What Are Snapchat Planets? A Complete User Guide
Published on: 15 Dec, 2025
Introduction
Snapchat+ subscribers may have noticed that the "planets" appearing beside a user's name are different (e.g. you're Mercury for one person and Jupiter for another), and upon seeing the feature for the first time, you may have wondered what it was all about. Snapchat added this feature as part of its newest update. This is done with a Solar System theme that indicates how close someone is to you. With this theme, you are the sun and all other friends are the planets orbiting around you.
The update might seem strange at first glance, but it’s a huge hit with people because everyone loves to see their own status. Let’s take a look at what each of the planets signify, how the order in which they appear represents one's position within a group (or community) and why everyone, from users and creators of content to brands have taken notice of this!
What Are Snapchat Planets?
Planets are Snapchat+’s playful way of showing how close you are with your friends. Instead of just a “best friends” list, the app turns your connections into a mini solar system. The closer a friend is to you, the closer their planet is to your sun. How the planets appear depends on how much you snap, chat, or interact with each other.
It’s a fun, visual way to see your top friends at a glance. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Quick Look:
You = Sun
Top 8 Friends:
Planet Placement:
Snapchat+ Only:
Ranking Fun:
All your friends orbit around you.
All your closest friends are planets.
The more you interact, the closer that planet comes to you.
Regular users can’t see these planets.
It gives a playful twist to friendship levels, instead of just a plain list.
How the Snapchat Solar System Works
Snapchat's Solar System feature represents more than a creative concept, it depicts how you connect with those that matter most to you in a visual form. In this model, you represent the Sun, while your closest friends surround you as Planetary Bodies rotating around you.
The proximity of the orbiting planets around your sun increases proportionately to the frequency of contact made by each corresponding planetary-body. On the contrary, those who do not appear often enough will have their Planetary Bodies removed from the centre of your solar system.
Here’s a closer look at how it works:
You = The Sun:
Top 8 Friends = Planets:
Interaction Matters:
Dynamic System:
Real Solar System Order:
Quick Example:
Everything revolves around your activity.
Only your closest friends appear in this orbit.
The more snaps, chats, or story replies, the closer the planet stays.
Planet positions can change if your interactions with friends increase or decrease.
The planets follow the same order as Mercury to Neptune, ranking friends from closest to less close.
If you snap with Sarah every day, their planet might be Mercury. If you only occasionally chat with David, they could be Neptune.
This way, you can look at your Solar System and instantly get to know who you interact with most and who’s drifting away a bit.
The Official Snapchat Planet Order
This planet system works on the real order of the solar system to give a ranking of your top 8 friends. The closest planet to the sun is your closest friend. So your #1 best friend is Mercury, #2 is Venus, and so on till the #8th which is Neptune. It’s basically a cute and visual ranking system that shows the person with whom you interact the most.
Below is the list which is very easy to understand-
Rank 1 Mercury
- Closest friend on Snapchat
- The person you talk to the most
Rank 2 Venus
- Second closest friend
- Lots of snaps and chats
Rank 3 Earth
- Strong connection
- Regular conversations
Rank 4 Mars
- Someone you talk to regularly
- Not as active as your top 3 friends
Rank 5 Jupiter
- More casual but still regular
Rank 6 Saturn
- You talk but less frequently
Rank 7 Uranus
- Low interaction
Rank 8 Neptune
- Less active in your top 8 list
Understanding the snap.planets Feature
The feature is an easy way to check your friends’ planets without opening every chat. It uses the same Solar System theme and shows everything in one simple view. People enjoy it because it’s visual and easy to understand, and it gives a quick sense of how close you are to someone. Unlike the regular best-friends list, this feels interactive since it shows each friend’s spot in the “system,” and not just their names.
Key things about snap.planets:
- It shows your top 8 friends as planets in order of closeness.
- Lets you see the Solar System in just one look.
- Updates regularly as interactions change.
- Only available for Snapchat+ users.
- Popular search terms are planets Snapchat, snap.planets, and Solar System Snapchat.
How to See the Snapchat Planets (Snapchat+)
The planet's feature can only be seen by a smaller number of people that have Snapchat+, the app’s premium version. If you have it, then planets become easier to find and use once you know where to find them.
Steps to See the Snapchat Planets:
- Make sure you have the premium version of Snapchat.
- Open a chat with a friend.
- Look for the planet symbol which comes adjacent to their name.
- Tap on it to see their position in your Snapchat Solar System.
- To see your full planetary view, use the snap.planets feature.
Who can see planets:
- Only Snapchat+ users can see the Solar System.
- Regular Snapchat users won’t see the planet ranking around friends.
- Planets update automatically based on your interactions.
Why Snapchat Planets Matter for Creators & Brands
This feature is not just to give you a fun experience but also a way of letting you know about your relationships. But for creators, it’s a way to know who interacts with their content the most and who their loyal followers are. This helps you to create content that your community can relate with.
The Solar System is a way to boost engagement and stand out for brands. Using these planets in posts or campaigns can help them grab attention, make content more playful, and even give insights into audience behavior. In short, it’s visual, interactive, and perfect for connecting with Gen-Z users.
Differences Between snap planets and Other Platforms
The Snapchat planets differ from comparable features already present on Instagram or TikTok. Although other social apps have “Close Friends” lists or “besties,” Snapchat makes this more visual and interactive through planets.
Differences:
- Visual
- Conversation-driven
- Gamified
- Exclusive Only Snapchat+ users can access it.
- Dynamic
The planets orbit around you, instead of just a list of names.
Your interactions affect the order of the planets.
Almost like a mini-game that displays friendship placements.
Planet positions change based on activity, unlike static friend lists elsewhere.
Snapchat planets are more fun, playful, and give a quick “relationship snapshot” compared to other platforms.
Common Questions About Snapchat Planets
Snapchat planets are confusing when you first look at them. So, here are some basic questions that people ask to clear your doubts:
What determines your planet?
How often does the planet order update?
Why do planets change suddenly?
Does blocking or removing affect planets?
It depends on your interaction with a friend in snaps, chats, and stories.
It updates regularly as your top friends can move up or down as interactions change.
Plants change according to your interactions, so if it is more or less than usual, the planet rankings can jump.
Ye, if you block or remove a friend, they will disappear from your Solar System.
How Brands Can Use Snapchat Solar System Trends
Brands can be creative using Snapchat planets as making posts or stories around the Solar System theme helps in grabbing attention because it’s playful and interactive. To make campaigns more memorable, visuals with planets can be posted.
It's also a great way to understand your audience as by noticing who interacts the most can help customize content for your loyal followers, and build connections with Gen-Z users. Utilizing applicable features of Snapchat+ such as planets can not only be fun but can help improve engagement and social strategy.
Final Thoughts
Snapchat planets are not just a fun feature, but also they’re an interesting way to see your friendships and interactions. For regular users, they show who you talk to the most. For creators and brands, it gives you a look into your engagement and audience behavior.
The Solar System style makes it playful, visual, and easy to understand. Knowing about planets, snap.planets, and the order of Snapchat planets can help you connect better, create smarter content, and even join the latest trends. It’s a small feature, but it can have a huge impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do Snapchat planets mean on Snapchat+?
They show your closest friends as planets, ranked by how much you interact. The closer the planet, the stronger the connection.
2. How do I check snap planets for my friends?
Open a chat with a friend and look for the planet icon. Tap it to see their place in your Snapchat Solar System.
3. What is the correct Snapchat planet order and why does it matter?
The correct order of Snapchat planets is Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. It shows your top 8 friends which are ranked from closest to least close.
4. Why don’t I see planets on Snapchat even though others do?
Snapchat planets is a limited feature which is only visible on the premium version of the app. It is only available for Snapchat+ users, so regular accounts won’t see them.
5. Do I need Snapchat+ to access Snapchat plus planets?
Yes. Only Snapchat+ subscribers can use the Solar System and see planets.