What Does the Earth on Snapchat? (3rd Friend)

Hey there! Grab a coffee—or a Red Bull, if it’s one of those mornings—and let’s chat about something that’s been blowing up my DMs lately.

You’re scrolling through your chat list, checking in on your streaks, and suddenly you see it: a tiny, glowing blue and green planet next to someone’s name. If you’re like me, your first thought was probably, “Wait, did they change the BFF heart again?” or “Is NASA sponsoring my group chats now?”

Snapchat has this funny way of dropping new icons without a manual, leaving us all to play digital detective. If you’ve spotted Earth on Snapchat, you’ve officially entered the world of Snapchat Plus friendship orbits. It’s a bit weird, a little controversial, and honestly, a total game-changer for how we track who we’re actually talking to.

My Personal Experience with Earth on Snapchat

I’ll be honest with you: I’m a bit of a data nerd when it comes to my social apps. A few months back, I was trying to figure out why my “Best Friend” list looked so different from my actual “Frequent Chats.” I’d been talking to my buddy Jake every single day, but he was stuck at a lower rank than my sister, whom I only send reels to once a week.

That’s when I decided to shell out for Snapchat Plus to see what the “Friendship Solar System” was all about. I opened up Jake’s profile and saw I was his Earth. At first, I thought, “Hey, the Earth is pretty important, right?” But then I realized that in the Snapchat universe, being Earth means you are his #3 best friend.

The “aha!” moment happened when I realized Jake had two other people he was snapping way more than me (probably his girlfriend and his mom). It was a bit of a reality check! Seeing that blue and green planet next to my name on his side of the app showed me exactly where I stood in his digital inner circle. It’s a strangely addictive way to see the “social hierarchy” of your friend group, even if it does spark the occasional “Why am I only Earth?” jokingly-angry text.

Read More: Uranus on Snapchat: What the Green Planet Rank Means

Earth on Snapchat: Breaking Down the Friendship Orbit

So, what exactly is this “orbit” thing? If you have Snapchat Plus (the paid subscription), you get access to a feature called “Friend Solar System.” This isn’t just a pretty graphic; it’s a literal ranking of your top eight friends.

When you look at a friend’s profile, if you see yourself as the Earth on Snapchat, it means you are their 3rd closest friend based on how often you interact with each other.

How the Ranking Works

Snapchat calculates this based on:

• Snap Frequency: How many photos and videos you send back and forth.
• Chat Activity: How much time you spend actually typing to each other.
• Reciprocity: It’s a two-way street. If you’re sending 100 snaps and they send 0, you aren’t moving up that solar system very fast.

The Earth is the third planet from the Sun in real life, so Snapchat uses that logic for its ranking. It’s a clever bit of UI design, but it can definitely lead to some “friendship FOMO” if you aren’t careful.

The Solar System Hierarchy: Where Does Earth Sit?

To understand the Earth, you have to understand the whole neighborhood. Snapchat uses the first eight planets of our solar system to represent your top eight friends. If you’ve ever wondered why you aren’t the “center of someone’s universe,” here is the breakdown of the planets:

Why Being Earth is Actually Great

Look, being #1 (Mercury) is high pressure. You have to maintain that streak every single second. Being the #3 best friend is the “sweet spot.” It means you’re close enough to be in their daily life, but you don’t have the stress of maintaining the top spot. Plus, the Earth icon is arguably the coolest looking one in the set!

Understanding the “Snapchat Lunar Icon” and the Moon

Sometimes people get the Earth confused with other celestial bodies on the app. Have you ever seen a Snapchat lunar icon or a moon? This is a completely different beast.

While the Earth represents your rank in a friend’s “Orbit,” the moon icons usually refer to:

1. Do Not Disturb Mode: A small crescent moon next to a name means you’ve silenced notifications for that person. (We’ve all had that one friend who snaps too much during work hours, right?)
2. Night Mode: Sometimes the UI shifts to include lunar elements if you’re using specific “After Dark” filters or themes.

Don’t confuse the moon with the Earth. If you see the moon, it’s about settings; if you see the blue and green planet, it’s about the bond.

Why Is the Earth Icon Controversial?

I’ll be real with you—this feature hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. In fact, Snapchat actually had to hide these icons behind a “tap” because it was causing too much drama.

Back in the day, you could see your rank instantly. But people started getting their feelings hurt. Imagine checking your best friend’s profile and seeing you’re Jupiter (#5) while some random person from their gym is Mercury (#1). Ouch.

Snapchat’s stance is that this is a “private” insight for Plus subscribers, but it definitely adds a layer of “competitive friending” that didn’t exist before. Personally, I think it’s a fun tool for techies like us to see how the algorithm views our social lives, but I always tell my friends: Don’t let a planet icon define your real-life value.

How to Get (or Lose) the Earth Icon

If you want to move up to that #3 spot and become someone’s Earth on Snapchat, it’s all about consistency.

• The “Daily Snap” Strategy: Send a morning snap every day. It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece—a photo of your shoes or your breakfast works. It keeps the “interaction” ticker moving.
• Engage with Stories: Don’t just watch their stories; reply to them! Replies count as chats, which heavily weigh into the friendship orbit.
• Play Games: If you’re still using Snap Games or Minis, these are high-engagement activities that can boost your ranking quickly.

On the flip side, if you want to drop someone from your orbit (maybe they’re getting a bit too close for comfort?), the only way is to “starve” the algorithm. Stop replying, stop sending snaps, and eventually, they’ll drift out past Neptune and into the void of your regular chat list.

Is Snapchat Plus Worth It for This Feature?

As a power user, I get asked this all the time. Is it worth paying a few bucks a month to see if you’re a blue and green planet?

Yes, if:

• You love data and seeing how you rank.
• You use Snapchat as your primary communication tool.
• You want to know who is “orbiting” you the most.

No, if:

• You get anxious about social rankings.
• You only use Snapchat for the filters.
• You prefer to keep your friendship dynamics a “mystery.”

Honestly, I keep my subscription active mainly for the custom app icons and the “Post View Emoji,” but the Friendship Solar System is a nice “extra” that I check once a week just to see if my social circle has shifted.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Martin’s Final Tip: Don’t Overthink the Orbit

At the end of the day, Earth on Snapchat is just a clever algorithm doing its thing. It’s based on data, not your actual worth as a human being! I’ve had my best friend in real life drop to Mars (#4) simply because we spent the weekend hanging out in person instead of snapping each other.

The algorithm can’t see the “real world” interactions. It only sees the digital ones. So, enjoy the cool blue and green planet icon, use it to see who’s been hitting you up the most, but don’t let it start any friendship wars.

What about you? Have you checked your orbit today? Are you a Mercury or a Neptune? Drop a comment or send me a message—I’d love to hear if your “Solar System” actually matches your real-life friend group!

Would you like me to explain what the other planets like Jupiter or Mars mean in more detail?