Snapchat Planets in Order: What Each Planet Means (October 2026)
Snapchat planets are badges that show where you rank among a friend’s eight closest contacts on the app. The order follows the real solar system: Mercury is a friend’s #1 best friend, Venus is #2, Earth is #3, Mars is #4, Jupiter is #5, Saturn is #6, Uranus is #7, and Neptune is #8. The feature is called the Friend Solar System, and it’s part of Snapchat+, the paid subscription Snap Inc. launched in mid-2022.
This guide covers what each planet means, what actually decides the rankings, how to check your own, and why the planets sometimes don’t appear.
What Is the Snapchat Friend Solar System?
In short: it’s a visual layer on top of Snapchat’s Best Friends list. Each person’s top eight friends are represented as planets orbiting them, and the person in the middle is the Sun.
Snapchat has long ranked your closest friends based on how often you interact. The Friend Solar System turns that ranking into something you can see from the other side. When you view a friend’s profile, you can tap a badge to learn which planet you are in their solar system.
Two details are easy to miss:
- The planet shows your position in their list, not theirs in yours. If a friend is the Sun and you appear as Earth, you’re their third closest friend. That doesn’t tell you where they sit on your list.
- Rankings aren’t automatically mutual. You might be someone’s Mercury while they’re only your Mars. Snapchat ranks each person’s activity separately, which is why these badges can sting a little.
Snapchat Planets in Order
| Planet | Rank | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Mercury | #1 | You’re their top best friend |
| Venus | #2 | Second-closest friend |
| Earth | #3 | Third-closest friend |
| Mars | #4 | Fourth-closest friend |
| Jupiter | #5 | Fifth-closest friend |
| Saturn | #6 | Sixth-closest friend |
| Uranus | #7 | Seventh-closest friend |
| Neptune | #8 | Eighth-closest friend, still in their top eight |
The closer a planet is to the Sun, the stronger the connection Snapchat has measured. Anyone outside the top eight gets a regular Friends badge rather than a planet.
What Does Each Snapchat Planet Mean?
Mercury: the #1 best friend. Mercury is the planet people want to see. It means you interact with that person more than with anyone else in their circle, through Snaps, chats and reactions. Snapchat doesn’t publish the exact formula, but heavy two-way activity is what puts people here.
Venus: the runner-up. Venus is a very strong position. Often it’s someone who talks to the person constantly but loses out to a roommate, partner or sibling for the top spot.
Earth: a solid third. Earth means you’re clearly part of the inner circle. Being third out of everyone on someone’s friends list is a compliment, not a snub.
Mars: the fourth spot. Mars usually represents a close friend with regular, steady contact. It’s common for classmates, coworkers and teammates to land here.
Jupiter: the fifth spot. Jupiter sits at the midpoint of the top eight. You’re a frequent contact, though several people get more of this person’s attention.
Saturn: the sixth spot. Saturn marks a friend who’s active in the conversation but not at the center of it. These rankings can shift quickly if one friend goes quiet.
Uranus: the seventh spot. Uranus is near the edge of the list. You’re still among someone’s eight most-contacted friends, which is more than most people on their list can say.
Neptune: the eighth spot. Neptune is the last planet. It’s not a negative sign, but it’s the most fragile position, because a few days of heavier activity from someone else can push you out.
How Does Snapchat’s Planet Ranking Work?
In short: the ranking tracks interaction. The more you exchange with someone, the closer the planet.
Snapchat hasn’t disclosed the exact algorithm, so any claim about precise weights is speculation. The signals that are widely understood to matter:
- Daily Snaps sent and received
- Chat messages
- Story reactions and replies
- How recent the interactions are
- Consistency over time, including Snap streaks
Recent activity appears to matter most, which is why the order can change from week to week. If one friend replaces your usual Mercury after a busy stretch, the ranking will update automatically as activity patterns shift.
One honest limitation: this is a measure of activity on Snapchat, not friendship quality. A person who texts you or calls you daily instead of snapping won’t show up high, and the app can’t see any of that.
Do You Need Snapchat+ to See Snapchat Planets?
Yes. The Friend Solar System is a Snapchat+ feature, so you need an active subscription to see planet badges. Snapchat+ launched in June 2022, and in the US it was introduced at $3.99 per month. Pricing differs by country and can change, so check the subscription screen in the app for your current rate in the UK, US or elsewhere.
Free users still get the standard Best Friends list and friendship profiles. They just can’t view the planet layer.
How to See Your Snapchat Planet
In short: subscribe to Snapchat+, switch on the Friend Solar System, then open a friend’s profile.
- Make sure you have an active Snapchat+ subscription.
- Open your Snapchat profile and go into the Snapchat+ settings.
- Find the Friend Solar System option and turn the toggle on.
- Open a friend’s profile and look for the Friends or Best Friends badge. It appears with a gold ring on the friendship profile.
- Tap the badge to see which planet you are in their solar system.
Menu names can shift between app updates, so if the wording differs slightly on your phone, look for the Snapchat+ features list.
You also need your Bitmojis linked with the friend you’re checking. Without that connection, the planet view won’t load properly.
Why Are Snapchat Planets Not Showing?
In short: the cause is almost always the subscription, the toggle, or the Bitmoji link.
- No active Snapchat+ plan. If the subscription lapsed, the feature disappears.
- The toggle is off. Re-enable it in the Snapchat+ settings.
- Bitmoji isn’t linked. Both of you need linked Bitmojis.
- You’re not in their top eight. If someone has pushed you outside their closest friends, you’ll see a plain Friends badge.
- An outdated app. Update Snapchat from the App Store or Google Play.
- A temporary glitch. Force-close the app, reopen it, or log out and back in.
Snapchat has also adjusted how the feature works before, including making it optional after user complaints about the way it displays rankings. If the layout changes, the underlying idea (planets mapped to a top-eight list) stays the same.
Snapchat Best Friends List vs. Planets
The Best Friends list is the older, simpler system. It shows who you talk to most. The planets present a similar idea in a more visual, shareable way and add the “where do I rank for them?” dimension. If you don’t care about the visuals, you lose very little by skipping the subscription.
Should You Take Your Planet Seriously?
My honest view: treat it as a rough snapshot, not a verdict. The ranking reflects recent behavior on one app. It can’t see group chats you’re both in on other platforms, time spent in person, or friends who prefer WhatsApp or iMessage. A Neptune with a real-life best friend is far more common than a Mercury who’s a stranger.
FAQ Section
What is the Snapchat planets order for best friends?
Mercury is #1, Venus #2, Earth #3, Mars #4, Jupiter #5, Saturn #6, Uranus #7 and Neptune #8. The planet shows where you rank in a friend’s top eight.
What are the Snapchat planets in order, and are there pictures?
The order follows the actual solar system, from Mercury nearest the Sun to Neptune furthest. In the app, each position appears as a planet badge when you tap the friendship badge on a profile. You can see these in your own Snapchat+ view by opening a friend’s profile.
What is the Snapchat planets meaning?
Each planet represents your position in someone’s Best Friends ranking. Closer planets mean more frequent interaction, and your planet is based on that friend’s activity, not yours alone.
How does the Snapchat best friends list relate to planets?
The planets visualize the same top-eight ranking that underlies the Best Friends list. The list is text-based, while planets are a Snapchat+ layer.
What does the Venus Snapchat planet mean?
Venus means you’re someone’s second-closest friend on Snapchat, right behind their Mercury.
What does the Mercury Snapchat planet mean?
Mercury means you’re someone’s #1 best friend, the person they interact with most.
How do I see Snapchat planets?
Subscribe to Snapchat+, turn on Friend Solar System in the Snapchat+ settings, then tap the friendship badge on a friend’s profile. Both of your Bitmojis need to be linked.
What is the Snapchat Solar System meaning?
It’s the Snapchat+ feature that treats a person as the Sun and their eight closest friends as planets. It’s a visual way of showing who ranks where.
Author BIo: Hamid Ali is a technology and social media writer covering apps, digital trends, online platforms, and emerging features. He creates clear, research-based guides that help readers understand how popular apps and digital tools work.
Author Name: Hamid Ali
Email: johanharwen314@gmail.com
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