Hey there! Martin here. If you’ve ever opened up a friend’s profile on Snapchat, tapped that gold-rimmed “Best Friends” badge, and felt a sudden pang of “Wait… why am I just Mars to them when they’re Mercury to me?”—well, welcome to the club.
I’ve been a Snapchat power user since the days when lenses were just rainbow pukes, and I’ve seen every update from the arrival of Snap Maps to the current Snapchat Plus era. But nothing has sparked more “friendship drama” or late-night Discord debates than the Snapchat planet rank different mystery.
In this guide, I’m going to break down exactly why these planets don’t always align, the secret “math” behind the ranks, and how to navigate the slightly awkward world of friendship asymmetry. Grab a coffee, and let’s dive into the digital cosmos.
My Personal Experience with Mismatched Planets
Let me tell you about the time I almost sent a “we need to talk” text over a digital emoji.
About a year ago, my buddy Chris and I were on a massive 400-day streak. In my head, we were absolute peak “Mercury” status. I was a Snapchat+ subscriber, so I checked my Solar System. Sure enough, Chris was my Mercury—the center of my Snap universe. I was sending him every funny dog video and gym selfie I had.
One night at a bar, we were messing around with the app, and I saw his phone. I tapped on my profile from his account. I wasn’t Mercury. I wasn’t even Venus or Earth. I was Mars. Honestly, it stung for a second! I thought, “I’m out here giving him my #1 interaction energy, and I’m only #4 on his list?” But then I realized: Chris is a group chat monster. He’s in three different fantasy football groups and a family chat where they exchange a hundred Snaps a day.
That was my “lightbulb moment.” The Snapchat planet rank different phenomenon isn’t about how much you like someone; it’s a cold, hard reflection of your relative volume of data. Chris still liked me, he just had three other people he “content-dumped” on more than me. I learned that day that the Solar System isn’t a mirror—it’s two separate ledgers that don’t always balance out.
Read More: Top 5 Snapchat Plus hidden features (2026 Edition)
The Core Logic: Why Your Planets Don’t Match
So, why is the Snapchat planet rank different on your profile compared to theirs? The shortest answer is: Snapchat calculates rankings individually, not mutually.
Think of it like a leaderboard. On your phone, you have a list of people you talk to most. On your friend’s phone, they have their own list.
How the Ranking System Works
Snapchat’s algorithm looks at several engagement metrics over a rolling period (usually the last week or two):
- Snap Frequency: The number of photo and video Snaps exchanged.
- Chat Activity: While less weighted than Snaps, text chats still count toward the bond.
- Reciprocity: Do you both send Snaps, or is it one-sided?
- Consistency: Daily interaction keeps the “orbit” tight.
Understanding Friendship Asymmetry
This is where friendship asymmetry kicks in. You might send 90% of your Snaps to one person (making them your Mercury). But if that person sends 100 Snaps a day to five other people, you might only land as their Jupiter or Saturn.
It’s not a glitch; it’s just the math of your social circles. Have you ever felt like you were the “reacher” in a friendship? That’s exactly what a mismatched planet feels like in digital form.
Visual Roadmap: The Snapchat Solar System
To help you visualize where you stand, here is a quick guide to what those floating rocks actually mean.
| Planet | Rank | Interaction Level | Vibe Check |
| Mercury | #1 | Highest | Your ride-or-die. |
| Venus | #2 | Very High | Constant daily contact. |
| Earth | #3 | High | Strong, reliable bond. |
| Mars | #4 | Moderate | Regular chatter. |
| Jupiter | #5 | Frequent | Usually a group chat regular. |
| Saturn | #6 | Occasional | Meaningful but less frequent. |
| Uranus | #7 | Lower | Occasional check-ins. |
| Neptune | #8 | Lowest | Barely made the Top 8. |
Why Is the Ranking Different? (The Deep Dive)
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the mismatched planets issue. There are three main reasons your screens don’t look the same.
1. The “Power User” Gap
If you are a casual user who only Snaps five people, and your friend is a “Power User” who Snaps fifty, your rankings will never match. You will likely see them as Mercury because they represent a huge chunk of your activity. They might see you as Uranus because you are only a small fraction of their total daily Snaps.
2. The Weight of Group Chats
This is a big one that people often overlook. If your friend is in a high-intensity group chat that includes “Best Friends,” those interactions can “clog up” their Top 8 list. Even if you two are sending deep, personal Snaps, the sheer volume of a 10-person group chat can push you further down their Solar System.
3. Algorithm Update Delay
Snapchat doesn’t update your planet in real-time. It’s more of a “moving average.” Sometimes, your app might have refreshed your rank, but your friend’s app is still caching data from three days ago. This creates a temporary snapchat rank logic lag where the planets seem totally out of sync.
Decoding the Emojis and Badges
When you look at a profile, you’ll see two specific badges that help explain the Snapchat planet rank different situation:
- The “Best Friends” Badge: This gold-rimmed badge means you are both in each other’s Top 8.
- The “Friends” Badge: This means you are in their Top 8, but they are not in yours (or vice versa).
If you see “Friends” instead of “Best Friends,” it’s a clear sign of asymmetry. You might be their Earth, but they might not even be in your solar system at all! It’s a bit of a reality check, isn’t it?
FAQ: Your Burning Planet Questions
Why am I Mars on my friend’s profile but they are Mercury on mine?
This happens because you interact with them more than anyone else, but they interact with three other people more than you. It’s all about your relative volume of Snaps.
Does the Solar System mean they like me less?
Not at all! As I found with my friend Chris, some people just use the app differently. They might be “streaking” with a dozen people for fun, while you only use the app for a few close friends.
Can I hide my planet rank from others?
Yes! Snapchat actually made the Solar System feature “opt-in” because it caused so much stress. You can turn it off in your Snapchat+ settings so you don’t have to worry about where you rank.
How often do the planets change?
While Snap doesn’t give an exact timer, most users notice shifts every 24 to 48 hours. If you go on a “Snap spree” with someone, you can jump from Neptune to Earth pretty quickly!
Martin’s Final Tip: Don’t Let the Planets Stress You Out
At the end of the day, the Snapchat planet rank different issue is just an algorithm doing math. It doesn’t know who you grab coffee with in real life or who you’ve known since kindergarten. It only knows who you sent a blurry 2-second video of your lunch to.
My advice? Treat the Solar System like a fun mini-game, not a friendship audit. If you’re feeling a little “distant” (literally) in someone’s orbit, maybe just send them a few more Snaps—or better yet, give them a call.
What about you? Have you ever had a “planet panic” moment when you saw your rank? Drop a comment or send me a Snap!
Would you like me to create a custom “Snapchat Etiquette” guide to help you boost your friendship ranks without being annoying?
