The planet icon that sometimes appears next to friends’ names on your Snapchat friends list indicates that that friend is currently posting publicly viewable stories. It does not signify anything specific about that friend’s location or activity.
Understanding the Snapchat Friends List
The Snapchat friends list shows all of your connections on the app and allows you to see when your friends are active. Next to each friend’s name, you may notice different icons that provide information about what they are currently doing.
For example, a smiley face means that friend has an active private story. A blue unread chat icon means you have unread chats from that friend. A birthday cake icon indicates that it is their birthday.
One of the icons that sometimes appears is a small blue planet. When visible, this planet indicates that your friend has posted at least one public story in the past 24 hours that you have not yet viewed.
Public Stories vs Private Stories
To understand what the planet icon means, it helps to first understand the difference between private stories and public stories on Snapchat.
Private stories, also called custom stories, are Snapchat posts that are shared with a specific list of friends. Only the friends selected by the user when posting the story can view private stories. These appear in the stories feed alongside friends’ names.
Public stories, on the other hand, are visible to anyone on Snapchat. Users don’t select a specific audience for public stories. Rather, these unrestricted stories are intermixed with other public stories from Snapchat users around the world in the app’s public story feeds.
Identifying Friends with Public Content
The planet icon signals that your friend has posted at least one public, globally viewable Snapchat story within the last 24 hours that you haven’t opened yet. Tapping on the planet will take you straight to that friend’s public story content.
So in summary, the planet simply indicates your friend has public stories you haven’t seen. It does not imply anything about their physical location or activity.
Why Friends Have the Planet Icon
There are a few key reasons why one of your friends may have the planet icon next to their name at any given time:
- They recently posted a public story for the first time
- They regularly post content to public Snapchat stories
- It has been less than 24 hours since their last public story post
- You haven’t yet viewed their latest public story
Essentially, the planet appears when a friend has unviewed public story content that was posted within the last day. If they don’t post public stories often, you likely won’t see the planet icon much.
Posting to Public Stories
As mentioned, public stories on Snapchat appear in public feeds and are viewable by the entire Snapchat community. Users don’t choose a specific audience for these stories.
To post a public story, users simply post a snap using the app’s public story feature. This adds the snap to the relevant public story feed based on factors like location, events, interests, etc.
For example, snaps posted to Snapchat’s Holiday story feed will be added to the Holiday public story for all Snapchatters to view. The same goes for location-based stories like those for cities, neighborhoods, or popular destinations.
Viewing Friends’ Public Stories
When one of your friends posts to public stories, the planet will appear so you know to go view their content. Tapping the planet icon will open their public story in the app.
Alternatively, you can find their public story in the relevant public story feed. For example, if your friend posted to the Disney World public story, you could go directly to the Disney World story to find their snap.
Either way, once you view their public story snap, the planet icon will disappear until they post another public snap that you haven’t seen.
Other Snapchat Friends List Icons
In addition to the planet icon for public stories, there are a few other icons that can display next to friends on your Snapchat friends list:
- Smiley face – This means your friend has a private story active that you can view.
- Unread chat – A blue chat icon indicates you have unread chats from this friend.
- Birthday cake – The birthday cake icon appears when it is this friend’s birthday.
- Sunglasses emoji – This means your friend is one of your “Best Friends.”
So if you aren’t sure what an icon means on your friends list, refer back to this guide. The icons help provide a quick status update on your friends’ Snapchat activity and stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the planet icon suddenly appear for my friend?
Most likely your friend recently posted a snap to a public story feed for the first time or for the first time in a while. The planet lets you know to go check out their public content.
Does the planet icon mean my friend is traveling?
No, the planet does not indicate anything about your friend’s physical location or travel activity. It simply means they have public stories to view.
How do I get rid of the planet icon?
View your friend’s latest public story snap – the planet icon will disappear once you’ve caught up on their public posts.
What if my friend has multiple public stories I haven’t seen?
Even if your friend has posted to multiple public feeds, viewing just their latest snap will remove the planet icon. However, you can still find their other public stories in the relevant feeds.
Can I turn off the planet icon?
There is no setting to disable the planet icon. It will appear any time your friends have posted public stories that are less than 24 hours old.
Does the planet icon expire after 24 hours?
Yes, if your friend has not posted a new public snap within a 24 hour period, the planet icon will disappear from their name.
Conclusion
The planet icon on Snapchat’s friends list simply indicates that particular friend has posted a public story within the past 24 hours that you have yet to view. It does not give information about their location or activity.
To remove the planet, simply view your friend’s latest public story snap. The icon will disappear once you’re caught up. Overall, the various Snapchat friends list icons provide a helpful way to stay updated on your friends’ activity.