Snapchat Best Friends vs Planets: What’s the Difference in 2026?

Short answer: Snapchat Best Friends and Friend Solar System planets are connected, but they are not the same thing. Best Friends are the people you Snap and Chat with the most, while planets show your position in that friend’s Best Friends list through Snapchat+.

Snapchat allows up to eight Best Friends, and the list is updated regularly. With Friend Solar System enabled, those positions are represented by Mercury through Neptune, with Mercury at #1 and Neptune at #8. Snapchat does not publish a fixed point formula for reaching a particular planet.

My Personal Experience with the Snap Solar System

You do not need a personal story or an unofficial experiment to understand this feature. The important distinction is simple: Best Friends identify your top Snapchat contacts, while Friend Solar System adds a visual position to those friendships.

For example, if a friend appears in your Best Friends group and the Solar System shows Jupiter, Jupiter means the fifth position. It does not create a separate friendship tier or describe the quality of the relationship outside Snapchat.

Unofficial charts that claim a specific number of Snaps, messages, or hours automatically produces Mercury or another planet should therefore be treated carefully. Snapchat explains the Best Friends concept but does not publish the exact ranking calculation.

Related guide: Snapchat Plus FAQ: Features, Plans & Common Questions

Snapchat Best Friends vs Planets: The Core Difference

The easiest way to understand Snapchat Best Friends vs Planets is to think of them as two layers of the same system. Best Friends identify the people you interact with most, while Friend Solar System represents positions within that group.

1. The Standard “Best Friends” (Emojis)

Best Friends are Snapchat’s regular friendship ranking. Snapchat says they are the friends you Snap and Chat with the most. You can have up to eight Best Friends, and Snapchat updates the group regularly.

• What it shows: Your current group of up to eight Best Friends.
• How it works: Snapchat describes Best Friends using Snap and Chat activity.
• Visibility: Your full Best Friends list is private to you, although a person may be able to see whether they are among your Best Friends.
• Cost: Best Friends are part of regular Snapchat.

2. The Solar System (Planets)

Friend Solar System is a Snapchat+ feature that represents Best Friends positions with planets. When enabled, the person viewing the Solar System is represented by the Sun, while the friend appears as a planet based on their position in the Best Friends list.

• What it shows: Your position in another person’s Best Friends list.
• Positions: Mercury is #1 through Neptune at #8.
• Requirement: Friend Solar System is a Snapchat+ feature.
• Setting: Snapchat says Solar System is off by default for first-time Snapchat+ subscribers and can be toggled on or off.

The 2026 Breakdown: What Every Planet Means

Friend Solar System uses planets as position markers. The planet itself does not represent a separate emotional level. It tells you where you sit within that friend’s Best Friends list when the Solar System is available and enabled.

• Mercury (#1): First 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.

Important: These numbers are positions, not publicly documented planet scores. Snapchat does not provide an official chart saying that a specific number of Snaps or Chats guarantees a specific planet.

Friendship Icons: Decoding the Emojis

Friend Emojis and planets can look similar because both relate to Snapchat friendships, but they communicate different information. Friend Emojis are assigned based on how you and your friends use Snapchat and can change over time.

• 😊 Smiley Face: Indicates a friend is among your Best Friends but is not your #1 Best Friend.
• 💛 Yellow Heart: Indicates you are each other’s #1 Best Friend.
• ❤️ Red Heart: Indicates you have been each other’s #1 Best Friend for two weeks.
• 💕 Pink Hearts: Indicates you have been each other’s #1 Best Friend for two months.
• 😎 Sunglasses: Indicates you share a Best Friend.
• 😬 Grimace: Indicates your #1 Best Friend is also their #1 Best Friend.

These emojis are not one-to-one replacements for every planet. A planet tells you a position in Friend Solar System, while a Friend Emoji can describe a particular friendship status.

Snapchat Plus vs Regular: Is the Solar System Worth It?

Friend Solar System is one of the features included with Snapchat+. Snapchat+ also includes other premium, experimental, and pre-release features, so the subscription is not limited to planets.

Whether the Solar System is useful depends on whether you want to see the visual position of friends in your Best Friends list. It should not be treated as a more accurate measure of a real-world friendship.

Why I Like Snapchat Plus:

• Friend Solar System: Shows the planet position associated with a Best Friends ranking.
• Customization: Snapchat+ includes features such as custom app icons, themes, and chat options.
• Additional features: Snapchat+ offers several premium features beyond Solar System.

The Downside:

• It can be easy to overinterpret: A planet is a Snapchat position, not a measurement of personal closeness.
• Solar System must be enabled: First-time Snapchat+ subscribers have it off by default according to Snapchat Support.
• Pricing varies: Snapchat says subscription pricing can vary by country and device, so a fixed universal price should not be assumed.

How the Algorithm Actually Works

Snapchat’s official explanation is straightforward: Best Friends are the people you Snap and Chat with the most. The exact mathematical weighting behind the list is not publicly documented, so an unofficial scoring formula should not be presented as a Snapchat rule.

1. Snap activity: Snapchat includes Snaps in its definition of Best Friends.
2. Chat activity: Snapchat also includes Chats.
3. Regular updates: Best Friends can change over time as your Snapchat use changes.
4. Planet position: Friend Solar System maps the resulting Best Friends position to a planet.

Snapchat does not publish a fixed number of daily interactions, a guaranteed refresh interval, or a public point table for moving between planets. Group interactions should therefore not be assigned a specific planet value unless Snapchat documents one.

FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered

1. Can someone see if I’m checking their Solar System?

Snapchat’s Friend Solar System guidance explains how to view your planet position but does not document a separate notification for simply checking that position. Do not confuse profile activity with a Solar System viewing alert.

2. Why did my planet change?

Your planet can change when your position in the other person’s Best Friends list changes. Snapchat says Best Friends are updated regularly, but it does not publish a guaranteed planet refresh schedule or exact interaction threshold.

3. Does “Best Friend” mean the same thing as “Mercury”?

Not exactly. Best Friend is the broader status, while Mercury represents the #1 position in Friend Solar System. Someone can be a Best Friend without being Mercury because the Solar System has up to eight positions.

4. Can I be a planet in someone’s system if I don’t have Snapchat Plus?

Friend Solar System is a Snapchat+ feature for viewing the planet relationship. Your position in another person’s Best Friends list can still exist as part of their Best Friends system even if you do not personally subscribe. The ability to view the Solar System depends on the feature and account access.

5. Why is the Solar System “Off by Default” now?

Snapchat Support currently states that Friend Solar System is off by default for first-time Snapchat+ subscribers. You can open Snapchat+ feature management and toggle the feature on or off at any time.

Martin’s Final Tip

The simplest way to remember the difference is this: Best Friends are the people in your top Snapchat friendship group; planets show the position of those friends inside Friend Solar System. Mercury means #1, Jupiter means #5, and Neptune means #8.

Neither system should be treated as a complete measure of a real-world friendship. Snapchat activity can change the way these features appear, while real relationships involve far more than app activity.

For more help, see our guides on Snapchat Top 8 Friends, who can see your Snapchat Planets, how to turn off Snapchat Planets, and the Snapchat Plus FAQ.