Snapchat Plus Feature Rollout: What Changes for Free vs Paid Accounts
By James H. Sterling
The Friend Solar System remains one of the most polarizing Snapchat profile indicators ever implemented. This feature maps mutual friendships around a planetary hierarchy: if you rank among someone's top eight best friends, tapping their "Best Friends" or "Friends" badge displays an illustrated solar system showing where you sit in their orbit. Mercury signifies their absolute closest friend, followed by Venus, Earth, Mars, and outward to Neptune.
Because the Solar System prompted friction among social circles, Snap made the feature opt-in for paid users rather than displaying it automatically. Seeing an active "Best Friends" badge that opens into a planetary ranking panel confirms without question that your contact subscribes to the service. Standard accounts cannot access or view planetary positions on their own profiles.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
