If you have ever seen a friend’s Snapchat profile and wondered why your Bitmoji appears as Mercury, Venus, Earth, or another planet, you have encountered Snapchat’s Friend Solar System. The feature turns your Snapchat friendship into a simple solar-system-style visual, with different planets representing different positions in a friend’s Best Friends list.
Snapchat Planets can be confusing because the feature is part of Snapchat+, and the planet you see is based on your position in another person’s Snapchat friendship ranking—not your actual astronomical relationship with the planet.
In this guide, you’ll learn what Snapchat Planets mean, what all eight planets represent, how the Friend Solar System works, how to check your planet, and what the feature does—and does not—tell you about a friendship.
What Are Snapchat Planets?
Snapchat Planets are part of Snapchat’s Friend Solar System feature, which is available to Snapchat+ subscribers.
The feature uses the solar system as a visual way to show where you stand among someone’s Snapchat Best Friends. Snapchat says its Best Friends are the eight people with whom you Snap and Chat the most. Each position is represented by a different planet.
The basic idea is:
- The friend is represented as the Sun.
- You are represented by a planet.
- Your planet indicates your position among that person’s Best Friends.
- There are eight planets, corresponding to the eight Best Friends positions.
- The feature is private and does not display another person’s complete Best Friends list.
Importantly, these planets are not a scientific measurement of friendship. They reflect Snapchat activity and interaction patterns within the app.
Snapchat Planets in Order
The Snapchat Planets are arranged according to your position in a person’s Best Friends list.
| Position | Snapchat Planet | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Mercury | You are their closest-ranked Best Friend |
| 2nd | Venus | You are their second-ranked Best Friend |
| 3rd | Earth | You are their third-ranked Best Friend |
| 4th | Mars | You are their fourth-ranked Best Friend |
| 5th | Jupiter | You are their fifth-ranked Best Friend |
| 6th | Saturn | You are their sixth-ranked Best Friend |
| 7th | Uranus | You are their seventh-ranked Best Friend |
| 8th | Neptune | You are their eighth-ranked Best Friend |
Snapchat’s official support documentation confirms that Mercury through Neptune represent the different positions in the Best Friends list.
1. Mercury — Closest Position
Mercury represents the first position in the Friend Solar System.
If your Bitmoji appears as Mercury around someone’s Sun, Snapchat is indicating that you are in the first position among that person’s Best Friends.
Mercury is therefore generally considered the closest position available in the Snapchat Planet system.
2. Venus — Second Position
Venus represents the second position in the Friend Solar System.
It means you are ranked immediately behind the person represented by Mercury in that particular friend’s Best Friends ranking.
3. Earth — Third Position
Earth represents the third position.
If you appear as Earth, you are in the third position among that person’s eight Best Friends according to Snapchat’s system.
4. Mars — Fourth Position
Mars represents the fourth position.
This places you around the middle of the eight available Best Friends positions.
5. Jupiter — Fifth Position
Jupiter represents the fifth position.
Although Jupiter is physically the largest planet in our solar system, its size has no special meaning in Snapchat. It simply represents the fifth position in the Friend Solar System.
6. Saturn — Sixth Position
Saturn represents the sixth position.
The recognizable rings around Saturn make its Friendmoji particularly easy to identify, but the rings do not indicate an additional friendship status.
7. Uranus — Seventh Position
Uranus represents the seventh position.
This means you are near the bottom of the eight Best Friends positions for that particular person.
8. Neptune — Eighth Position
Neptune represents the eighth position.
Neptune is the final planet in Snapchat’s Friend Solar System and therefore represents the eighth position among the person’s Best Friends.
How Does the Snapchat Friend Solar System Work?
The system is easier to understand if you think of your friend as the Sun.
When you view the Friendship Profile of someone who has the relevant Snapchat+ feature enabled, Snapchat can show a Best Friends badge with a gold ring. Tapping the badge can reveal which planet you occupy in that person’s Solar System.
For example:
Your friend = Sun → You = Mercury
This indicates that you are in the first Best Friends position for that person.
Another person could have:
Your friend = Sun → You = Neptune
That indicates the eighth position.
The important point is that the planet represents your position in their list, not necessarily your position in yours.
Why Can Your Planet Be Different in Their Solar System?
This is one of the most confusing parts of Snapchat Planets.
Your position in someone else’s Solar System does not automatically have to match their position in yours.
For example, imagine:
- You interact with Friend A very frequently.
- Friend A interacts with you less frequently than you interact with them.
- You could appear as Mercury in Friend A’s Solar System.
- Friend A could appear as a different planet in yours.
That is because the systems are based on each person’s own Snapchat interactions.
So, Mercury for you does not automatically mean the other person is Mercury for you.
How to Check Your Snapchat Planet
If you have access to Snapchat’s Friend Solar System feature, you can check your position through the Friendship Profile.
Generally:
- Open Snapchat.
- Go to the friend whose Solar System you want to check.
- Open their Friendship Profile.
- Look for the Best Friends badge with the gold ring.
- Tap the badge.
- Snapchat will show the planet representing your position in their Solar System.
The exact appearance of Snapchat’s interface can change as the app is updated, so menu names or navigation may vary slightly between versions and devices.
Do You Need Snapchat+ for Snapchat Planets?
Yes. Snapchat’s Friend Solar System is a Snapchat+ feature. Snapchat lists Solar System among the exclusive features available with its Snapchat+ subscription.
Snapchat+ is Snapchat’s subscription service, which includes premium, experimental, and pre-release features. Snapchat’s official support page currently lists Solar System alongside other Snapchat+ features.
Subscription availability and pricing can vary by country and device, so users should check the Snapchat+ section inside their Snapchat account for the current information applicable to them.
Is Snapchat Solar System Turned On Automatically?
For new Snapchat+ subscribers, Solar System is turned off by default. Snapchat says subscribers can enable the feature through Snapchat+’s feature management settings and can turn it on or off at any time.
This change was announced by Snapchat in April 2024 after the company acknowledged concerns about how friendship-ranking features could affect users. Snapchat described Solar System as an optional and private feature and said it would be turned off by default.
What Do Snapchat Planets Actually Tell You?
Snapchat Planets primarily tell you where you fall within another person’s Snapchat Best Friends ranking.
They can give you an idea of how frequently you communicate with someone through Snapchat, but they should not be treated as a complete measurement of your real-world friendship.
Snapchat itself has explained that Solar System illustrates communication frequency between friends. It also emphasizes that the feature does not show all of another person’s friends or provide a numerical ranking.
What Snapchat Planets Do Tell You
They can indicate:
- Your position among a friend’s Best Friends.
- Whether you are within that person’s top eight Snapchat contacts.
- How your Snapchat interaction compares within that particular ranking.
What Snapchat Planets Do Not Tell You
They do not necessarily tell you:
- Who someone’s real-life best friend is.
- How much someone values you outside Snapchat.
- Whether someone likes you more than another person.
- How close you are emotionally.
- How frequently you communicate on other apps.
A planet is best understood as a Snapchat interaction indicator, not a complete friendship score.
Are Snapchat Planets the Same as Snapchat Friend Emojis?
No. Snapchat Planets and Snapchat Friend Emojis are different features.
Friend emojis can appear next to friends in Snapchat and indicate certain friendship or interaction statuses. Solar System uses planets and Bitmoji-style visuals to represent positions in the Best Friends system.
Both features relate to Snapchat friendships, but they communicate different information.
Why Did Snapchat Create the Solar System Feature?
Snapchat has explained that it created Solar System because users wanted more information about their friendships on Snapchat.
The company said that online conversations can lack some of the social context people receive during face-to-face interactions, and it designed features such as Solar System to provide additional friendship context.
At the same time, Snapchat acknowledged that seeing a lower position could sometimes make users feel uncomfortable. This was one reason the company changed Solar System to be off by default for new subscribers.
A Practical Way to Interpret Snapchat Planets
If you are trying to understand what a planet means, keep the interpretation simple.
Mercury: You are in the first position.
Venus: You are in the second position.
Earth: You are in the third position.
Mars: You are in the fourth position.
Jupiter: You are in the fifth position.
Saturn: You are in the sixth position.
Uranus: You are in the seventh position.
Neptune: You are in the eighth position.
Avoid treating these positions as a judgment of your overall relationship. Snapchat measures activity within its own platform, not every interaction you have with another person.
Common Snapchat Planets Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Assuming Neptune Means Someone Does Not Like You
Neptune only represents the eighth position in the relevant Snapchat Best Friends list. It does not prove anything about someone’s feelings toward you.
Mistake 2: Assuming Mercury Means You Are Their Best Friend in Real Life
Mercury indicates the first position in the Snapchat system. Real-life friendships involve many factors that Snapchat cannot measure.
Mistake 3: Comparing Two People’s Planets as If They Are Identical
Your planet in another person’s Solar System and their planet in yours can be different because each ranking is based on individual interaction patterns.
Mistake 4: Assuming the Planets Are Astronomical
The planets are simply a visual metaphor. Snapchat uses the familiar solar-system structure to represent friendship positions.
Snapchat Planets: Quick Reference
| Planet | Position | Simple Meaning |
| Mercury | 1 | Closest Best Friends position |
| Venus | 2 | Second position |
| Earth | 3 | Third position |
| Mars | 4 | Fourth position |
| Jupiter | 5 | Fifth position |
| Saturn | 6 | Sixth position |
| Uranus | 7 | Seventh position |
| Neptune | 8 | Eighth position |
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the planets mean on Snapchat?
The planets represent your position among another person’s eight Best Friends on Snapchat. Mercury represents the first position, while Neptune represents the eighth position.
What is Mercury on Snapchat?
Mercury represents the first position in a person’s Friend Solar System. If you appear as Mercury around someone’s Sun, Snapchat is indicating that you occupy the first position among that person’s Best Friends.
What does Neptune mean on Snapchat?
Neptune represents the eighth position in the Friend Solar System. It means you are in the eighth position among that person’s Snapchat Best Friends, based on Snapchat’s interaction system.
Do you need Snapchat+ to see Snapchat Planets?
Yes. Snapchat’s Friend Solar System is a Snapchat+ feature. Snapchat currently lists Solar System among the features included with its paid Snapchat+ subscription.
Can someone see what planet they are for you?
The Solar System is designed as a private feature. When enabled, it lets a Snapchat+ subscriber see their position in another person’s Solar System; it does not reveal that person’s entire Best Friends list.
Does being Mercury mean you are someone’s best friend in real life?
No. Mercury indicates the first position in Snapchat’s Best Friends system, which is based on Snapchat interactions. It should not be interpreted as a definitive measure of a real-world friendship.
Conclusion
Snapchat Planets are a visual way to understand your position in someone’s Snapchat Best Friends list. The Friend Solar System uses eight planets—Mercury through Neptune—to represent the eight positions, with Mercury being first and Neptune being eighth.
The feature is available through Snapchat+, and Snapchat currently keeps Solar System off by default for new subscribers, allowing users to choose whether they want to use it.
The most important takeaway is simple: a Snapchat Planet reflects your interaction position on Snapchat, not the complete value or quality of a friendship. Use it as a fun feature rather than a definitive friendship test.
If you use Snapchat+, check your Friendship Profiles to see how the Solar System works for your own connections—and remember that real friendships extend far beyond what an app can measure.
Sources & E-E-A-T Notes
This guide is based primarily on Snapchat’s official Support documentation and Snapchat’s own Newsroom explanation of Friend Solar Systems. Those sources establish the planet order, Snapchat+ requirement, Best Friends concept, privacy characteristics, and default-off behavior.
For current subscription availability or pricing, users should rely on the Snapchat+ information displayed inside the Snapchat app because Snapchat notes that pricing can vary by country and device.
