Snapchat Planets is the name most people use for a small badge that can cause a lot of overthinking. A friend’s profile shows a planet, someone asks what Saturn means, and suddenly a group chat is trying to work out who ranks where. The feature is real, it is official, and it only shows up for people who pay for Snapchat+.

This review covers what Snapchat Planets actually are, how the planet order works, what each planet means, how to turn the feature on and off, what it costs to access, and the privacy points worth knowing. Every point comes from Snapchat’s own help pages and newsroom or from published tech coverage, so you can check it yourself.

Understanding Snapchat Planets in 2026

What Snapchat Planets Are

Snapchat Planets is the everyday name for Friend Solar Systems, a feature inside Snapchat+, the app’s paid subscription. On Snapchat’s help page for Friend Solar Systems, subscribers see a “Best Friends” badge with a gold ring on a friend’s Friendship Profile. Tapping that badge shows which planet you are in that friend’s Solar System.

Each planet stands for a position in the friend’s Best Friends list. There are eight planets, Mercury through Neptune, because Snapchat’s Best Friends list holds up to eight people.

The Problem It Solves

Snapchat already ranks your own contacts. The friends you Snap and Chat with most sit at the top of your Send To screen and get special Friend Emojis. What you cannot normally see is how you rank for someone else.

Snap explained the reason in an April 2024 newsroom post: people told the company they wanted to know more about their friendships, and online chats lack many of the social signals of a face-to-face talk. Solar System fills that gap, but only from your side of one friendship at a time.

Who Is Searching for Snapchat Planets

Most searches come from two groups. The first is Snapchat+ subscribers who just saw a planet badge and want to know what it means. The second is people who heard friends talk about planets and want to know whether it is worth paying for, or whether someone can see where they rank.

The short answers: the planet shows your position in one friend’s list, the feature needs Snapchat+, and it is off until a subscriber turns it on.

Snapchat Planets Order and Meanings

The order follows the real solar system. The closer the planet is to the Sun, the higher you sit in that friend’s Best Friends list. Pluto is not included, so the list stops at Neptune.

Planet Position in the friend’s Best Friends list How coverage describes the badge
Mercury 1st Red hearts
Venus 2nd Hearts in pink, yellow, and blue
Earth 3rd Moon in the background, visible continents
Mars 4th Deep red planet
Jupiter 5th Great Red Spot and marbling
Saturn 6th Large ring system
Uranus 7th Green spirals
Neptune 8th Deep blue planet

The badge descriptions come from Android Authority’s guide to the planets. Snapchat may change the artwork, so the planet name is the reliable part.

Mercury

Mercury is the first planet from the Sun and the top spot. If you see Mercury on a friend’s profile, you are the person that friend Snaps and Chats with the most right now.

Venus

Venus is second place. You are one of the people that friend talks to most, just behind one other person.

Earth

Earth is third. It is still a close spot in a list that only holds eight people.

Mars

Mars is fourth, the middle of the list. You are a regular contact for that friend, with three people ahead of you.

Jupiter

Jupiter is fifth. You are in the list, with four people ahead of you in that friend’s top eight.

Saturn

Saturn is sixth. Coverage points to its ring as the easiest way to spot it.

Uranus

Uranus is seventh, near the edge of the list. A small change in who that friend talks to could move you out.

Neptune

Neptune is eighth, the last planet. You are still one of that friend’s Best Friends, but at the outer edge of the list.

Best Friends Badge vs Friends Badge

Snapchat’s help page describes the “Best Friends” badge with a gold ring. Coverage from Pocket-lint and Android Authority adds a second badge. A “Best Friends” badge means you are in each other’s Solar Systems. A plain “Friends” badge means you are in their Solar System, but they are not in yours. Tapping either badge shows your planet.

How Snapchat Planets Work

Based on Snaps and Chats

The ranking comes from activity on Snapchat, not from anything you set by hand. Snapchat describes Best Friends as the friends you Snap and Chat with the most, updated over a rolling time period. Snapchat does not publish the exact formula.

Positions Change Over Time

Planets are not permanent. The Best Friends list is updated regularly, and Pocket-lint notes that Snapping or Chatting with someone more can change your place. A Saturn badge this week can be Venus next month, or disappear.

Only Your Own Position Is Shown

According to Snap’s newsroom post, the feature shows your friend as the Sun and your Bitmoji on a planet. It does not show any other friends, and it is not visible to anyone else. You see your spot in their list, not the full list. Some guides describe it with you as the Sun and your friends around you, but Snap’s own description is the one above.

Off by Default

Since April 2024, Solar System is off by default for first-time Snapchat+ subscribers. A subscriber has to switch it on before any planet badges appear.

Snapchat+ Only

There is no free version. The feature sits inside Snapchat+, alongside other subscriber features such as the Extended Best Friends List and the option to pin a #1 Best Friend.

How to See Snapchat Planets Step by Step

Subscribe to Snapchat+

Go to your Profile and tap the Snapchat+ banner card at the top, then choose a subscription. You can also subscribe on the web at snapchat.com/plus. Snapchat’s subscription help page notes that you may need to restart the app before Snapchat+ features appear.

Turn On Solar System

Open your Profile, tap the Snapchat+ membership card, and find Solar System in the feature list. Toggle it on.

Important: If you do not see any planets after subscribing, check this toggle first. It is off by default for new subscribers.

Open a Friend’s Friendship Profile

Swipe right from the camera screen, then tap a friend’s Bitmoji. This opens the Friendship Profile you share with that person.

Tap the Badge

If you are among that friend’s eight Best Friends, a badge appears on the profile. Tap it to see your planet. If there is no badge, you are likely not in their top eight right now.

Check Back Later

Because the list updates, your planet can move. One look is a snapshot, not a final verdict on a friendship.

How to Turn Off Snapchat Planets

Snapchat says Solar System can be toggled on or off at any time. Open your Profile, tap the Snapchat+ membership card, and switch Solar System off. The planet badges stop showing for you.

If you want to leave Snapchat+ altogether, cancel where you subscribed. Per Snapchat’s cancellation help page, iPhone subscriptions are cancelled through the App Store, Android subscriptions through Google Play, and web subscriptions through the Snapchat accounts portal. On iOS, a free trial has to be cancelled at least 24 hours before it ends to avoid a charge.

Snapchat Planets Pricing

Snapchat Planets has no separate price. It comes with Snapchat+, which Snapchat offers as a monthly or yearly individual subscription, plus Family, Platinum, and Lens+ plans. The Family Plan lets the subscriber add 2 more people.

Note: Snapchat shows the price and renewal terms in the app and in the App Store or Google Play before you confirm, and some plans are not available in every region. Published guides have quoted different prices over time, so check the current price in your own app before subscribing.

Snapchat Planets vs Other Friendship Features

Solar System is one of several ways Snapchat shows how close you are to someone. Here is how it compares to the others.

Snapchat Planets vs Friend Emojis

Friend Emojis appear next to names in your Chat list for everyone, not just subscribers. A yellow heart means you are each other’s #1 Best Friend, a red heart means that has lasted two weeks, and pink hearts mean two months. A smiley face means someone is one of your Best Friends. They tell you about mutual status, while planets show your exact spot in one friend’s list.

Snapchat Planets vs Extended Best Friends List

The Extended Best Friends List is another Snapchat+ feature. It shows your own current 8 Best Friends, your next 8 Upcoming Best Friends, and any movement since you last checked. It looks at your list, while Solar System looks at where you sit in someone else’s.

Snapchat Planets vs Charms

Charms sit at the bottom of a Friendship Profile and celebrate a friendship based on how you interact, birthdays, Bitmoji, and more. They are lighter in tone and do not rank anyone.

Snapchat Planets vs Pinned BFF

Snapchat+ subscribers can also pin one friend as their #1 Best Friend. Only you can see who you pinned, and if both friends are subscribers and pin each other, a special emoji appears for both. This is a choice you make, not a ranking based on activity.

Feature Snapchat Planets Friend Emojis Extended Best Friends List Charms
Needs Snapchat+ Yes No Yes No
What it shows Your position in one friend’s Best Friends list Your mutual Best Friend status Your own top 8 plus next 8 Friendship mementos
Who sees it Only you You and that friend Only you You and that friend

Advantages of Using Snapchat Planets

Simple to Read

Eight planets in a fixed order are easy to understand. Once you know Mercury is first and Neptune is eighth, every badge makes sense.

Private to You

Snap says the feature is not visible to anyone else. Checking your planet does not post anything or alert the friend.

Optional and Easy to Switch Off

It is off by default and can be toggled at any time. People who do not want the information never have to see it.

Answers a Question Snapchat Otherwise Hides

The standard app shows your own Best Friends but not where you rank for others. For people who want that context, Solar System is the official way to get it.

Limitations and Honest Concerns

It Measures Activity, Not Friendship

The ranking reflects how often two people Snap and Chat. A close friend who prefers texting or calls may never put you in their Solar System. Snapchat even notes that My AI can appear on a Best Friends list if you chat with it often enough.

It Can Feel Bad

Snap admitted in April 2024 that knowing you are not as close to a friend as you would like can feel bad, and that Solar System can make that worse. TechCrunch reported that the change came less than a week after The Wall Street Journal wrote about the feature adding to teens’ anxiety.

It Costs Money

You cannot see planets without a Snapchat+ subscription, and the price varies by region and plan.

Few Use It

Snap said in April 2024 that Solar System was used by less than 0.25% of its community each day, on average. Many friends will never check, or will not know what a planet badge means.

Privacy Notes

What Stays Private

Snapchat’s help pages say no one else can see your Best Friends list, and Snap’s newsroom says Solar System is not visible to anyone else. Turning the feature on does not publish a ranking.

What Others Can Learn

People may see whether they are among your Best Friends. A friend with Snapchat+ and Solar System turned on can also see which planet they are in your list. The help pages describe the toggle for subscribers only, and do not describe a setting that keeps your list positions from showing to subscribed friends.

Screenshots

Snapchat warns that screenshotting a Friendship Profile may notify that friend. If you want to share a planet badge, keep that in mind.

Who Should Use Snapchat Planets

Curious Snapchat+ Subscribers

If you already pay for Snapchat+ and want to know where you stand with a few close friends, turning it on costs nothing extra.

People Who Take Rankings Lightly

The feature suits people who see it as a game. If a Neptune badge would bother you for days, leaving it off is the simpler choice.

Parents Checking What Teens See

Parents who hear about planets can use this guide to understand the feature. It needs a paid subscription and a manual toggle, and it only shows one position per friend.

New Snapchat Users Setting Up a Profile

If you are just getting started, the friendship features matter less than the basics, like picking a name and setting up your profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the planets mean on Snapchat?

Each planet shows your position in a friend’s Best Friends list. Mercury is 1st, then Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune at 8th.

What is the Snapchat planet order?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. It matches the order of planets from the Sun. Pluto is not included.

Do you need Snapchat+ to see Snapchat Planets?

Yes. Solar System is only available with a Snapchat+ subscription, and it has to be turned on in the Snapchat+ membership card first.

Can my friends see their planet in my Solar System?

A friend who has Snapchat+ and Solar System turned on can see which planet they are in your list. They cannot see who else is in it.

How do I turn off Snapchat Planets?

Go to your Profile, tap the Snapchat+ membership card, and toggle Solar System off. You can turn it back on at any time.

How often do Snapchat Planets change?

Snapchat does not publish a schedule. The Best Friends list is updated regularly over a rolling time period, so your planet can move as your activity with that friend changes.

Final Verdict

Snapchat Planets is a simple, private way for Snapchat+ subscribers to see where they rank in a friend’s Best Friends list. The order is easy to learn, the feature is off unless you choose it, and it can be switched off at any time.

It is also a narrow tool. It measures Snapchat activity, not how close two people really are, and Snap itself has said it can make people feel worse. If you already have Snapchat+ and treat the planets as a bit of fun, it is worth a look. If you would be tempted to read too much into a Uranus badge, the free Friend Emojis already tell you most of what matters.