When Snapchat first launched Snapchat+, its paid subscription service, many users were skeptical â why pay for a free app that already lets you chat, snap, and share stories? But curiosity soon took over. At only a few dollars a month, Snapchat+ promised more control, personalization, and a peek behind the curtain of your closest connections.
Among all its features, one stands out for sparking both fascination and confusion: the Friend Solar System, also called Snap Planets. This colorful feature visualizes your friendship rankings as planets orbiting a sun â with you at the center. What began as a fun metaphor for closeness quickly turned into one of Snapchatâs most talked-about experiments in digital intimacy.
Snapchat+ isnât just about aesthetics; it also reveals how much users crave context in their online relationships. Yet, with that curiosity comes misunderstanding â especially about what those tiny planets really mean, who can see them, and why some people suddenly appear as Mercury or Venus in your âsolar system.â
- Table Of Contents
- I. What Is Snapchat+?
- II. The Friend Solar System (Snap Planets)
- III. Common Questions and Misunderstandings About Snapchat+
I. What Is Snapchat+?
Snapchat+ is Snapchatâs premium tier launched in 2022, offering exclusive experimental features before they roll out to the general public. The subscription typically costs between $3 and $7 per month, depending on the region, with cheaper annual plans and even localized discounts (for instance, users in Asia or Turkey often pay less).
While free users can continue snapping as usual, Snapchat+ members get early access to advanced personalization tools and relationship insights â features that add depth, curiosity, and, occasionally, drama to the app experience.
Key Features of Snapchat+
Hereâs what subscribers can unlock:
- Friend Solar System (Snap Planets) â See your âbest friendâ ranking visualized through planets orbiting around your Bitmoji sun.
- Story Rewatch Count â Find out who watched your story multiple times.
- Ghost Trail â View your friendâs movement trail on Snap Map over the last 24 hours.
- Custom App Icons & Chat Wallpapers â Change Snapchatâs appearance to fit your mood.
- Remove AI or Ads â Hide the My AI chatbot and remove sponsored interruptions.
- Pin Best Friend and Custom Notification Sounds â Keep your favorite person at the top and assign them a unique alert tone.
- Priority Story Replies â Make sure creators see your responses first.
Some users call these perks âfun but unnecessary,â while others swear they make the app feel more personal and less cluttered.
Among all the add-ons â such as Story Rewatch Count, Ghost Trail, and Custom App Icons â the most discussed is the Friend Solar System (also known as Snap Planets). This feature turns your Snapchat relationships into a visual galaxy, where you are the sun and your closest friends orbit around you as planets. Itâs cute, but itâs also where most of the confusion and curiosity come from.
II. The Friend Solar System (Snap Planets)
The Friend Solar System represents how often you interact with someone on Snapchat â measured through Snaps, chats, and general activity. The closer the planet, the stronger the bond. However, there are several important rules and misunderstandings to keep in mind.
đȘ Snap Planets Overview
| Planet | Ranking Position | Meaning / Description | Common Misunderstanding | Reality Explained |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | #1 | Your closest friend â you exchange the most Snaps and chats. | âIf someone is my Mercury, I must be theirs too.â | â Not always. Each Solar System is independent. You might be their Venus or Jupiter. |
| Venus | #2 | Second closest friend â frequent interaction, but not top spot. | âOnly one person can be Venus.â | â You can appear as Venus in several peopleâs systems simultaneously. |
| Earth | #3 | Third on the list â consistent communication but less frequent. | âPlanets represent mutual rankings.â | â Rankings are one-way; your view â theirs. |
| Mars | #4 | Fourth closest friend â still active, but starting to drift. | âOnce Iâm Mars, I canât change.â | â Rankings fluctuate with interaction activity. |
| Jupiter | #5 | Mid-level friendship â casual Snaps or occasional chats. | âLower planets mean weak ties.â | â ïž Not necessarily â itâs only about frequency, not emotional closeness. |
| Saturn | #6 | Sixth place â still in your Best Friends list but less active. | âYou canât have multiple planets of the same rank.â | â Several friends can see you as the same planet (e.g., Mercury) at once. |
| Uranus | #7 | Seventh â rare communication but some recent history. | âTurning off the Solar System hides everything.â | â Turning it off only hides your view; others can still see their planet if they have Plus enabled. |
| Neptune | #8 | Eighth â least active among your top friends. | âThe black star means someoneâs watching my planets.â | â The â only shows that the user subscribes to Snapchat+ (not spying). |
đ How the System Works
- You are always the sun. Every person has their own independent âsolar system.â Your system doesnât affect anyone elseâs.
- Interaction frequency = orbital distance. The more Snaps and messages exchanged, the closer the planet appears.
- Dynamic updates. Rankings change based on recent activity â miss a few days, and your planet may shift outward.
- Visibility rules. Turning off Solar System only hides it for you; others can still see their planet in your system.
- The black star (â ). It simply shows a Snapchat+ subscriber â not someone spying on you.
In short, Snap Planets is a gamified friendship ranking that turns social interaction into a cosmic metaphor. Itâs not mutual, not fixed, and not a test of loyalty â just an algorithmic reflection of how often you snap and chat.
III. Common Questions and Misunderstandings About Snapchat+
Even though Snapchat+ looks simple on the surface, many users get confused about how its Friend Solar System actually works. Below are the most common questions â and the real answers behind them.
1. Are both sidesâ planets the same?
- â No. Each person has their own independent solar system.
- The order you see is not mutual.
Example: You might see someone as your Mercury (#1), but on their side, you could be their Venus, Jupiter, or even Neptune.
The ranking is calculated separately for every account, based purely on your interaction data â Snaps sent, chats opened, and story views.
2. Can multiple people share the same planet?
- â Yes. You can appear as Mercury in several peopleâs solar systems at once if you are their top friend.
- Planets are not exclusive positions â they reflect where each person places you individually.
This is why you may have multiple friends showing up as Mercury on your side or vice versa. It doesnât mean something is broken â it just means your interaction frequency with those people is similar.
3. If I turn off the Solar System, can others still see me?
- â Yes, they can.
- Turning off the feature only hides the Solar System for you, not for others.
- If your friends have Snapchat+ and keep the feature enabled, they can still see their planet placement within your system.
Disabling it stops you from viewing planets â but it doesnât erase the data on their side. This is why someone may still see themselves as your Mercury even after you switch the feature off.
A Note for Parents and Caregivers
- Features like Snapchat+ and Snap Planets make social apps fun, but they also show how much time young users spend chatting and interacting online. If you want a clearer picture of your childâs online activityâwithout invading their spaceâVigilKids offers a more gentle, supportive approach.
- VigilKids provides WhatsApp message monitoring, real-time screenshots, and activity insights to help parents understand whatâs happening in their childâs digital world.
- It focuses on awareness, not control, allowing families to stay connected and spot risks early without disrupting trust.
Conclusion
The Snapchat+ Solar System transforms everyday interactions into a colorful galaxy of friendship. Itâs fun, symbolic, and sometimes confusing â but never meant to define real relationships.
You are the sun, your friends are planets, and their distance only reflects how often you talk â not how much you care. So whether youâre Mercury today or Neptune tomorrow, remember: the system changes with your activity, not your worth. Itâs just Snapchatâs cosmic way of keeping your social orbit spinning. đđ
