Does Snapchat notify when you check planets?

Hey there! If you’ve ever found yourself hovering over a friend’s profile, wondering if tapping that gold-ringed badge is going to broadcast your curiosity to the world, I totally get it. We’ve all been there—trying to figure out if we’re still the “Mercury” in someone’s life or if we’ve been demoted to “Neptune” status.

With Snapchat Plus adding all these cool (and sometimes confusing) layers of interaction, the big question is: Does Snapchat notify when you check planets?

The short answer is a sigh of relief: No, Snapchat does not notify someone when you check your planet rank on their profile. You can breathe easily. Tapping that badge to see if you’re their second or seventh closest friend is a private mission. But as a tech guy who lives on this app, I can tell you there’s a bit more to the story than just a simple “no.”

My Personal Experience with Checking Planet Ranks

Let me take you back to last Tuesday. I have this friendly (okay, maybe slightly competitive) rivalry with my buddy, Chris. We’ve been “Mercury” for months. But lately, I noticed our streak was lagging. I felt that familiar itch of curiosity—did I drop in his rankings?

I opened Chris’s profile, saw that gold “Best Friends” badge, and hesitated. I had just read about the Story Rewatch Indicator, where people can see if you’re rewatching their stuff. I thought, “Man, if Snap tells him I’m checking my rank, I’m never going to hear the end of it.”

I decided to go full “Mad Scientist” mode. I grabbed my burner phone (yes, I have one for testing these things), subscribed to Snapchat Plus on it, and friended myself. I checked the rank from the burner account multiple times—tapping, closing, reopening. Then, I checked my main account’s notifications.

Nothing. No “Martin viewed your friendship rank” ping. No “Someone is looking at their planet” alert. It was completely silent. I even checked the “Snapchat+” management settings to see if there was a hidden log. Zilch.

What I learned: Snapchat treats the Planet Rank as a private insight for the person viewing it. It’s a tool for your eyes only, designed to help you see where you stand in someone else’s digital orbit without the social awkwardness of them knowing you’re checking.

Does Snapchat Notify When You Check Planets? (The Deep Dive)

Since we’ve cleared up the “will they see me?” anxiety, let’s talk about how this actually works. The Friend Solar System is one of those features that makes Snapchat Plus feel like a VIP club, but it also comes with a lot of “social rules” that aren’t written down.

Why It’s Private

Snapchat is usually pretty loud about notifications (think: typing bubbles, screenshot alerts, and the dreaded “active now” green dot). However, the Planet Rank is categorized as Friendship Profile data.

No Alerts: Tapping the badge is a local action on your phone.
No Profile View Logs: Unlike LinkedIn or TikTok, Snapchat doesn’t have a “Who viewed my profile” list for personal accounts.
Privacy First: Snap knows that friendship rankings can be sensitive. If they notified people, nobody would use the feature because it feels too “stalkerish.”

The Difference Between “Best Friends” and “Friends” Badges

When you’re looking at a profile, you’ll see one of two badges if they have the feature enabled:

Best Friends Badge (Gold Ring): This means you are both in each other’s top eight. You’re mutuals!
Friends Badge (No Gold Ring): This means you are in their top eight, but they haven’t quite made it into yours yet.

Martin’s Pro-Tip: If you see the “Friends” badge, it’s a sign they’re snapping you way more than you’re snapping them. It’s the ultimate “I’m more into this friendship than you are” indicator.

Snapchat Plus Privacy: What CAN They See?

While checking planets is safe, it’s easy to get confused with other Snapchat Plus features that do leave a trail. If you’re a power user like me, you need to know where the “tripwires” are.

The Rewatch Indicator

This is the one that gets people caught. If you have Snapchat Plus, you can see if someone rewatches your story. It doesn’t tell the user who rewatched it specifically in a list, but it shows a rewatch icon next to the name.

Ghost Trails

If you have location sharing on, your Plus-subscribing friends can see a “Ghost Trail” of where you’ve been in the last 24 hours. They aren’t notified when you look at their trail, but the trail itself is very visible.

The Solar System Order Table

Here is a quick cheat sheet for what those planets actually mean when you tap that badge:

Planet	Rank	Closeness Level
Mercury	#1	Your absolute Bestie.
Venus	#2	Very close, probably a daily chatter.
Earth	#3	High interaction, consistent streaks.
Mars	#4	You talk often, but not the “inner circle.”
Jupiter	#5	Frequent interactions, but the “bestie” energy is lower.
Saturn	#6	You’re in the top 8, but just barely.
Uranus	#7	Occasional snaps, mostly streaks.
Neptune	#8	You made the list, but it’s the outer rim.

How to Check Ranks Without Feeling Like a Stalker

If you’re still feeling a little weird about it, here is how I handle it to keep my “digital cool.”

1. Wait for the “Chat” Moment

I usually check someone’s planet rank right after we’ve had a long chat session. It feels more natural to be on their profile then. If you’re just randomly scrolling through your friends list at 3 AM checking everyone’s rank… well, we’ve all been there, but that’s when the “stalker” vibes feel real!

2. Check the “Mutual” Status

Instead of obsessing over the planet, look at the badge itself. If the gold ring disappears, it’s a sign your interaction levels have shifted. You don’t even need to tap the planet to know something changed.

3. Remember the “Privacy Toggle”

Did you know you can turn this off? If you don’t want people to see where they rank in your system, you can toggle the “Friend Solar System” off in your Snapchat+ settings.

FAQs: What the Internet Is Asking

1. Can I see who checked my planet rank on Snapchat?

Nope. There is currently no feature—even in the highest tier of Snapchat Plus—that allows you to see who is tapping your “Friends” or “Best Friends” badge. It is a one-way street of information.

2. Does the other person need Snapchat Plus for me to see my rank?

Yes. Both of you don’t necessarily need it to be in a solar system, but you definitely need it to see the badge on their profile. If they don’t have it, they might not even have the “Solar System” feature turned on, which would prevent you from seeing your rank in their orbit.

3. Why did my planet change from Mercury to Mars overnight?

The rankings are dynamic! They are based on your interaction frequency (snaps, chats, streaks) compared to everyone else they talk to. If they started a massive streak with someone else, or if you guys haven’t chatted in 24 hours, the “gravity” shifts and your planet moves.

4. Is the planet rank based on Snap Score?

Not directly. While sending snaps increases your Snap Score, the Planet Rank is specifically about the ratio of interaction between you and that specific person. You could have a million Snap Score and still be “Neptune” to someone who talks to eight other people more frequently.

5. Can I hide my own solar system?

Yes! If you don’t want to see your own rank or have others see theirs in your orbit, go to your Profile > Snapchat+ > Friend Solar System and toggle it off.

Martin’s Final Tip

At the end of the day, the Friend Solar System is just a bit of fun. Don’t let a shift from Venus to Saturn ruin your week! It’s an algorithm, not a measure of your actual worth as a friend. If you’re worried about whether they know you’re checking—don’t be. Your secret “rank checking” is safe with the Snapchat servers.

Want to know more about hidden Snapchat+ features? I can help you set up Ghost Trails or explain how to use the Story Rewatch settings to your advantage.

Would you like me to walk you through the steps to hide your Snapchat Plus badge so you can browse even more privately?