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Snapchat Planets vs. Best Friends List Whats the Difference?

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Snapchat continues to be one of the most popular platforms for sharing moments, connecting with friends, and staying socially relevant—especially among younger audiences. In recent years, Snapchat has introduced several new features that add depth and meaning to user interactions, and two that often spark confusion are Snapchat Planets and the Best Friends List.

At first glance, both of these features seem to revolve around closeness or interaction frequency. But they serve very different purposes, have distinct visual styles, and are used in different ways. Whether you’re a casual user or a Snapchat power user, understanding how these features differ can enhance your experience on the platform—and even help you figure out your standing in someone else’s social universe.

In this article, we’ll break down what Snapchat Planets are, how they differ from the Best Friends List, and how to use both features to decode your social relationships on the app. If you’re new to the concept of planet snapchat, this guide will get you fully up to speed.

What Are Snapchat Planets?

Snapchat Planets is a relatively new feature introduced for Snapchat Plus subscribers, offering a creative and interactive way to represent your top friendships. Instead of a simple list, Snapchat uses a solar system metaphor where you’re the “Sun,” and your best friends are represented as planets orbiting around you.

There are eight planets in this visual, and each one corresponds to a ranking in your top friends list:

Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune

Each planet has a unique color and design, adding a fun, gamified element to your social interactions. You can tap on a friend’s Bitmoji to see what “planet” they are in your social solar system.

What Is the Best Friends List on Snapchat?

The Best Friends List has been around since Snapchat’s early days. It simply shows which users you interact with the most based on snaps sent, received, chats, and other engagement metrics.

Here’s how it works:

Snapchat automatically tracks your interactions.
Based on frequency, it creates a private list of your top contacts.
These contacts may get special emoji badges like 💛 (Best Friend), ❤️ (BFF), or 💕 (Super BFF).
This list is dynamic and updates in real time as your interaction patterns change.

Unlike Snapchat Planets, which are a visual, premium feature, the Best Friends List is accessible to all users and serves as a quick reference of your closest contacts.

Key Differences Between Snapchat Planets and Best Friends List

Let’s break down the fundamental differences between these two features:

If you’re interested in learning more about this feature or how to interpret your planet placement, check out this full explanation of planet snapchat.

Which Feature Matters More?

It depends on what you value:

If you’re looking for analytics and practicality, the Best Friends List is more useful.
If you’re into visual aesthetics and deeper social cues, the Snapchat Planets feature gives more personality to your interactions.

Snapchat Planets may also hold more emotional weight. Being someone’s “Mercury” (aka #1 best friend) can feel more meaningful than simply showing up on a generic list.

How Snapchat Determines Your Best Friends

Both systems rely on Snapchat’s internal algorithm to calculate engagement metrics like:

Number of snaps sent and received
Frequency of chats
How quickly and often you open each other’s snaps
Sharing of media like photos, videos, and stickers

But remember: Snapchat doesn’t make its algorithm public, so there may be hidden factors influencing rankings. This means that you might be surprised to find a certain friend show up as a closer contact than expected—or not show up at all.

Snapchat+ and the Rise of Premium Social Features

The Snapchat Planets feature is part of Snapchat+, the platform’s paid subscription offering. For a monthly fee, users gain access to premium features such as:

Custom app icons
Ghost Trails (view friends’ location history)
Story rewatch indicators
Snapchat Planets (visual Best Friend ranking)

Snapchat is betting big on premium personalization, and the Planets feature plays a central role in that strategy. It’s part of a broader movement in social media where platforms monetize exclusivity and identity.

How to Get Snapchat Planets

If you’re interested in accessing this feature:

Subscribe to Snapchat+ via the Snapchat app (available for iOS and Android).
Go to a friend’s profile and tap their Bitmoji.
You’ll see a solar system if they’re in your top 8 friends.
Tap the planet to learn their specific ranking and details.

Keep in mind that your own position in someone else’s solar system is not always visible unless they’re also subscribed to Snapchat+.

FAQs

Can someone be in your Best Friends List but not show up in your Planets?

Yes. The Best Friends List may show up to eight people, but your Planets may change depending on engagement patterns and subscription status.

Can I remove someone from my Planets?

Not directly. You’d need to reduce interaction with them or block them, which affects your engagement ranking algorithm.

Are Snapchat Planets visible to others?

Only in certain situations. While you can see others’ Planets when viewing their profile (if they’re a top contact), they won’t be notified or alerted about their position.

Final Thoughts

Snapchat continues to innovate in ways that blend data with personality, and both the Best Friends List and Snapchat Planets serve as unique tools to reflect your digital relationships. While the Best Friends List is all about functionality and is available to every user, Snapchat Planets offers a more creative and emotional representation—ideal for those who love to express social connections visually.

Whether you’re using these features for fun or to better understand your social standing, it’s clear that Snapchat’s gamified approach keeps things engaging. And for those looking to dive deeper into the social galaxy of Snapchat, check out this complete guide to planet snapchat for all the orbiting insights you need.