Snapchat Planet Order Explained

July 28, 2025 Olaoluwa

Ever noticed mysterious planet emojis 🌍 appearing next to your closest friends’ names on Snapchat? Welcome to the Snapchat Planet Order – also known as the “Friend Solar System” – a visual representation of your inner social circle. This guide cuts through the confusion, explaining what the planets mean, how they work, and why they appear (or disappear). Understanding your Snapchat friend solar system helps you grasp how Snapchat interprets your interactions, though it’s important not to take it too seriously!

What is the Snapchat Planet Order (Friend Solar System)?

The Snapchat Planet Order is a feature within Snapchat’s “Friend Emojis” system. It visually ranks your Snapchat close friends by assigning each of your mutual top eight friends (your “Best Friends”) a planet emoji. Think of it as a cosmic Snapchat friend hierarchy:

Your profile is the Sun: You’re at the center.
Eight planets orbit you: Each planet represents one of your eight mutual Best Friends, ordered by closeness based on Snapchat interactions.
Mutual requirement: Planets only appear if you and that friend are both in each other’s “Best Friends” list (the top 8 people you interact with most).
Visual cue: You’ll see the planet emoji directly next to a friend’s name on their profile screen or in your Chat list.

This feature adds a layer of fun, gamified visualization to your Snapchat best friends list. (Learn more about Friend Emojis on Snapchat’s Official Support Page).

How Does Snapchat Determine Your Planet Order? (The Ranking Algorithm)

Your Snapchat Planet Order isn’t random. It’s determined by Snapchat’s algorithm, which constantly analyzes your interactions. Key factors include:

Frequency & Recency: How often and how recently you exchange Snaps and Chats.
Interaction Type: Sending images/videos, text chats, reacting to Stories, using Chat features (voice notes, video calls).
Mutuality: The ranking only applies to friends where the interaction is strong enough that you are both in each other’s top 8 Best Friends list.

Important Nuances:

It’s Private: Your Snapchat Planet Order is unique to your view. Your friend Mercury might see you as their Saturn! There’s no public leaderboard.
Dynamic & Ever-Changing: The algorithm updates constantly based on your latest interactions. A friend’s planet can shift or they might drop out of your solar system entirely if interactions decrease.
No Human Control: You cannot manually assign or rearrange planets. The order is purely algorithmic.
Focus on Mutual Top 8: If someone isn’t in your mutual top 8, they won’t get a planet in your view, even if you chat frequently.

For deeper insights into social media algorithms, reputable sources like Wired often explore how platforms rank connections.

The Snapchat Planet Order Explained: What Each Planet Represents

Each planet in your Snapchat friend solar system corresponds to a specific rank within your mutual Best Friends list. The order follows our solar system’s layout relative to the Sun (you!):

Mercury (☿): Your #1 Best Friend. This person is your closest mutual connection on Snapchat – you interact with them the most frequently and recently.
Venus (♀): Your #2 Best Friend. A very close mutual friend, just slightly less interaction than your Mercury.
Earth (🌍): Your #3 Best Friend. A strong mutual connection, central to your Snapchat circle.
Mars (♂): Your #4 Best Friend. A solid mutual friend within your top tier.
Jupiter (♃): Your #5 Best Friend. Still a significant mutual connection.
Saturn (♄): Your #6 Best Friend. Part of your close mutual circle.
Uranus (♅): Your #7 Best Friend. Within your mutual top 8.
Neptune (♆): Your #8 Best Friend. The “outermost” friend in your mutual Best Friends list, but still in your top tier.

Key Takeaway: Lower number = Closer orbit to you (the Sun) = Higher rank in your Snapchat friend hierarchy. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars represent your absolute closest mutual connections.

Can You Change Your Snapchat Planet Order?

You cannot directly change or assign the Snapchat Planet Order. It’s algorithmically generated. However, you can influence it indirectly:

Increase Interaction: To move a friend “closer” (e.g., from Mars to Earth), interact with them more on Snapchat: send Snaps, reply to Stories, use Chat features.
Decrease Interaction: Interacting less with a current planet-holder will likely cause them to drop down in rank or even out of your solar system if they fall out of your mutual top 8.
Time is Key: Changes aren’t instant. The algorithm needs consistent interaction patterns over time to shift rankings.
Turn It Off: Don’t like the feature? Go to your Profile > Settings (gear icon) > Privacy Control > Friend Emojis > Toggle it OFF. This hides all Friend Emojis, including planets, for you.

You cannot: Manually set someone as Mercury, freeze the order, or see the planet order for friends who don’t have you in their top 8.

Why the Snapchat Planet Order Matters (Or Doesn’t)

Potential Significance:

Fun Insight: It’s a lighthearted, visual way to see who your most active mutual connections are on the app.
Reflection of Habits: It objectively shows who you engage with most frequently via Snaps and Chats.
The “Mercury” Effect: Being someone’s Mercury can feel validating, signaling a strong mutual Snapchat bond.

Reasons Not to Stress:

Not Real-Life Closeness: It only measures Snapchat interaction frequency/recency. Your real-life best friend might be your Neptune because you text or call instead! It doesn’t measure emotional depth.
Algorithmic Quirks: A streak or a burst of messages can temporarily inflate a rank. It’s not a perfect measure.
Privacy: No one else sees your view of the planets. Your friend doesn’t know if they’re your Mercury or Neptune.
Ephemeral Nature: Rankings constantly shift. Today’s Mercury could be next week’s Jupiter.
Optional Feature: You can disable it if it causes anxiety (Settings > Privacy Control > Friend Emojis).

As noted by Mashable in their coverage of social media features, these gamified elements are designed for engagement, not as a true barometer of friendship.

How to View Your Snapchat Friend Solar System

Want to see who your planets are? Here’s how:

Identify a Mutual Best Friend: Look for friends with a 💛 Gold Heart, 😊 Smile, or other high-tier Friend Emoji. Planets only appear for friends who are in your Best Friends list AND where you are in theirs.
Go to Their Profile: Tap on their name or Bitmoji in your Chat list.
Look for the Planet: If you meet the mutual Best Friend requirement, you’ll see a planet emoji (🌍, ♂, etc.) right next to their name or Display Name on their profile screen.
Tap the Planet (Optional): Tapping it usually displays a small animation reinforcing the Snapchat solar system meaning (e.g., “Mercury! Your #1 Best Friend”).

Troubleshooting: No planet? It likely means either:

You aren’t in their Best Friends list (top 8).
They aren’t in your current Best Friends list.
The Friend Emojis feature is disabled in your settings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I see the full list of my Snapchat Planet Order?
- A: No. Snapchat doesn’t show a centralized list. You only see the planet when viewing an individual mutual Best Friend’s profile.
Q: How often does the Snapchat Planet Order update?
- A: The algorithm updates continuously based on interactions. There’s no set schedule, but changes can happen daily based on your activity. Snapchat doesn’t disclose the exact timing.
Q: Why did my friend’s planet suddenly disappear?
- A: The most common reason is that one of you dropped out of the other’s mutual Best Friends list (top 8). This happens if interactions decrease significantly compared to others.
Q: Does sending streaks affect the Planet Order?
- A: Yes! Streaks involve daily snaps, which count as frequent interaction and strongly influence the algorithm and how Snapchat ranks friends.
Q: Are the Snapchat Bitmoji planets different?
- A: “Bitmoji Planets” specifically refer to the visual of your Bitmoji standing on the planet assigned to you in a friend’s solar system (if you are in their top 8). The planet meanings (Mercury = #1, etc.) are the same.
Q: Is this feature available to everyone?
- A: Generally yes, but Snapchat sometimes tests features with subsets of users. Ensure your app is updated.

Conclusion: Navigating Your Cosmic Snapchat Circle

The Snapchat Planet Order is a unique, visual way to see your Snapchat close friends ranked based purely on mutual interaction frequency on the app. Remember:

Planets = Mutual Top 8: Mercury is your #1, Neptune is #8.
Algorithm-Driven: Interaction determines the order; you can’t set it manually.
Dynamic: It changes constantly – don’t panic if a friend moves planets!
Not Real-Life: It reflects Snapchat chats and snaps, not overall friendship importance.
Optional: Turn it off in Settings (Privacy Control > Friend Emojis) if it causes stress.

Understanding your Snapchat friend solar system can be fun, but keep perspective. Focus on genuine connections, not just your cosmic ranking! For the latest official details, always refer to Snapchat’s Support Page. Reputable tech sources like TechCrunch also provide ongoing coverage of Snapchat features and updates.