Snapchat’s Friend Solar System, also known as Snapchat Planets, is a captivating feature exclusive to Snapchat Plus subscribers, transforming how users visualize their closest friendships. By assigning each of your top eight friends a planet, this feature gamifies social interactions, reflecting the strength of your connections through a cosmic metaphor. This comprehensive guide dives deep into the Snapchat Planets order, their meanings, how the system works, and actionable tips to enhance your rankings. Whether you're a seasoned Snapchat user or new to the platform, this article will help you master the Friend Solar System and elevate your Snapchat experience in 2025.
What Are Snapchat Planets? Understanding the Friend Solar System
Snapchat Planets is a premium feature introduced for Snapchat Plus users, designed to visually represent your closest friends as planets orbiting around you, the "Sun". Each planet corresponds to one of your top eight friends, ranked based on interaction levels such as snaps, chats, and streaks. The closer a planet is to the Sun, the stronger the friendship, mirroring the real solar system’s structure. This innovative system adds a playful, engaging layer to Snapchat, encouraging users to interact more frequently to maintain or improve their planetary rankings. Unlike Snapchat’s emoji-based friend rankings, Planets offers a visually striking and dynamic way to track social connections.
The feature is accessible only to Snapchat Plus subscribers, who pay a monthly fee (approximately $3.99 in the US, with a 7-day free trial) for exclusive features like the Friend Solar System, custom app icons, and story rewatch indicators. To enable it, users must manually activate the feature in the Snapchat+ settings, as it’s disabled by default due to past concerns about its impact on younger users’ mental health. This ensures a deliberate opt-in for those who want to explore this cosmic twist on friendships.
Snapchat Planets Order: A Detailed Breakdown
The Snapchat Planets order follows the real solar system, with each planet representing a friend’s rank based on interaction frequency. Below is the complete list of planets, their positions, and their visual characteristics:
1. Mercury: Your #1 Best Friend
- Position: Closest to the Sun (you).
- Appearance: A bright red planet with small craters, adorned with red hearts and tiny stars.
- Meaning: Mercury represents your top best friend, the person you snap, chat, and maintain streaks with most frequently. This friend is your go-to for daily interactions, quick replies, and consistent engagement.
- Interaction Level: Near-daily snaps and chats, often with long streaks.
2. Venus: Your Second Closest Friend
- Position: Second from the Sun.
- Appearance: A light brown planet with pink, blue, and yellow hearts surrounding it.
- Meaning: Venus signifies a strong, reliable friendship with frequent communication. While not as intense as Mercury, this friend is still a core part of your Snapchat universe, with regular snaps and meaningful conversations.
- Interaction Level: Daily or near-daily chats, with slightly less frequency than Mercury.
3. Earth: Your Third Best Friend
- Position: Third from the Sun.
- Appearance: A green and blue planet resembling Earth, with red hearts, yellow stars, and a single moon.
- Meaning: Earth represents a dependable, steady friend with whom you share regular, high-quality interactions. This friend is a comforting presence, often engaging in lengthy chats multiple times a week.
- Interaction Level: Multiple weekly interactions with substantial engagement.
4. Mars: Your Fourth Closest Friend
- Position: Fourth from the Sun.
- Appearance: A vibrant red planet with pink and yellow stars and colorful hearts.
- Meaning: Mars symbolizes an energetic, lively friendship. Interactions are less frequent than with inner planets but still significant, often filled with spontaneous snaps and vibrant exchanges.
- Interaction Level: Regular but less frequent snaps and chats, perhaps a few times a week.
5. Jupiter: Your Fifth Best Friend
- Position: Fifth from the Sun.
- Appearance: An orange planet with wavy lines and colorful stars.
- Meaning: Jupiter reflects a friendship with big, impactful moments. While not in constant contact, this friend brings fun and growth to your Snapchat interactions, with occasional but meaningful exchanges.
- Interaction Level: Weekly or bi-weekly interactions with notable engagement.
6. Saturn: Your Sixth Closest Friend
- Position: Sixth from the Sun.
- Appearance: An orange-yellow planet with iconic rings, surrounded by pink, blue, and yellow stars (no hearts).
- Meaning: Saturn represents a steady, dependable friend with layered, multifaceted interactions. Conversations may revolve around shared interests or inside jokes, occurring less frequently but with depth.
- Interaction Level: Occasional chats, perhaps once a week or every other week.
7. Uranus: Your Seventh Best Friend
- Position: Seventh from the Sun.
- Appearance: A green planet with layering patterns and yellow hearts.
- Meaning: Uranus signifies a unique, unconventional friendship with infrequent but quirky interactions. This friend brings fresh perspectives through eccentric snaps or creative filters.
- Interaction Level: Monthly or sporadic interactions with a distinctive flair.
8. Neptune: Your Eighth Closest Friend
- Position: Farthest from the Sun.
- Appearance: A blue planet with blue stars, featuring your friend’s Bitmoji.
- Meaning: Neptune represents a distant but meaningful connection, such as a childhood friend or someone from a past phase of life. Interactions are minimal but still hold sentimental value.
- Interaction Level: Rare snaps or chats, often once a month or less.
How the Snapchat Friend Solar System Works
The Snapchat Friend Solar System operates through an algorithm that analyzes interaction metrics to assign planetary rankings. Key factors include:
- Snap Frequency: The number of snaps sent and received between you and a friend.
- Chat Engagement: The frequency and length of chat conversations.
- Streaks: Maintaining daily snap exchanges, which significantly boost rankings.
- Story Interactions: Commenting on or reacting to a friend’s stories.
- Mutual Best Friends: If you’re in each other’s top eight, you may see a “Mutual Best Friend” badge, enhancing the connection’s visibility.
The algorithm dynamically updates these rankings as your interactions evolve. For example, increased snapping with a friend can move them from Neptune to Mars, while reduced engagement may push them further out. To check your position in a friend’s solar system, visit their Friendship Profile by tapping their Bitmoji. A planetary badge (e.g., “Mercury – #1 Best Friend”) indicates your rank, while a “Friends” badge means you’re in their solar system but they’re not in yours.
How to Enable Snapchat Planets
The Friend Solar System is just one of many perks for Snapchat Plus users. Other benefits include:
- BFF Pins: Pin your #1 best friend to the top of your chat list.
- Story Rewatch Indicator: See which friends rewatched your stories.
- Custom App Icons: Personalize your Snapchat app’s appearance.
- Snapscore Multiplier: Boost your Snapscore faster with increased activity.
- Exclusive Filters and Lenses: Access premium creative tools for snaps.
These features enhance the overall Snapchat experience, making the subscription appealing for avid users.
Tips to Improve Your Snapchat Planets Rankings
To move friends closer to your Sun (or climb higher in theirs), try these strategies:
- Send Frequent Snaps: Share personalized snaps daily to maintain streaks and boost engagement.
- Engage in Chats: Have meaningful, regular conversations to deepen connections.
- Comment on Stories: React to friends’ stories with comments or emojis to show interest.
- Use Group Chats: Participate in group conversations to increase interaction with multiple friends.
- Explore Shared Features: Play Snapchat games or use collaborative filters to strengthen bonds.
- Monitor Changes: Regularly check Friendship Profiles to track ranking shifts and adjust your engagement.
By consistently interacting, you can elevate friends to inner planets like Mercury or Venus, reflecting stronger digital bonds.
Addressing Concerns About Snapchat Planets
While Snapchat Planets is a fun feature, it has faced criticism for potentially causing anxiety among younger users, particularly teens, due to its competitive ranking system. Snapchat addressed this by making the feature opt-in and disabled by default. Users should approach it as a playful tool rather than a definitive measure of friendship. True connections go beyond app rankings, and quality interactions matter more than planetary positions. If the feature feels overwhelming, users can disable it in Snapchat+ settings or focus on authentic, non-competitive engagement.
Why Snapchat Planets Order Stands Out
Snapchat Planets differentiates the platform from competitors like Instagram or WhatsApp, which lack similar visual ranking systems. By gamifying friendships, it encourages active engagement while offering a unique, astronomy-inspired aesthetic. The feature aligns with Snapchat’s focus on fleeting, fun interactions, appealing especially to Gen Z and Gen Alpha users. Its exclusivity to Snapchat Plus also incentivizes subscriptions, adding value for premium users.
Conclusion: Master Your Snapchat Solar System in 2025
The Snapchat Friend Solar System is a dynamic, engaging way to visualize your closest friendships, turning interactions into a cosmic journey. By understanding the Snapchat Planets order—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—you can better navigate your social connections and strategically boost your rankings. Whether you’re aiming to become someone’s Mercury or simply enjoy the playful visuals, this feature adds a unique layer to the Snapchat experience. Subscribe to Snapchat Plus, enable the Friend Solar System, and start exploring your digital universe today!