. Snapchat also offers a number of Plus-related plans in other regions, and availability may vary.
If you already have Snapchat Plus, you may still need to activate Friend Solar System manually.
- Step 1: Open Snapchat and go to your profile.
- Step 2: Tap your Snapchat Plus membership card or banner.
- Step 3: Open the Snapchat Plus feature management page.
- Step 4: Find a Solar System or a Friend’s Solar System.
- Step 5: Open it.
