Snapchat Best Friends List 2025: Track Your Top Friends Like Never Before
Snapchat Best Friends List 2025 is an interesting feature that automatically identifies your closest and most connected friends. This list is created based on which friends you have chatted with or shared the most snaps within the past few days. This list includes your top 8 friends, who are highlighted by special emojis, such as a gold star or a red heart. In addition, Snapchat+ users also get to see an extended list of 16 friends.
The special thing about Snapchat is that it doesn’t just show your friends in a list, but through a beautiful “solar system” in the form of Snapchat Planets. You are the sun, and your friends revolve around you in the form of different planets, such as Mercury (1st best friend) to Neptune (8th best friend). This system is not only interesting but also reflects your social activity.
What Is the Snapchat Best Friends List?
The Snapchat Best Friends List is a dynamic feature that ranks your top friends based on how often you snap and chat with them. This list includes up to 8 friends in the regular version and up to 16 friends for Snapchat+ users. You don’t get to choose who appears on your list — Snapchat does that automatically based on your activity over the past few days and weeks.
Your top friends appear at the top of your chat feed and are marked with special emojis. These rankings update frequently, so someone who was once #1 can drop off if you stop interacting regularly.
How the Snapchat Best Friends List Is Calculated
Snapchat uses a hidden algorithm to decide who shows up on your Best Friends List. While the exact formula is not public, several factors are known to affect the rankings:
- How many snaps do you exchange with a person
- How often do you communicate (both snaps and chats)
- How long are your Snapstreaks?
- Whether you mostly send photos, videos, or just text
- How fast do you reply to each other’s snaps
Snapchat prioritizes recent activity, so the list is always changing. If you want someone to move up in your list, just increase your interaction with them, snap more often, reply quicker, and keep the streak alive.
Emojis on the Best Friends List – What Do They Mean?
Next to your top friends, you will often see small emojis that represent your current friendship level. These are not just for decoration; they carry specific meanings:
- ⭐ Gold Star – Your #1 Best Friend
- 🔥 Red Fire – You and this person are each other’s #1
- 💛 Yellow Heart – You both share the same #1 Best Friend
- ❤️ Red Heart – One of your Top 8 Best Friends
These emojis are updated based on how your interaction changes over time. If your snaps become more frequent with someone else, the emoji might switch or disappear altogether.
Snap Planets and the Friendship Solar System
For Snapchat+ users, the Best Friends List comes with a visual twist: the Snapchat Planets feature. This feature displays your friendship as a solar system, where you are the Sun, and your top 8 friends are shown as planets orbiting around you.
Each planet represents a specific ranking:
- 🔴 Mercury – Your #1 Best Friend
- 🟠 Venus – 2nd Best Friend
- 🟡 Earth – 3rd Best Friend
- 🟢 Mars – 4th Best Friend
- 🔵 Jupiter – 5th Best Friend
- 🟣 Saturn – 6th Best Friend
- 🟤 Uranus – 7th Best Friend
- ⚫ Neptune – 8th Best Friend
The closer the planet is to you (the Sun), the stronger your connection. It is a fun and visual way to understand your social closeness.
Managing Your Best Friends List
If you want to change who appears on your Best Friends List, there are a few things you can do:
- Snap and chat more with the person you want to move up
- Stop snapping at someone if you want them to drop off the list
- Block and unblock someone to reset your interaction history
- Avoid sending snaps just to boost rankings — keep it real
Snapchat discourages manual control of the list to keep it organic and honest. So the best way to manage it is to simply communicate with people you care about.
Snapchat+ and the Extended Best Friends List
With Snapchat+, the Best Friends List becomes even more powerful. You get access to an Extended Best Friends List, which shows your top 16 friends instead of just 8. You can also:
- Track changes in your rankings over time
- See the order of your top 16 friends
- View planet icons showing where you rank in someone else’s solar system
- Get access to more detailed friendship insights
Snapchat+ is a paid subscription, but it gives you deeper control and visibility into your closest connections on the app.
Read more: How to Find & Add Friends on Snapchat [Step-by-Step Tips]
Best Friends Forever: Pin Your #1 Friend
Another fun feature exclusive to Snapchat+ is Best Friends Forever (BFF). This lets you pin someone as your #1 Best Friend, making them easy to access. The best part? Only you can see it.
To do this:
- Long-press on your friend’s name
- Tap “Pin as your #1 Best Friend.”
This is great for staying in touch with your closest contact — whether it is a bestie, your partner, or a sibling.
Pros and Cons of the Snapchat Best Friends List
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Shows your closest friends at a glance | Can cause drama if people compare rankings |
Encourages meaningful interaction | Changes frequently, which can confuse users |
Adds fun competition to the app | Sometimes emphasizes quantity over quality |
Makes friendships visual and exciting |
The best advice? Enjoy it, but don’t stress over it. The Snapchat Best Friends List is meant to make your experience better, not to ruin your day over who’s #1.
Read more: Snapchat Snapcode Explained: How to Scan & Why Should Use Snapcode
FAQs About Snapchat Best Friends List
How often does the Best Friends List update?
It updates regularly based on recent snap and chat activity, usually within 24–48 hours.
Can I hide my Best Friends List?
No, but only you can see it unless your friend is also using Snapchat+ and checks their planet system.
Do group chats count toward the Best Friends List?
No, only individual snaps and chats affect the rankings.
How can I remove someone from my Best Friends List?
Reduce your interaction, or block/unblock them to reset the history.
What’s the difference between the regular and extended list?
The regular list shows your top 8 friends. Snapchat+ offers an extended list of up to 16.
Final Summary
In 2025, the Snapchat Best Friends List remains one of the most personal and interactive features of the app. From basic emoji-based lists to full-blown solar system views in Snapchat+, the platform offers a creative way to visualize and maintain your friendships.
Whether you are a casual user or a Snapchat+ subscriber, the key is the same — focus on real, consistent interaction. The more you engage meaningfully, the stronger your Snapchat universe becomes.