Snapchat Planet: Understanding The Friend Solar System Feature

Snapchat has always been known for its creative, playful, and interactive features. From filters and streaks to Bitmoji avatars and AR lenses, the platform continuously finds new ways to keep users engaged. One of its more intriguing and recent additions is the Snapchat Planet feature, which is part of the platform’s Friend Solar System.

What is Snapchat Planet?

Snapchat Planet is a feature introduced within Snapchat Plus—a paid subscription service launched in 2022. It allows users to see their closest friends as planets in a solar system, with themselves represented as the Sun. The closer the “planet” is to the Sun, the stronger the friendship ranking. Essentially, Snapchat Planet is a fun, visual way to display friendship.

p closeness based on your interactions with friends on Snapchat.

How the Friend Solar System Works

The Friend Solar System is a ranking feature that assigns you and your friends different positions in a virtual solar system based on your interaction frequency. If you and a friend are on each other’s Best Friends list, you’ll see a special planet icon representing their rank.

Here’s how it generally works:

The Sun – You are always the Sun in your own Friend Solar System.

Planets – Friends are assigned different planets, from Mercury (closest) to Neptune (farthest), based on your interaction level.

Position – The closer a planet is to the Sun, the more you interact with that friend.

The Snapchat Planet Order

Snapchat’s planets are inspired by the real solar system but come with colorful, cartoon-style designs. Each planet corresponds to a best-friend ranking:

Mercury –  Best Friend (closest)

Venus –  Best Friend

Earth –  Best Friend

Mars – Best Friend

Jupiter –  Best Friend

Saturn –  Best Friend (with rings)

Uranus –  Best Friend

Neptune – Best Friend (farthest)

How to See Your Snapchat Planet

The Snapchat Planet feature is only available for Snapchat Plus subscribers. If you have Snapchat Plus, here’s how you can check it:

• Open Snapchat and go to your friend’s profile.
• Tap on the Best Friends or Friends badge.

If you’re on each other’s Best Friends list, you’ll see the Snapchat Planet animation showing their planet in your solar system.

Snapchat Plus and Snapchat Planet

Snapchat Plus is Snapchat’s premium subscription plan that offers exclusive features, such as:

• Snapchat Planet (Friend Solar System)
• Story rewatch count
• Ghost trails (location history of friends)
• Custom app icons
• Priority story replies

Why Snapchat Added the Planet Feature

Snapchat thrives on social interaction gamification. The Friend Solar System:

• Encourages users to interact more frequently.
• Creates a fun, competitive vibe among friends.
• Offers exclusivity for Snapchat Plus subscribers, boosting subscriptions.

By turning friendships into a colorful solar system, Snapchat taps into our natural curiosity about relationships and rankings.

The Meaning Behind Each Snapchat Planet

Snapchat didn’t just randomly assign planets. they loosely align with real-world astronomical distances and personality stereotypes.

Mercury: Closest to the Sun, representing your top best friend with whom you exchange snaps daily.

Venus: Warm and friendly relationship, but slightly less frequent than Mercury.

Earth: Balanced, strong friendship; lots of shared snaps and chats.

Mars: A good friend with occasional interaction.

Jupiter: Known for being big and social; represents friends you interact with but not daily.

Saturn: The rings may symbolize occasional distance or uniqueness in your connection.

Uranus: Fewer interactions, but still in your top friends.

Neptune: Farthest friend in the solar system; limited interaction.

How to Increase Your Snapchat Planet Rank

If you want to move closer to the Sun in someone’s Friend Solar System:

• Send Snaps Daily – Photos or videos count more than text chats.
• Engage in Streaks – Maintain long snap streaks.
• Reply Quickly – Frequent, timely responses boost your ranking.
• Use Snapchat’s Features – Play with filters, Bitmoji games, and chat.
• Interact Across Features – Snaps, chats, and story interactions all matter.

Privacy Concerns and Criticism

While Snapchat Planet is fun, it has sparked debates about privacy and social pressure.

Privacy Concerns

• Users may feel uncomfortable knowing their friendships are being ranked.
• Younger users might face peer pressure to maintain certain rankings.
• The feature reveals interaction levels that some may prefer to keep private.

Social Impact

• Could create jealousy or competition among friends.
• Might encourage overuse of the app just to maintain rankings.

Snapchat allows users to disable the feature by unsubscribing from Snapchat Plus or turning off friend badges.

Snapchat Planet vs. Other Social Media Friendship Features

Social media platforms have long used “friendship meters”:

• Facebook – Shows “Top friends” in certain lists.
• Instagram – Close Friends list for private stories.
• BeReal – Focuses on daily authenticity without rankings.

However, Snapchat’s planet system stands out for its visual, gamified approach.

Tips for Using Snapchat Planet Responsibly

Don’t stress over rankings – They’re based on algorithms, not actual emotional closeness.

• Have fun with it – Treat it as a game, not a measure of real friendship.
• Balance online and offline connections – Quality time in real life matters more.
• Adjust settings – If you don’t like it, disable the feature.

The Future of Snapchat Planet

Snapchat could expand this feature in the future by:

• Adding more customization (choosing your own planets).
• Introducing seasonal or themed solar systems.
• Allowing more than eight rankings for larger friend groups.
• Gamifying interactions with badges and rewards.

With social media trends constantly evolving, Snapchat Planet could either remain a quirky side feature or grow into a central part of the platform’s engagement strategy.

Conclusion

Snapchat Planet is a playful yet fascinating way to visualize friendships through the Friend Solar System feature. While it’s exclusive to Snapchat Plus subscribers, it’s become a widely discussed element of the apps due to its mix of personalization, gamification, and visual creativity Blooket Login. Whether you’re Mercury in someone’s universe or Neptune on the edge, remember that Snapchat Planet is just a fun representation not a true reflection of friendship depth. Like many social media features, it’s best enjoyed in moderation and with a sense of humor.