Have you ever opened up a friend’s profile on Snapchat and seen a little gold badge, only to tap it and find yourself staring at a swirling beige planet surrounded by hearts? I remember the first time it happened to me. I was hanging out at my favorite coffee shop, checking my best friend Sarah’s profile. We’ve had a streak going for years, so I expected to see the top spot.
Instead, I saw Venus on Snapchat.
I’ll be honest: my first thought wasn’t “Oh, how pretty!” It was, “Wait, who on earth is her Mercury?” If you’ve ever felt that slight pang of “friendship jealousy” or just pure curiosity about where you stand in someone’s orbit, you aren’t alone. Snapchat’s Solar System is a wild, slightly addictive way to gamify our social lives.
Today, I’m going to break down exactly what that Venus on Snapchat badge means, how it compares to the “Red Planet” (Mars), and why your “beige planet” status is actually a bigger deal than you might think.
My Personal Experience with Venus on Snapchat
About six months ago, I decided to finally pull the trigger on a Snapchat+ subscription. I’m a bit of a data nerd, and I wanted to see the “behind the scenes” of my friend list. I always assumed my brother was my #1 friend because we send each other dumb memes all day.
When I looked at my own Solar System, I was the Sun (obviously), and he was sitting right there as Mercury. But then I checked his profile to see where I was. I tapped his “Best Friends” badge and… boom. I was Venus.
I laughed because it felt like a total “little brother” move. I was his #2 friend, while some guy from his college basketball team had snuck into the Mercury spot. It taught me two things:
- The system is incredibly accurate based on raw data (Snaps and chats).
- Being the beige planet is actually a sweet spot—it means you’re consistently in the inner circle without the “pressure” of maintaining that absolute #1 slot every single hour.
Read More: Jupiter on Snapchat: What the 5th Best Friend Icon Means
What is Venus on Snapchat? (The #2 Friend Explained)
In the world of Snapchat+, the Venus on Snapchat planet represents your #2 closest friend. If you are looking at someone’s profile and you see your Bitmoji sitting on Venus, it means you are the second person they interact with most on the app.
The Visual Cues
You can identify Venus by its distinct look. It’s often described as a beige planet or light brown/tan color. Unlike some of the other planets, it’s decorated with a specific set of hearts:
- Pink Hearts
- Yellow Hearts
- Blue Hearts
These hearts floating around the planet signify a high level of “friendship energy.” It’s basically Snapchat’s way of saying, “You guys are almost at the top, keep it up!”
How Do You Get There?
Snapchat calculates these rankings based on a secret sauce of:
- The number of Snaps sent and received.
- The frequency of your Chat messages.
- How often you interact with their Stories.
If you’ve dropped from Mercury to Venus, don’t sweat it—it usually just means someone else had a very chatty week with your friend!
Venus vs. Mars: Comparing the “Red Planets”
This is where people usually get confused. In the actual sky, Mars is the famous “Red Planet.” But in the Snapchat universe, the colors can play tricks on your eyes.
Mars: The Fourth Position
While Venus is the second planet from the “Sun” (your friend), Mars is the fourth. If you see Mars, it means you’re still a “Best Friend,” but you’ve got a bit of a gap between you and the top three.
Why the Confusion?
The Mars vs Mercury debate happens because both can look reddish. Mercury (the #1 spot) is a pinkish-red planet with red hearts. Mars (#4) is a deeper red planet but is surrounded by blue and purple hearts.
Martin’s Insight: If you see blue or purple hearts, you’re at Mars. If you see pink and blue hearts on a tan surface, you’ve hit the Venus jackpot.
The Snapchat Solar System: At a Glance
To make this easier to digest, I put together this table so you can quickly see where you (or your friends) land in the orbit.
| Planet | Rank | Visual Description | Surrounding Emojis |
| Mercury | #1 | Red/Pinkish Planet | Red Hearts |
| Venus | #2 | Beige/Tan Planet | Pink, Blue, & Yellow Hearts |
| Earth | #3 | Blue & Green Planet | Red Hearts & The Moon |
| Mars | #4 | Red Planet | Blue & Purple Hearts |
| Jupiter | #5 | Orange Planet | Dark Orange Stripes |
| Saturn | #6 | Yellow/Orange Planet | Rings & Stars |
| Uranus | #7 | Green Planet | Stars (No Hearts) |
| Neptune | #8 | Deep Blue Planet | Faint Stars |
Decoding the Hearts and the #2 Friend Meaning
Ever wondered about the snapchat hearts meaning when it comes to these planets? Unlike the standard friend emojis (like the yellow heart for being #1 besties), the hearts on the planets are purely decorative to help you distinguish which orbit you’re in.
The #2 Friend Vibe
Being the #2 friend (Venus) is actually a very stable place to be. In my experience, the Mercury spot flips back and forth constantly. But Venus? That’s the person you talk to every day, the one who knows your “boring” life updates, but maybe isn’t the person you’re currently spamming with 500 memes a day to keep a specific streak alive.
What about the “Beige Planet”?
If you hear someone talking about the beige planet, they are 100% talking about Venus. It’s the most “neutral” looking planet in the lineup, which is ironic because it’s the second-highest honor you can get in someone’s digital life!
Why Can’t I See the Planets?
If you’re looking for these and coming up empty, there are a few reasons why. Honestly, this part confused me at first, too.
- Snapchat+ Requirement: You (the viewer) must have an active Snapchat+ subscription.
- Opt-In Feature: In 2024, Snapchat made this feature “opt-in” due to some concerns about it being too stressful for people. You have to manually enable the Friend Solar System in your Snapchat+ settings.
- Mutual Besties: You usually need to be in each other’s “Best Friends” list (the top 8) for the badge to even show up.
FAQ: Your Space Questions Answered
Q: Can my friend see that I’m checking their planet rank?
A: Nope! Just like checking a Snap Score, viewing a Friend Solar System is totally private. They won’t get a notification that you’re “stalking” their orbit.
Q: Why did I drop from Mercury to Venus overnight?
A: It’s all about the math. If your friend spent the whole night chatting with someone else, their interaction count with that person might have jumped just enough to push you to the #2 spot.
Q: Does Mars vs Mercury look the same?
A: They both have red tones, but Mercury is more of a “hot pink/red” and Mars is a “dusty red.” Look at the hearts! Red hearts = Mercury. Purple/Blue hearts = Mars.
Q: What if I don’t want to be a planet in someone’s system?
A: You can’t “hide” yourself from their system if they have Snapchat+, but you can opt-out of seeing the system yourself in your settings.
Martin’s Final Tip: Don’t Let the Orbit Get to You
At the end of the day, whether you are Venus on Snapchat or floating all the way out by Neptune, it’s just an algorithm. I’ve had my girlfriend drop to the “Earth” (#3) spot just because I spent a weekend planning a bachelor party with my best man. It didn’t mean I liked her any less—it just meant my data was skewed for a few days!
Use the Solar System as a fun way to see who you’re connecting with, but don’t let a beige planet define your real-world worth.
What about you? Have you ever been “demoted” to Venus and felt the sting, or are you just happy to be in the Top 8? Let me know!
Would you like me to explain how to boost your ranking to get back to Mercury?
