Snapchat Planets: Here's What They Mean, And How They Work

With the paid version of Snapchat, Snapchat Plus, users gain access to new experimental features. One of these exclusive features is the Friend Solar System. This feature assigns each of your close friends a place in your personal solar system. Like our actual solar system, there are eight planets in this virtual system, with you playing the role of the sun. If you are close friends with someone, their Bitmoji will be sitting on a planet orbiting you. The closer a friend's planet is to the sun (you), the better friends you are.

Although this virtual solar system has the same layout as our real one, it can be hard to identify which planet is which by the graphic. Here's the Friend Solar System in order from closest friends and beyond.

1. Mercury is your number closest friend. It can be spotted by its light red color and the abundance of red hearts surrounding it.
2. Venus is tan and has yellow, pink, and blue hearts.
3. Earth is easy to spot and has our moon orbiting it.
4. Mars is dark red with purple and blue hearts floating nearby.
5. Jupiter is orange-tinted and has its Great Red Spot.
6. Saturn has its famous rings that set it apart.
7. Uranus is green with swirls.
8. Finally, Neptune is depicted as a dark blue.

You can also estimate where you are on the list by Bitmojis' expression in the images. At the top of the list on Mercury, the Bitmojis will be smiling and happy. The further down the list, the less expressive the Bitmojis become.

You can check your position in a friend's virtual solar system in the Snapchat app. First, ensure your Snapchat is up-to-date and you have a valid Snapchat Plus subscription. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the Snapchat app.
2. From the camera screen, swipe right.
3. Press and hold down on the Bitmoji of the friend next to their messaging information. If your friend is not near the top of the list or does not appear, send them a message, as it is ordered by the newest first.
4. Tap View Friendship under their name in the newly-appeared drop-down menu.
5. Tap either the "Best Friends" or "Friends" badge with the gold outline under their username.

If the badge you see on this page is "Friends," you're one of their top eight friends but not theirs. This popup will show them as the sun and you as the planet. If it says, "Best Friends," you are both one of each other's eight closest friends. If neither of you holds a spot on your respective lists, the badge won't appear at all. Keep in mind that if you screenshot anything on your friend's page, even the Friend Solar System graphic, it may alert them.

You can get someone in your solar system by sending more messages and media to them than other users on your friend's list. If you know your friend should be on the list, you can try clearing your cache or checking if you accidentally blocked them to potentially remedy the issue.