In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, personalization is everything. Users want more than just basic communication—they crave features that make them feel special, connected, and in control of their digital identity. Enter Snapchat Plus Planets, one of the newest and most creative additions to Snapchat’s premium subscription service, Snapchat+. This feature turns your top friends into planets in a fun, colorful solar system. But how exactly does it work, and why has it become such a hit among users?
Let’s dive into the details of this unique feature, how it reflects your friendships, and why it’s sparking so much curiosity and engagement.
What Is Snapchat+?
Before exploring the Snapchat Plus Planets feature specifically, it helps to understand what Snapchat+ (Snapchat Plus) is. Launched in 2022, Snapchat+ is a paid subscription service that unlocks exclusive and experimental features for users who want more out of their app experience.
For a monthly fee, Snapchat+ offers:
-
Custom app icons
-
Story rewatch indicators
-
Priority story replies
-
Ghost Trails (to see where friends have been)
-
And, of course, Snapchat Plus Planets
These features are designed to give users a sense of exclusivity and offer more insights into their relationships and app activity.
What Are Snapchat Plus Planets?
Snapchat Plus Planets is a visual feature that displays your closest friends as planets in a personalized friendship solar system—with you at the center as the Sun. Each planet represents a different person on your Best Friends list, ranked by how often you interact with them on Snapchat.
Here’s how it works:
-
You are the Sun in your friendship universe.
-
Your top eight best friends are represented as planets, each corresponding to a position in your interaction ranking.
-
The closer a planet is to the Sun (you), the more you interact with that friend.
-
The planets mimic the real-life solar system in both order and style—complete with color-coded rings and themed visuals.
It’s like gamifying your friendships, providing a cosmic snapshot of your social activity on the platform.
Planet Rankings and Meanings
Here’s how the planets typically correspond to friendship ranking:
-
Mercury – Your #1 Best Friend
-
Venus – #2 Best Friend
-
Earth – #3
-
Mars – #4
-
Jupiter – #5
-
Saturn – #6
-
Uranus – #7
-
Neptune – #8
Each planet has a distinctive color and design. For example, Mercury may appear as a small orange or gold planet close to the Sun, while Neptune is further away and a bluish tone.
This system offers an intuitive way to visually gauge how close you are with someone on the app, based on Snaps, chats, and interactions.
Where to Find the Snapchat Plus Planets Feature
To access the Snapchat Plus Planets feature, you must:
-
Be a Snapchat+ subscriber.
-
Visit your Best Friends list or your friend’s profile.
-
Tap the “Friendship Profile” to see your relationship summary.
-
Look for the solar system icon next to the “Best Friend” or “Friend” badge (depending on your mutual ranking).
Note: Only you can see your Planet rankings. Your friends do not see their planet in your solar system unless they also have Snapchat+ and view their own rankings.
Why Snapchat Plus Planets Matters
So why is this feature resonating with users? There are a few key reasons:
1. Gamification of Social Interaction
Turning friendships into a cosmic theme adds a sense of fun and competition. Users love checking who their #1 is or who has “fallen off” the planet list. It taps into our natural curiosity and need for social validation.
2. Emotional Connection
The visual representation makes your digital friendships feel more real and personalized. Instead of just seeing a list, you get a beautiful, themed layout that strengthens your emotional connection with your social circle.
3. Exclusivity
Only Snapchat+ subscribers have access to this feature, which gives users a sense of VIP treatment. It’s something they can show off, sparking interest among non-subscribers and potentially driving more people to upgrade.
4. Visual Simplicity
The solar system is a familiar metaphor. Using planets to represent closeness in relationships is not only creative but easy to understand. It removes ambiguity from Snapchat’s “Best Friend” labels and replaces them with something more dynamic.
How It Compares to Other Features
Compared to other social platforms like Instagram’s Close Friends or Facebook’s Friend Lists, Snapchat Plus Planets stands out because it uses a visual-first approach rather than a simple list or toggle. It aligns well with Snapchat’s overall aesthetic—playful, youthful, and image-driven.
Whereas other platforms often use text-based friendship indicators, Snapchat uses symbols, visuals, and metaphors. This makes the experience more engaging, especially for Gen Z users.
Limitations and Privacy Concerns
While Snapchat Plus Planets is fun, it’s not without criticism. Some users have pointed out that:
-
It may create social anxiety, especially among teens, who could obsess over their position on someone’s planet list.
-
There is no notification if you drop in ranking, but users often find out through comparison or missing planets.
-
It only reflects Snapchat interactions, not overall friendship quality or communication outside the app.
Snapchat addresses some of these concerns by keeping rankings private—only you can see your planet arrangement.
Should You Subscribe for Snapchat Plus Planets?
If you’re active on Snapchat and enjoy exploring new features that enhance your social experience, Snapchat Plus—and by extension, the Snapchat Plus Planets feature—might be worth the small monthly fee.
It’s especially appealing if:
-
You frequently Snap and chat with close friends.
-
You enjoy personalized, visual insights into your digital behavior.
-
You want to feel more connected or even playful with your friend group.
However, it’s probably not essential for users who don’t use the app as their primary communication platform.
Final Thoughts
The Snapchat Plus Planets feature is a creative, engaging way to visualize digital friendships. It combines social interaction with gamification, making the user experience feel more alive and entertaining. While it may not be for everyone, it adds a meaningful layer to Snapchat’s already dynamic interface and represents a step toward the future of more personalized social media.
If Snapchat continues to refine and build on features like this, we can expect even more innovative ways to experience our digital relationships in the years to come.
FAQs
Q1: What is the Snapchat Plus Planets feature?
A: It’s a Snapchat+ feature that visualizes your top friends as planets orbiting around you, the Sun, in a virtual solar system.
Q2: How do I access the Snapchat Plus Planets feature?
A: Subscribe to Snapchat+, then go to your Best Friends list or a friend’s profile to see their planet placement.
Q3: Can others see their planet in my system?
A: No, the planet rankings are private. Only you can view your own friendship solar system.
Q4: How are planet rankings determined?
A: Based on your interaction level—how often you Snap, chat, and engage with a friend on Snapchat.
Q5: Is the Snapchat Plus Planets feature available for free users?
A: No, it’s exclusive to Snapchat+ subscribers.
Read Dive is a leading technology blog focusing on different domains like Blockchain, AI, Chatbot, Fintech, Health Tech, Software Development and Testing. For guest blogging, please feel free to contact at readdive@gmail.com.
