Snapchat is one of the most popular social messaging platforms, with more than 406 million daily active users worldwide. Since 2019, the platform has witnessed a steady increase in daily users. To tap into this growing userbase, the company decided to roll out its paid subscription, “Snapchat+.”
The SnapChat Plus subscription offers exclusive features such as priority story replies, custom app icons or themes, story timer, and more. Out of these exclusive features, one that stands out is the “Friend Solar System.”
In this article, we will take a closer look at the Friend Solar System and what it means, and what are these things called Snapchat Planets!
What Do Snapchat Planets Mean? And What is the Friends Solar System?
You can think of the Friends Solar System as a representation of your eight closest Snapchat friends. Inspired by the real-life solar system, the user is the Sun in the center, which attracts the other planets, i.e., their friends.
As you might have guessed, your friends orbit around you like planets, each resembling a real planet.
Now, the position of this planet depends on how close you are to your friends!
The idea behind the Friends Solar System is to visually represent the dynamic of your friend group. Your friends’ orders will continue to change over time based on your activity with them on the app.
Sending snaps and messaging contribute to your friends’ popularity scale. So, your friend with whom you share the most streaks would be the planet closest to you!
But here’s something you need to understand. You can check which planet you are for your friends. When you check the planet on your friend’s profile, it shows you how close you are in their Friends Solar System!
That said, let’s examine the individual Snapchat planets and learn more about each one in detail!
All Snapchat Planets in Order:
Mercury
Imitating the real solar system, Mercury, the first planet of the Snapchat solar system, represents the users’ first closest friend.
Mercury, represented by a red planet with five hearts around it, belongs to your absolute best friend, your partner in crime, i.e., the person with whom you interact the most on the platform. Seeing this planet on your friend’s profile means you are their closest friend!
Venus
Venus is the second planet in the solar system and represents the user’s second closest friend. This friend is your confidante, with whom you share your secrets and have deep conversations.
It is represented by a light brown-colored planet with yellow, pink, and blue hearts revolving around it.
Earth
Earth is the third planet in the solar system, representing the user’s third best friend. It’s a reliable companion who is always there for you in good and bad times.
As expected, it is represented by the real-life Earth having a moon, stars, and red hearts around it.
Mars
Mars indicates the user’s fourth closest friend. A red planet with stars and blue & purple hearts around it represents it. Being an exciting planet, Mars is for that friend who seeks adventure and is the reason for all your wild escapades.
This friend is the reason why your life is always exciting and filled with fun.
Jupiter
Jupiter is a reddish-orange planet with dark orange strips and stars around it. It represents the user’s fifth closest friend in the Friends Solar System. Seeing this means you are your friend’s fifth closest friend on the platform.
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet in our solar system, so in the Friends Solar System, it represents the user’s sixth closest friend, as it is the sixth planet. In the app, it is represented by an orange planet with a ring and stars revolving around it.
Uranus
A green planet with stars around it represents the user’s seventh closest friend on Snapchat. Just like the real Uranus, this is for that quirky friend who keeps things interesting no matter what.
Neptune
In the solar system, Neptune is the last planet that looks mysterious. Therefore, it represents a friend who is always dreaming of new things and has a creative soul.
It is represented by a Blue Planet with stars around it. It’s the only representation where the bitmoji sits opposite you, but the face looks toward you, the Sun. Well, it seems like you are the last in your Friend’s Solar System, but you are still closer than his other friends, so that’s something!
How Does the Friends Solar System on Snapchat Work?
Friends Solar System shows the user’s 8 closest friends based on how much you interact with them on the app. The list and order change as you interact with more friends, so the system might not always look the same.
Snapchat has developed a complex algorithm that determines your closest friends and their position. The algorithm considers various factors into account.
Factors such as frequency of interaction, quality of your conversation, timeliness of your response, and even shared interest.
Since the factors mentioned above keep changing with time, the list and this feature have become dynamic.
Note: Snapchat does not publicly disclose specific algorithms or factors. This is just our take on what factors could determine the order of Snapchat Planets. At the end of the day, it’s a bit of a mystery!
How to See Snapchat Planets on Your App?
To see your Snapchat Planets, you need to first ensure that you’re subscribed to the paid Snapchat+ subscription.
Before subscribing, you would see the “Best Friends” or “Friends” badge on your friend’s profile. Once you’re subscribed, you will see the same badge with a gold highlight around it.
Now, to see which Snapchat Planet you represent for your friends, follow the below steps:
- Open a chat with one of your friends
- Click on their name to open up the profile
- Look for the “best friends” emoji or badge right below their name
- Tap the emoji or badge to see which planet you represent
The Best Friends badge means you are in each other’s top eight best friends list, while the Friends badge indicates that you are in their top eight best friends list, but they are not in yours.
Why Are Your Snapchat Plus Planets Not Working?
There could be several reasons why your Snapchat Plus Planets might not be working.
- Subscription status: Make sure you are subscribed to Snapchat+; otherwise, the Planets feature will not work for you. If you’re subscribed, make sure that the feature is mentioned in the list of your subscription details. If not, reach out to Snapchat’s customer support.
- App update: It is crucial to make sure that you’re using the latest version of Snapchat application
- Friend activity: The Planets feature mainly depends on an algorithm detecting your closest friend based on interactions. The planet will disappear if you suddenly stop interacting or your friends become more inactive.
- Bug: If you’re still unable to see the Planet feature on Snapchat, it might be due to an unexpected bug.
Conclusion
The Friends Solar System might be the most fun and exciting feature of the Snapchat+ subscription. Small additions like this enhance the overall user experience and give users something to play around with.
The feature could be slightly improved by adding a dedicated option to glance at the entire solar system at once. This option could also have animation resembling the movements of planets. Snapchat’s current way of looking at friends is a bit tedious, and Snapchat can improve on this in the future.
While Friends Solar System is a solid feature, it alone is not enough to justify the subscription. The current offering of Snapchat+ leaves something to be desired, and this is where Snapchat has more scope in bringing some valuable features.
It would be interesting to see what other fun features Snapchat can offer. Until then, enjoy the Snapchat planets and have fun interacting with your closest friends!