Mercury Snapchat Planet: What It Really Means

In Snapchat’s “Friend Solar System” feature, Mercury is the bright red planet positioned closest to your Bitmoji profile icon.
It’s not astronomy—it’s Snapchat’s fun way of showing your No. 1 best friend on the platform.

If you see this planet next to someone’s name, it means:

  • You likely have an active Snapstreak going with multiple red hearts around the planet.
  • You send them more snaps than anyone else.
  • They hold your top spot in the friendship ranking.
mercury snapchat planet

Mercury’s Role in the Snapchat Solar System

Snapchat+ subscribers get a playful “Friend Solar System” view, ranking best friends as planets in order of closeness—just like in real space.

Planet

Ranking

Meaning

Mercury

#1 Best Friend

Closest friend with the most snaps exchanged

Venus

#2 Best Friend

Second-most frequent interaction

Earth

#3 Best Friend

Solid friendship with regular snaps

Mars

#4 Best Friend

Previously closer, still active

Jupiter

#5 Best Friend

Occasional but consistent chats/snaps

Saturn

#6 Best Friend

Lower streak but steady connection

Uranus

#7 Best Friend

Rare interactions but still on the list

Neptune

#8 Best Friend

Least frequent of your “best friends”

This planet is special because it reflects your fastest, most frequent connection—like the real Mercury, which is closest to the Sun and moves quickly in orbit.

What Do Red Hearts Mean?

If you notice 4 or 5 red hearts around Mercury, it means:

  • Missing a snap for even one day can cause you to lose a heart—or lose this status entirely.
  • You and your friend have kept a Snapstreak alive for many days.
  • Each heart typically represents an extended streak period.

Tips to Keep Mercury as Your Best Friend

  • Snap Daily: Avoid breaking streaks.
  • Respond Quickly: Keep the conversation active.
  • Mix Content: Alternate between photos, videos, and chat for stronger engagement.
  • Avoid Splitting Snaps: Snapping others more can cause this planet to switch.

What Happens if Mercury Disappears?

If you lose this , it could be because:

  • You snapped someone else more frequently.
  • Your best friend interacted more with another person.
  • A streak was broken.

Red Hearts Four up to Five

The planet sign beside your friend’s name represents the person you chat with the most through Snapchat.  You have probably seen planets like Earth, Mars, Neptune, and Venus used on Snapchat to organize friends based on how you interact with them. This is also one of these planets. What does it mean when this planet comes next to your friend’s name? Well, in the social solar system of Snapchat, This is an important planet that acts as a metaphor for how close or important your friend is to you. 

Each red heart around this planet represents the number of days you and your friend have kept your Snapstreak going. Usually, there are 4-5 hearts, showing that the streak has lasted a long time. This shows you both have an active interaction on Snapchat.

The Secret Behind Planet Mercury Snapchat

This planet holds a unique significance on Snapchat, standing out from your closest friend based on the frequency of interaction. Here are some reasons why it is special to your Snapchat!

Best Friend Indicator: This planet represents the friend with whom you snap the most, showing a strong connection through texts, videos, and stories even though you have not shared a large number of overall snaps.

Exclusive Status: It shows that your bond with that particular one is special and worthwhile for interaction.

Interaction Insights: This planet will help you to see your friendship dynamics and prioritise connections on the platform. 

What Does the Planet Mercury in Snapchat Mean?

The planets of Snapchat are named after the planets of our real solar system. Since This planet is the closest to the Sun,  it appears closest to you on this map. This is a fun way to present your close friends in order, starting from the closest, just like real planets.

This planet, as the fastest in the Solar System orbiting around the sun, sounds fit to represent your fastest and foremost Snapper. The more you engage with that specific friend, the more chances you have to maintain him as your closest friend. 

Interesting Facts About Snapchat’s Mercury Planet 

We are familiar now with this planet and its significance in the Snapchat planets; here are a few interesting facts about this top-ranked planet on Snapchat which you can use to impress your friends: 

  • This was known as the golden heart on Snapchat before June 2015.
  • The best friends on your list view your story before anyone else. It is about priority!
  • If two friends have their names followed by 4+ red hearts, the one on top will be the one you are snapping a bit more often. 
  • The maximum number of planets or emojis that can accompany friends’ names is 8, so enjoy it if you have this plaet! 
  • Having a this planet bestie does not mean that you are snapping the most with them overall, just that you are snapping with them a lot as compared to your other friends.
  • You can have up to 8 planets or emojis next to friends’ names at any time – enjoy it if Mercury is yours!

What Do Other Planets on Snapchat Mean?

Snapchat is a fun way to sit and categories your best friends. This app-centric classification could use a background check, with an additional 8 planets in the solar system. The orbit of these planets is determined practically by your interactions with friends. Thus, Venus would be assigned to your second-best friend, and so on, while Neptune would be your eighth-best. 

So, this planet is the representative of your top friend, whereas Venus is the second one, denoting red hearts that almost match the red one on Mercury; the Earth emoji indicates friends that have been there for about two weeks+, and then Mars denotes someone who was your number one but has de-ranked on Snapchat’s orbit!

What Does It Mean If My Best Friend Is Mercury?

When your best friend has this planet , it means he/she is your top best friend! This means that you are interacting with them more than anybody. It does not imply that you are necessarily the person they snap with the most, but you have a pretty strong and active connection with them compared to all your other friends. While telling a special story, they looked at the amount of time you chatted and the manner you chatted, making them important and worth remembering for both of you.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this Snapchat planet indicates who your best friend is according to the frequency of snapping you have shared. Now you know what it stands for – Mercury and the rest of the planets—making it easier for you to figure out your friendships.

It denotes the strength of the association with your best friend or represents the way you interact with others. These facts might help find your closest friend on Snapchat!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

No—only one person can be your Mercury at any given time.

Yes—Snapchat updates rankings automatically based on recent activity.

Not necessarily—they may snap someone else more.

Indirectly—frequent snapping boosts your overall score.

No. Mercury is reserved for your single top friend based on snap frequency and chat activity. The algorithm only assigns it to one person at a time.

Snapchat’s algorithm tracks who you send snaps, videos, and chats to most often. The person with the highest interaction score becomes your Mercury friend.

Not necessarily. Your rankings are personal, so you could be their Venus or Mars while they’re your Mercury.

Yes. Your Mercury status updates dynamically. If you interact more with another person—or they interact more with someone else—Mercury can shift.

They’re closely linked. High interaction with your Mercury friend often comes from keeping a streak alive, but streaks are separate from the planet system.

The hearts show the length and consistency of your Snapstreak with that friend. More hearts (usually 4–5) mean a longer streak and stronger bond.

Yes. If you snap someone else more frequently—even while keeping your streak alive—Mercury can switch to them.

Increase your snaps and chats with that person, limit interactions with others, and re-establish daily exchanges until the algorithm updates.

Mercury is only visible to you. Others can’t see your planet assignments unless they have Snapchat+ and check their own solar system.

No. The Friend Solar System is a Snapchat+ feature. Without it, you can’t see Mercury or other planets.

No—it changes with your snapping habits. You can keep it as long as you remain the top snapper with that friend.

Yes. If you’re snapping and chatting with someone the most, they can still be your Mercury even if you haven’t kept a streak.

A sudden drop in interaction or a big spike in activity with someone else can make Mercury switch quickly. Snapchat rankings update in real-time.

Both count. Photos, videos, and chats all contribute to your interaction score.

Group chat interactions are counted, but Mercury is awarded based on one-on-one interaction totals.