Struggling to decode your Snapchat Solar System? This exclusive Snapchat+ feature ranks your best friends as planets, revealing your true #1 BFF. Here we reveal the hidden meaning behind Mercury, Venus, and the rest.
Snapchat, the app that’s practically synonymous with Gen Z, has always been ahead of the curve in creating fun, innovative ways to connect with friends. Among its arsenal of features, the Snapchat Plus subscription takes things to the next level.
With regular updates that include changing your app’s icon, checking who rewatched your stories, and even marking friends as “best friends,” Snapchat has something for everyone.
One of the standout features is the Snapchat Friend Solar System, which assigns a planet to your closest friends based on how much you interact with them.
What are Snap Planets?
If you’re familiar with our solar system, you already know the basics: planets orbit a central sun. The same concept applies to Snapchat’s Solar System. As a Snapchat Plus user, you’re the Sun of your friend circle, and the planets represent the people who revolve around you.
Each of your best friends gets assigned a planet based on how often you interact with them. From the friend you Snap the most to those you interact with less frequently, Snapchat ranks them by proximity—just like planets in our solar system.
So, what exactly do these planets mean? And how are they ranked? Let’s break it down!
Snap Planets: Their order and meaning
Here’s a helpful overview of Snap Planets and their corresponding meanings:
| Planet | Visual Cue | Snap Planet Meaning | Interaction Frequency |
| Mercury | Small orange planet surrounded by red hearts. | Your #1 best friend – the person you share the most snaps and chats with. | 100% of your top interactions. |
| Venus | Small yellow planet with sparkles and hearts. | Second closest friend, frequent snaps, slightly less than Mercury. | 80-90% of top interactions. |
| Earth | Blue and green planet with red hearts and sparkles. | Very active, snapping regularly and reacting to each other’s stories. | 70-80% of top interactions. |
| Mars | Red planet with purple and blue hearts. | Close friend but less frequent chatting, sending daily snaps. | 60-70% of interactions. |
| Jupiter | Large orange planet with sparkles. | Close friend but not a daily chatter; occasional Snap responses. | 50-60% of interactions. |
| Saturn | Yellow planet with rings and colorful sparkles. | Mutual friends who send daily snaps but don’t chat much. | 40-50% of interactions. |
| Uranus | Green planet with sparkles. | Occasional best friends with less frequent Snaps. | 20-40% of lowest interactions. |
| Neptune | Deep blue planet with sparkles. | Rarely interact; you don’t send each other Snaps often. | Less than 20% of interactions. |
Let’s dive deeper: Understanding each Snap planet
1. Mercury: The best friend
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, and in Snapchat’s Solar System, it represents your closest friend. This is the person you Snap and chat with the most. If you have a 100 Snap streak with someone, and your second-best friend has 80, the first one will be Mercury. This person is practically your Snapchat twin, and you’re the top person in their life too.
2. Venus: Your second-closest friend
Venus is next in line. It’s the second planet closest to the Sun, just like your second-best friend is. This friend is pretty close, sharing many Snap streaks and daily interactions, but not quite as often as Mercury. You still interact regularly, but there’s a little more distance than with your top friend.
3. Earth: A great friend
Earth comes third in the lineup, representing a very active friendship. This is someone who snaps and reacts to your stories on a regular basis. You’re definitely close, but perhaps not chatting every single day. Still, you’re both very active on the platform and maintain a healthy interaction level.
4. Mars: The active snap buddy
Mars represents a solid friend, someone with whom you exchange Snaps almost daily, but you don’t chat much. While you don’t necessarily have long conversations, this person is still a big part of your Snapchat life. Think of Mars as that friend you send quick snaps to but don’t get into deep chats with.
5. Jupiter: The occasional snapper
Jupiter symbolises a friend whom you snap regularly, but the interactions tend to be more occasional. You might exchange Snaps every day, but you don’t always react to their stories or engage in much conversation. It’s more about sharing quick, everyday moments.
6. Saturn: The mutual friend
Saturn is a mutual friend who you send Snaps to daily, but the communication is a bit one-sided. You might not always reply to their stories, and chats are few and far between. Still, you both enjoy exchanging pictures and updates every day.
7. Uranus: The occasional snap friend
Uranus represents a friend who you Snap occasionally, but your interactions are infrequent. These are the friends who you might not be in contact with every day, but when you do connect, it’s still meaningful. Uranus represents those who make the occasional appearance in your friend’s universe.
8. Neptune: The distant friend
Lastly, Neptune is the least frequent in your solar system. This planet represents friends you rarely interact with on Snapchat. You might send them the occasional snap, but there’s no regular communication. Neptune is essentially the friend who’s floating on the outskirts of your social universe.
How does the Snapchat solar system work?
Snap Planets work by tracking how often you interact with each of your friends. As you engage in more Snaps and chats with someone, they move up the ranks in your Snapchat Solar System.
For example, if you send your best friend a daily snap and react to their stories frequently, they’re assigned Mercury. If someone else is more sporadic with their activity, they may find themselves orbiting Neptune.
The system is designed to keep track of your closest connections. It’s Snapchat’s way of giving you a glimpse into how your friend circle looks through the lens of your interactions.
How to see your friends’ solar system on Snapchat
If you want to check out your friend’s Snapchat solar system, you need to be a Snapchat Plus subscriber. Once you’re subscribed, you can view the planets assigned to your best friends. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Snapchat and tap on your friend’s profile.
- Look for the Best Friends badge (a gold outline).
- Tap on the badge to reveal your position in their Solar System.
You’ll be able to see where you stand in their universe—whether you’re Mercury, Venus, or somewhere farther out in the cosmos.
Enabling Snap planets
The Snapchat Solar System feature is disabled by default, so you’ll need to manually enable it if you haven’t already. Here’s how to turn it on:
- Open Snapchat and tap on your profile.
- Go to Snapchat+ in the settings.
- Toggle on Solar System to activate the feature.
Once enabled, you’ll be able to see your friend’s Solar System ranking and the corresponding planet they represent.
Why Snap planets might not appear for you
There are a few reasons why Snap Planets might not show up for you:
- You’re not subscribed to Snapchat+, which is necessary to access this feature.
- Your friend isn’t in your top eight best friends list, meaning they haven’t earned a planet yet.
- You’re using an outdated version of Snapchat and need to update your app.
- You don’t interact with the person often enough to be assigned a planet in their Solar System.
- If you’re facing issues, try clearing Snapchat’s cache or reinstalling the app.
Final thoughts
Snapchat’s Solar System feature is a fun way to visualise your friendships and interactions. It adds a layer of gamification to how we engage with others on social media. Whether you’re aiming to maintain your Mercury status or wondering why your friend is orbiting Neptune, it’s an exciting new way to stay connected.
So, if you haven’t already, consider subscribing to Snapchat+ and take a trip through your very own Solar System. After all, who doesn’t want to know their planet in the cosmic scheme of their Snapchat world?
And remember, keep snapping, keep chatting, and you might just rise to Mercury.
