Hey there! Grab a coffee and pull up a chair. I’m Martin, and if there’s one thing I spend way too much time obsessing over, it’s the weird, wonderful, and sometimes slightly stressful world of Snapchat.
Lately, I’ve been getting hit with the same question from my crew: “Who can see my Snapchat planets?” It’s that classic Snap+ curiosity. You see your bestie as Mercury (the #1 spot), and suddenly you’re hit with a wave of “digital stage fright.” Does the rest of the world know you guys are that tight? Does the person in the #8 spot (poor Neptune) know they’re barely hanging onto your inner circle?
If you’ve ever felt a bit of “planet-panic,” don’t worry—I’ve done the deep diving so you don’t have to. Let’s break down exactly how much of your “Solar System” is actually public.
My Personal Experience with the Solar System
I’ll be honest: I’m a total Snapchat power user, but even I got tripped up by this at first. A few months ago, I was grabbing lunch with my buddy, Leo. I had recently subbed to Snapchat+, and I noticed Leo was my “Venus”—my #2 closest friend.
I actually felt a weird pang of guilt. See, Leo and I talk a lot, but my childhood best friend, Sarah, is usually my #1. For some reason that week, Leo and I were blowing up each other’s phones with memes, and he bumped her to #3 (Earth). I sat there through the whole lunch thinking, “Oh man, if Sarah checks my profile and sees she’s Earth while Leo is Venus, she’s gonna think I’m replacing her!”
I spent the next twenty minutes subtly trying to tilt my phone away so Leo couldn’t see his own rank either. I was convinced my entire friend list could see this “Planetary Leaderboard” I had going on.
After lunch, I went full detective mode. I grabbed my spare “testing” phone, logged into a different account, and looked at my main profile. The result? Total relief. My “rankings” weren’t a public scoreboard. I learned the hard way that Snapchat keeps things way more low-key than I thought, but there’s a specific “catch” you need to know about.
Read More: How to Reset Snapchat Planets: Martin’s Expert Guide
Who Can See My Snapchat Planets? (The Short Answer)
Let’s cut to the chase: Who can see my Snapchat planets? The short answer is only you. But (and this is a big “but”), if a friend also has Snapchat+, they can see their own rank in your solar system by looking at your Friendship Profile.
They cannot see your entire list. They can’t see who is Mercury if they are Mars. They can only see where they stand in relation to you. It’s a one-way mirror, not a glass house.
Public vs. Private Rank: What’s the Difference?
Snapchat is pretty protective of your social hierarchy. Unlike the “Top Friends” lists of the early 2000s (looking at you, MySpace), your Snapchat Solar System is considered a private rank.
- Private Rank: This is your personal view. When you look at your friends, you see them as planets. This is 100% private to your eyes.
- Friend Visibility: If your friend “Dave” visits your profile and taps the “Best Friends” badge, he will see his own planet (e.g., “You’re their Saturn!”). He has no idea who is Mercury or Venus.
- Snapchat Plus Visibility: Remember, this feature is a “Plus” exclusive. If your friend doesn’t pay for the subscription, they usually can’t even see the badge to check their rank in the first place.
The “Solar System” Breakdown: Who Is Where?
If you’re wondering how these ranks are actually calculated, it’s all about the volume of interaction. Snapchat’s algorithm looks at how many Snaps you send, how many Chats you exchange, and how often you’re viewing each other’s Stories.
| Planet | Rank | Meaning |
| Mercury | #1 | Your absolute Best Friend. You two are inseparable. |
| Venus | #2 | Your second closest. High-frequency interaction. |
| Earth | #3 | Third closest. You likely have a long-running streak. |
| Mars | #4 | Fourth closest. Frequent “check-in” buddies. |
| Jupiter | #5 | Fifth closest. You talk a few times a week. |
| Saturn | #6 | Sixth closest. In the inner circle, but not the “inner-inner” circle. |
| Uranus | #7 | Seventh closest. Occasional chats and story replies. |
| Neptune | #8 | Eighth closest. The edge of your “Best Friends” list. |
How to Control Your Friend List Privacy
I get it—sometimes you just don’t want people knowing where they stand. Maybe you’re worried about hurting feelings, or maybe you just like keeping your digital life under wraps. Here is how I manage my privacy:
1. The “Ghost” Method: Turning Off the Feature
Did you know you can actually turn this off? If the pressure of the “Solar System” is too much, you can opt-out.
- Go to your Profile.
- Tap the Snapchat+ banner.
- Toggle Friend Solar System to OFF.Once it’s off, people can’t see their rank on your profile anymore, even if they have Plus.
2. The “Best Friends Forever” Pin
If you have a #1 friend that you never want to see drop, you can use the Pin as #1 Best Friend feature. This keeps them as your Mercury regardless of how much you talk to others. It’s a great way to “freeze” your ranking so you don’t have to worry about the algorithm shuffling things around.
3. Hiding the Snapchat+ Badge
If you don’t want people to even know you have the ability to see planets, you can hide your Snapchat+ badge.
- In the Snapchat+ settings, toggle off the Snapchat+ Badge.
- This makes your profile look like a “normal” user profile, which can sometimes stop people from even looking for a “Best Friends” badge.
Why Is This Feature So Controversial?
Honestly, I have a love-hate relationship with the planets. On one hand, it’s a fun, gamified way to see who you’re clicking with. On the other hand, it can feel a bit like high school drama 2.0.
Snapchat actually changed this feature recently (making it “opt-in” by default) because of the anxiety it caused. People were getting upset that they were “only” a Jupiter instead of an Earth. My take? Don’t let the app define your real-life friendships. Just because someone is Neptune doesn’t mean you don’t care about them—it just means you aren’t sending them 50 memes a day!
FAQ: Your Burning Planet Questions Answered
Q2: If I see someone as my Mercury, am I automatically their Mercury?
A: Not necessarily! This is a one-way street. You might send them tons of Snaps (making them your Mercury), but if they send more Snaps to someone else, you might only be their Mars or Jupiter.
Q3: Can a “non-friend” see my planets?
A: Absolutely not. The Solar System only applies to people who are on your “Best Friends” list, which requires you to be mutual friends first. A random follower or a stranger cannot see your rankings.
Q4: Does the “Solar System” show up on my Public Profile?
A: No. Your Public Profile (the one people see if they find you via Search or Spotlight) is separate. The Solar System is a “Friendship Profile” feature, meaning it’s only visible between two people who have added each other.
Q5: How often do the planet ranks update?
A: In my experience, it’s almost daily. If you go on a “Snap-binge” with someone, you’ll see them climb the ranks pretty quickly. Likewise, if you stop talking to someone for a week, they’ll start drifting toward Neptune.
Martin’s Final Tip
At the end of the day, the Snapchat Solar System is just a bit of fun data. If you’re worried about who can see your Snapchat planets, just remember: you have the power! If you’re feeling the “rank-anxiety,” just toggle the feature off in your settings. Your real friends know where they stand without needing a digital planet to prove it.
Would you like me to walk you through how to hide your Snapchat+ badge so no one knows you’re even using these features? Just let me know!
