The Snapchat Best Friends List, often referred to as the BSF (Best Friends) List or Snapchat Planets, is a dynamic feature that ranks your closest connections on the platform based on interaction frequency. Exclusive to Snapchat Plus subscribers, this feature transforms your social circle into a cosmic hierarchy, with each friend assigned a planet based on how often you snap, chat, and maintain streaks. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how the Snapchat Best Friends List works, the meaning behind each planet, how to manage your rankings, and tips to optimize your Snapchat experience in 2025.
What Is the Snapchat Best Friends List?
The Snapchat Best Friends List is a curated selection of up to eight friends you interact with most frequently on the app. These connections are highlighted at the top of your Send To screen and in the Friends section of your profile, making it easy to engage with your closest contacts. Each friend on the list is assigned a unique emoji or, for Snapchat Plus users, a planet in the Snapchat Solar System, reflecting their ranking based on your snapping and chatting activity.
This feature gamifies friendships by visually representing your social interactions. For example, your number one friend is assigned Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun (you), while your eighth friend is represented by Neptune, the farthest planet. The list updates dynamically based on your recent activity, ensuring it reflects your current relationships. Only you can see your Best Friends List, ensuring privacy and preventing others from viewing your rankings.
How Does the Snapchat Best Friends Algorithm Work?
Snapchat’s algorithm calculates your Best Friends List by analyzing several factors over a rolling period, typically the past few weeks, with recent interactions carrying more weight. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key elements influencing your BSF rankings:
- Number of Snaps Exchanged: The total volume of snaps sent and received between you and a friend significantly impacts their ranking. Frequent snapping keeps friends higher on the list.
- Frequency of Chats: Regular text and video chats contribute to a friend’s position. Consistent communication, even without snaps, can elevate their status.
- Snapstreak Length: Maintaining a streak (consecutive days of snapping) boosts a friend’s ranking. Longer streaks signal a stronger connection.
- Response Time: Quick replies to snaps and chats indicate active engagement, which the algorithm favors.
- Group Chat Participation: Interactions in group chats are factored in, though one-on-one communication carries more weight.
- Story Engagement: Responding to or interacting with a friend’s stories can influence their position on your list.
The algorithm is designed to reflect real-world friendship dynamics, promoting friends you engage with most to the top of your list. If your interactions shift—say, you start snapping a new friend more frequently—they may climb the ranks, potentially displacing others.
Understanding Snapchat Planets: The Solar System Feature
For Snapchat Plus subscribers, the Best Friends List takes on a cosmic twist with the Snapchat Planets feature, also known as the Friend Solar System. In this visualization, you are the Sun, and your top eight friends are represented as planets orbiting you. The closer a planet is to the Sun, the stronger your connection with that friend. Here’s a detailed look at each planet and its meaning:
Mercury: Your #1 Best Friend
Mercury represents your closest Snapchat friend, with whom you exchange the most snaps and chats. Their Bitmoji appears on a bright red planet encircled by four or five red hearts, symbolizing a fiery, active connection. To maintain Mercury status, keep your streaks alive and engage daily.
Venus: Your Second Closest Friend
Venus, the second planet, signifies your second most-interacted friend. Their Bitmoji is displayed on a light brown planet with yellow, pink, and blue hearts orbiting it, reflecting a warm, multifaceted relationship. You likely snap and chat regularly, though slightly less than with Mercury.
Earth: Your Third Closest Friend
Earth represents your third best friend, characterized by consistent but less frequent interactions. Their Bitmoji appears on a green and blue planet, symbolizing a stable, dependable bond. You might snap a few times a week and engage with their stories regularly.
Mars: Your Fourth Closest Friend
Mars, the fourth planet, indicates a friend with whom you connect less frequently, perhaps a few times weekly. Their Bitmoji is shown on an orange planet with blue and purple hearts, reflecting a lively but less intense friendship.
Jupiter: Your Fifth Closest Friend
Jupiter, the fifth planet, represents a friend with whom interactions occur about once a week. Their Bitmoji appears on an orange planet with colorful stars, signifying a significant but less frequent connection.
Saturn: Your Sixth Closest Friend
Saturn, known for its rings, symbolizes your sixth closest friend. Their Bitmoji is displayed on an orange planet with a gold ring and pink and yellow stars, indicating a meaningful but less frequent bond. You might connect every couple of weeks.
Uranus: Your Seventh Closest Friend
Uranus represents your seventh best friend, with whom you interact sporadically, perhaps once a month. Their Bitmoji appears on a green planet with yellow hearts, reflecting an unconventional or less active friendship.
Neptune: Your Eighth Closest Friend
Neptune, the farthest planet, signifies your least interacted-with friend among your top eight. Their Bitmoji appears on a blue planet, indicating minimal snapping or chatting, perhaps only occasional contact.
Snapchat Plus: Unlocking the Extended Best Friends List
The Snapchat Planets feature is exclusive to Snapchat Plus, a premium subscription launched in 2022. For $3.99 per month or $39.99 annually, subscribers gain access to enhanced features, including:
- Extended Best Friends List: View up to 16 best friends, doubling the standard list of eight.
- Best Friend Badges: A gold ring appears around your friends’ Bitmoji, indicating their status. Tapping the badge reveals their planet in your Solar System.
- Priority Support: Direct access to Snapchat’s support team.
- Exclusive Filters and Lenses: Access to unique AR effects not available to free users.
- Customizable App Icons and Backgrounds: Personalize your Snapchat experience.
To enable the Solar System feature, navigate to your profile, tap the Snapchat+ membership card, and toggle on the Solar System option. Note that this feature is disabled by default due to concerns about its impact on mental health, particularly among younger users.
How to Check Your Snapchat Best Friends List
Accessing your Best Friends List is straightforward:
- Open Snapchat: Launch the app on your iOS or Android device.
- Go to Your Profile: Tap your Bitmoji or profile icon in the top-left corner.
- View Friends Section: Scroll to the Friends section to see your top eight (or 16 with Snapchat Plus) best friends, marked with emojis or planets.
- Check Solar System Rankings: For Snapchat Plus users, tap a friend’s profile and select the Best Friends or Friends badge to see their planet. A “Best Friends” badge means you’re in each other’s top eight, while a “Friends” badge indicates you’re in their top eight, but they’re not in yours.
Emojis and Their Meanings in the Best Friends List
Snapchat assigns special emojis to your best friends to indicate their status and relationship dynamics:
- 🌟 Gold Star: Your #1 best friend, typically your Mercury friend.
- ❤️ Red Heart: Friends ranked #2 to #8 on your list.
- 😂 Yellow Face: A friend who shares you as their #1 best friend.
- 🔥 Red Fire: You and this friend are each other’s #1 best friend, a mutual top ranking.
These emojis add a playful element, making it easy to identify your closest connections at a glance.
Tips for Managing Your Snapchat Best Friends List
Maintaining and optimizing your Best Friends List requires strategic interaction. Here are expert tips to nurture your rankings without causing drama:
- Focus on Authentic Connections: Engage meaningfully with friends you care about most through personalized snaps and chats. Avoid spamming to artificially boost rankings, as this can strain relationships.
- Maintain Streaks: Keep snapstreaks alive by sending daily snaps to your closest friends. This strengthens their position on your list.
- Engage with Stories: Respond to friends’ stories with reactions or messages to boost interaction scores.
- Monitor Privacy Settings: Adjust your privacy settings to control who sees your activity, preventing unintended changes to your list.
- Don’t Obsess Over Rankings: The list fluctuates naturally as friendships evolve. Avoid taking drops in rank personally, as they often reflect temporary changes in activity.
- Troubleshoot Glitches: If your list seems inaccurate, restart the app, update to the latest version, or clear the cache. Contact Snapchat support for persistent issues.
Common Issues with the Snapchat Best Friends List
Occasionally, users encounter problems with their Best Friends List. Here are common issues and solutions:
- Missing Gold Ring: If a friend lacks the gold ring around their Bitmoji, it may indicate reduced interaction or a glitch. Increase snapping frequency or check for app updates.
- Inaccurate Rankings: Changes in communication patterns, such as snapping new friends more often, can shift rankings. Engage consistently with desired friends to realign the list.
- Disappearing List: Privacy setting changes or app bugs can hide the list. Verify your settings and update the app to resolve this.
The Social Impact of the Snapchat Best Friends List
While the Best Friends List and Planets feature add fun and engagement, they can also spark competition or hurt feelings, especially among younger users. A friend dropping from Mercury to Neptune may feel like a demotion, even if it reflects natural shifts in communication. Snapchat addressed these concerns by making the Solar System feature optional and disabled by default for new Snapchat Plus subscribers. To maintain healthy relationships:
- Prioritize Real-Life Bonds: Use the list as a fun tool, not a definitive measure of friendship.
- Communicate Openly: If rankings cause tension, discuss feelings with friends to maintain trust.
- Focus on Quality: Deep, meaningful interactions outweigh the quantity of snaps.
The Wall Street Journal noted that less than 0.25% of Snapchat users actively use the Solar System feature, suggesting its impact is limited but still significant for some.
How to Become Someone’s Best Friend on Snapchat
To climb the ranks on a friend’s Best Friends List, follow these steps:
- Increase Interaction: Send frequent snaps and chats, focusing on one-on-one communication.
- Maintain Streaks: Start and sustain a snapstreak to signal consistent engagement.
- Engage Actively: Respond promptly to their snaps and stories to boost your score.
- Avoid Overloading: Balance interaction to avoid overwhelming your friend, which could lead to reduced engagement.
Conclusion: Mastering Your Snapchat Best Friends List
The Snapchat Best Friends List and Planets feature offer a playful, visual way to track your closest connections on the app. By understanding the algorithm, leveraging Snapchat Plus features, and engaging authentically, you can optimize your social circle and strengthen friendships. Whether you’re aiming to secure Mercury status or simply enjoy the cosmic vibe, focus on meaningful interactions to make the most of this dynamic feature in 2025. Keep snapping, stay connected, and let your Snapchat universe shine!