The planet that appears first on your Snapchat best friends list is not actually related to any specific planet.
The planets that show up next to friends’ names on your best friends list are randomly assigned aesthetics that have no deeper meaning.
How the Snapchat Best Friends List Works
Snapchat’s best friends list shows the people you snap with the most frequently at the top of your friends list. The more you snap with someone, the higher up on your best friends list they will appear.
Next to each friend on this list is a colorful emoji icon. These icons appear to be small planets, moons, stars, or asteroids. However, the Snapchat icons are randomly generated.
There is no meaning behind which specific planet or celestial body appears next to a friend’s name.
The Random Planet Icons
While the order of your best friends list is meaningful, the exact planet icon is not. Snapchat randomly assigns each friend one of over 150 planet icons.
So one friend may have a blue moon icon, while another has a red ringed planet. But there is no significance to whether someone is represented by Jupiter or Saturn for example.
The variety of planets and moons used for icons include:
- Earth-like planets of different colors
- Ringed planets
- Planets with craters
- Gas giant planets
- Moons
- Asteroids
- Stars
- Galaxies
Some friends may match with the same planet icon. And each time you refresh the app, the planets may change next to each friend’s name. So don’t read too much into which icon appears by a specific friend’s name.
Custom Icons
In addition to the randomly generated planet icons, there are a few ways to get custom icons.
- Users with a Snapchat Bitmoji will have their Bitmoji character displayed instead of a planet.
- Friends added via Snapcode will have a special flower icon.
- Your “Number 1 Best Friend” will have a smiling star emoji.
But most friends on your best friends list will continue to have the randomly assigned planet icons, which hold no meaning about that friend or their ranking.
What Does Change the Order of Your Best Friends
While the planet icons are arbitrary, the order of Snapchat’s Best Friends list is meaningful.
The list ranks friends based on your snap interactions over the past week.
So what exactly determines the ranking?
Snap frequency – The more you snap back and forth with someone, the higher they’ll rank. Consistent snapping is key.
Recency – Friends you’ve snapped more recently will tend to rank higher.
Length of snaps – Longer video and text snaps signal more engagement.
Two-way interaction – You both have to be actively sending snaps to each other.
The more you interact using these types of engagement metrics, the faster a friend will move up your best friends list when it recalculates each week.
Playing the Best Friends List Game
For some Snapchat users, ranking #1 best friend for a particular person can seem like an status symbol or sign of friendship. Some users even compete to see who can rank #1 on friends’ lists.
If you want to rank higher on someone’s best friends list, focus on:
- Snapping them every day
- Sending chat messages in addition to photo/video snaps
- Replying quickly to their snaps
- Commenting on their stories
- Including them in group stories
Essentially, being an engaged and interactive Snapchat friend is what the algorithm tracks. So consistently snap that person more than your other friends do.
Other Tips for Manipulating Your Best Friends List
- Send snaps first thing in the morning to be one of the first snaps the person sees that day.
- Send a snap right before bed to be one of the last received that day.
- Avoid going more than 24 hours without snapping to maintain your recency.
- Send 3-4 snaps back to back instead of spacing out over the day.
- Save your best friend for the last snap you send each day.
Again, none of these tactics will actually change which planet icon appears next to your name.
But they could help increase your interactions and engagement for the best friends ranking.
Why Your Top Best Friend Changes
Don’t be surprised if your #1 best friend slot changes week to week, even if you consistently snap with the same circle of friends. There are a few reasons the top spot rotates:
Vacations – Time differences and inconsistent access to Snapchat while traveling can affect your ranking.
Busy periods – During exam week or a big work project, your snap activity may decrease.
Competing friends – If another friend is snapping your #1 a ton, they may out-snap you that week.
Deliberate snubbing – Some users try to “punish” friends by not snapping them back to knock them down a rank.
For these reasons, most Snapchatters will not occupy the top best friend spot forever, even if they remain closer friends outside the app. The rankings reflect your activity on Snapchat itself more than your real world friendships.
Does Order Really Matter?
While it can be fun to compete for the top best friend spot, the rankings shouldn’t be taken too seriously. They simply reflect your snap activity for one week.
The top spot will likely rotate between your closest Snapchat friends over time.
At the end of the day, Snapchat is about having fun connecting with friends. Don’t get too caught up in where someone ranks you or stress too much about maintaining a #1 slot. Just enjoy the snaps!