Short answer: Snapchat’s Yellow Heart and Mercury planet are related to Best Friends, but they are not the same indicator. 💛 means you and another person are each other’s #1 Best Friend, while Mercury represents the #1 position in that friend’s Best Friends list through Friend Solar System.
The key difference is that the Yellow Heart is a mutual Friend Emoji, while a planet shows a position from your friend’s Best Friends list. Snapchat says Best Friends are among the eight people you Snap and Chat with the most, and Friend Solar System shows which planet represents your position in that list.
Why Is My Best Friend a Planet Now?
If you subscribe to Snapchat+ and open a Friendship Profile, you may see a gold-ringed Best Friends badge. Tapping it can show your position in that friend’s Solar System. The planet does not replace the Friend Emoji; it provides a different view of the relationship.
For example, you can have a Yellow Heart with someone because you are each other’s #1 Best Friend, while the Friend Solar System gives you the Mercury position for that same person. If the relationship changes, the emoji and planet position can also change independently because they describe different aspects of Best Friends.
My Personal Experience with Gold Heart vs Mercury
The original version of this section presented a personal story and specific account activity as proof of how Snapchat ranking works. Those details are not independently verifiable, so they should not be treated as evidence of a fixed Snapchat formula.
The useful takeaway is the distinction between the two indicators. A Yellow Heart describes a mutual #1 Best Friend relationship. Mercury, when shown through Friend Solar System, identifies the first position in the other person’s Best Friends list.
That means the two icons can tell you different things even when they appear around the same friendship. Snapchat does not publish a detailed mathematical formula showing exactly how individual Snaps, Chats, or other actions are weighted for planet positions.
Read More: How to Increase Snapchat Friendship Rank: Neptune to Earth Explained
Gold Heart vs Mercury: The Core Differences
The easiest way to understand the Gold Heart vs Mercury difference is to look at what each indicator represents.
1. The Gold Heart (The “Yellow Heart”)
The Yellow Heart 💛 is a Friend Emoji for a mutual #1 Best Friend relationship. Snapchat’s official guide says you and the other person have each sent the most Snaps to one another.
- Mutual: You are each other’s #1 Best Friend.
- Meaning: It identifies a shared top friendship position.
- Duration: The Yellow Heart can change as your Snapchat activity and friendships change.
- Related hearts: Red ❤️ means mutual #1 Best Friends for two weeks, while Pink Hearts 💕 mean mutual #1 Best Friends for two months.
2. The Mercury Planet
Mercury is the first planet in Friend Solar System. Snapchat explains that each planet represents a different position in a friend’s Best Friends list, which contains up to eight people you Snap and Chat with the most.
- Position: Mercury represents #1 in that friend’s Best Friends list.
- Feature: Friend Solar System is a Snapchat+ feature.
- Access: You can see the planet by tapping the Best Friends badge on a Friendship Profile when the feature is available and enabled.
- Direction: The planet describes your position in that specific friend’s list; it should not be treated as a mutual emoji status.
Breaking Down the Ranking Systems
The Yellow Heart and Mercury can look similar because both relate to your closest Snapchat friendships, but they answer different questions. The Yellow Heart asks whether you and another person are mutually #1. Mercury asks where you appear in that person’s Best Friends list.
The Solar System (Snapchat+)
In Friend Solar System, the friend whose profile you are viewing is represented as the Sun, while your planet indicates your position among that person’s Best Friends. The eight positions are:
- Mercury — #1 Best Friend
- Venus — #2 Best Friend
- Earth — #3 Best Friend
- Mars — #4 Best Friend
- Jupiter — #5 Best Friend
- Saturn — #6 Best Friend
- Uranus — #7 Best Friend
- Neptune — #8 Best Friend
Comparison Table: Gold Heart vs. Mercury
| Feature | Yellow Heart 💛 | Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| What it represents | Mutual #1 Best Friends | #1 position in a friend’s Best Friends list |
| Type | Friend Emoji | Friend Solar System planet |
| Mutual? | Yes | Not necessarily |
| Requires Snapchat+ | No | Yes, for Friend Solar System |
| Number of positions | One mutual #1 status | One of eight planet positions |
| Where it appears | Friend Emoji areas such as Chat | Friendship Profile through the Best Friends badge |
Why Does One Change But Not The Other?
The two indicators can change at different times because they are not the same system. Friend Emojis describe specific friendship relationships, while Friend Solar System represents your position in the other person’s Best Friends list.
For example, you may see a planet position for a friend without having a Yellow Heart. That can happen because being in someone’s Best Friends list does not automatically mean that you are each other’s #1 Best Friend.
Likewise, a Yellow Heart is specifically mutual: you and the other person must both have the other as #1. Snapchat’s official documentation does not say that every planet position must correspond one-to-one with a particular Friend Emoji.
If you want a deeper explanation of Best Friends and planets, read our Snapchat Best Friends vs Planets guide.
FAQ: Your Burning Questions Answered
Q: If I’m someone’s Mercury, do they know?
A: The official Friend Solar System documentation explains how the planet position works but does not state that the other person receives a notification simply because you are their Mercury. Avoid assuming that viewing a planet automatically sends an alert.
Q: Can I have a Gold Heart and be Mercury at the same time?
A: Yes. A Yellow Heart means you and the other person are each other’s #1 Best Friend. Mercury represents #1 in that person’s Best Friends list. If both conditions apply, the two indicators can describe the same friendship at the same time.
Q: Does the ranking update instantly?
A: Snapchat says Best Friends can change regularly, but it does not publish a universal planet-ranking update interval. Because the exact ranking formula and timing are not publicly documented, there is no reliable official promise that a new interaction will change your planet immediately.
Q: Why did my planet disappear?
A: A planet may no longer be visible if the relevant Best Friends relationship changes, if you are no longer among that person’s eight Best Friends, or if Friend Solar System is unavailable or disabled. Snapchat also says Solar System is off by default for first-time Snapchat+ subscribers and can be toggled on or off in Snapchat+ feature management.
Martin’s Final Tip
The main point is simple: do not treat the Yellow Heart and Mercury as two names for the same feature. The Yellow Heart is a mutual Friend Emoji showing that you and another person are each other’s #1 Best Friend. Mercury is a Friend Solar System position representing #1 in that friend’s Best Friends list.
You also do not need to chase a secret planet score. Snapchat does not publish fixed point values for Snaps, Chats, replays, Story replies, calls, or other actions that would let you calculate an exact planet jump.
If you want to understand your Snapchat relationships better, focus on the documented meanings rather than unofficial formulas. For more help, see our Snapchat Friend Emojis vs Planets guide and Snapchat Solar System Algorithm guide.
Pingback: Can You Have Multiple Mercury Friends on Snapchat? What the Solar System Actually Shows | Multiple Mercury Friends Explained