Snapchat planets are the badges you see when you tap the Best Friends or Friends label on someone’s profile with Snapchat+. Each planet shows where you sit in that person’s top eight, in the same order as the real solar system: Mercury is their closest friend and Neptune is number eight. This page lists every planet in order, what each one looks like, what the colours mean, and how the ranking changes.
Quick answer: Mercury = #1, Venus = #2, Earth = #3, Mars = #4, Jupiter = #5, Saturn = #6, Uranus = #7, Neptune = #8. The closer to the Sun, the closer the friend.
Snapchat planets in order (table)
| Position | Planet | What the badge looks like | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercury | Red planet with red hearts | Your #1 best friend, the person you snap and chat with most |
| 2 | Venus | Light brown or sandy planet with yellow, pink and blue hearts | Your #2 best friend |
| 3 | Earth | Blue and green planet with a moon, stars and red hearts | Your #3 best friend |
| 4 | Mars | Red planet with stars and purple and blue hearts | Your #4 best friend |
| 5 | Jupiter | Orange planet with dark stripes and stars | Your #5 best friend |
| 6 | Saturn | Orange or yellow planet with a ring and stars | Your #6 best friend |
| 7 | Uranus | Green planet, no hearts | Your #7 best friend |
| 8 | Neptune | Blue planet, no hearts | Your #8 best friend |
The trick to remembering it: the order is exactly the real solar system, and hearts fade out as you move away from the Sun. Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars have hearts; the outer planets only have stars or nothing.
Planet colours explained
People search by colour more than by name, so here is the reverse lookup:
- Red planet with hearts: Mercury (#1) if the hearts are all red, Mars (#4) if the hearts are purple and blue and there are stars.
- Blue planet: Earth (#3) if it has green land, a moon and hearts; Neptune (#8) if it is plain blue with nothing around it.
- Green planet: Uranus (#7).
- Orange planet: Jupiter (#5) if it has stripes, Saturn (#6) if it has a ring.
- Brown or sandy planet: Venus (#2).
What are Snapchat planets?
The feature is called the Friend Solar System and it is part of Snapchat+, the paid subscription. When you view a friend’s profile you see one of two badges:
- Best Friends (gold outline): you are in each other’s top eight.
- Friends: you are in their top eight but they are not in yours.
Tap the badge and Snapchat shows a planet. Your friend is the Sun, and the planet tells you which of their eight orbits you occupy. The ranking is built from how much the two of you interact: snaps carry the most weight, then chats, story replies and reactions, and keeping a streak going.
Snapchat has said the planets are a fun visual for the existing Best Friends list, not a measure of how good a friendship is. The list is private: nobody else can see who your Mercury is.
Each planet in detail
Mercury
Closest to the Sun. If you see Mercury on someone’s profile, you are their number one: the person they snap the most. Mercury is red with red hearts around it.
Venus
Second orbit. A sandy planet with a mix of yellow, pink and blue hearts. You are their second closest friend.
Earth
Third orbit. Looks like the real Earth, with a moon, a few stars and red hearts. Third best friend.
Mars
Fourth orbit. Red like Mercury, but with stars and purple and blue hearts instead of red ones. Fourth best friend.
Jupiter
Fifth orbit. A large orange planet with dark stripes and stars, no hearts. Fifth best friend.
Saturn
Sixth orbit. The only one with a ring, orange with stars. Sixth best friend.
Uranus
Seventh orbit. A plain green planet with no hearts. Seventh best friend.
Neptune
Eighth and last orbit. A plain blue planet. You are in their top eight, just at the edge of it.
How to see your planet on a friend’s profile
- Subscribe to Snapchat+ (about $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year; prices vary by country).
- Open a chat with the friend and tap their name or Bitmoji to open their profile.
- Tap the Best Friends or Friends badge under their name.
- The planet that appears is your position in their solar system.
Only the person looking needs Snapchat+. Your friend does not need to subscribe for you to see your planet on their profile. You can only check profiles of people who have you in their top eight, because otherwise there is no badge to tap.
How to change your Snapchat planet
There is no setting for it. Planets follow the Best Friends ranking, and the ranking follows interaction. To move closer to someone’s Sun:
- Send snaps, not just chats. Snaps are weighted highest.
- Reply to their stories and react to their snaps.
- Keep a streak going; consistency over months matters more than a burst of activity.
- Make it two way. The algorithm looks at what they send you as well.
Rankings update continuously, so a planet can change within days if your habits change.
FAQ
How many Snapchat planets are there?
Eight, one for each of the top eight friends: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Pluto is not included.
Can I see Snapchat planets without Snapchat+?
No. The badge is visible to everyone, but tapping it to reveal the planet requires Snapchat+.
What does the Sun mean on Snapchat?
The Sun is the friend whose profile you are looking at. Everyone else orbits them.
Why did my planet change?
Because your interaction level with that person changed relative to their other friends. Someone else snapped them more, or you snapped them less.
Does Snapchat notify people when I check their planet?
No. Viewing a badge is private.
What is the difference between Best Friends and Friends badges?
Best Friends (gold outline) means you are in each other’s top eight. Friends means you are in their top eight but they are not in yours.
Which planet is the best friend on Snapchat?
Mercury. It is the first orbit and marks the number one best friend.
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I write as a writer, as someone very familiar with the Internet, as someone who is completely at ease with current technology and the way it is transforming the social fabric of the globe, the business world in particular.
