Have you ever opened a friend’s profile and wondered how to tell if someone has snapchat plus? You are not alone. Many Snapchat users ask this question every day. Snapchat Plus is the paid plan from Snapchat. It unlocks fun extras like the Friend Solar System, custom app icons, and a special star badge. But Snapchat does not put a big label on Plus members. So you have to look for small clues. In this guide from Snap Planets, I will walk you through 6 clear signs that point to Snapchat Plus. I will also bust common myths, so you do not get fooled by false clues.
Here is one honest truth before we start. No single sign works every time. Some Plus members turn off the public signs. Others keep them on. That is why I rank each sign by how much you can trust it. Let us dive in.
How to Tell If Someone Has Snapchat Plus With the Star Badge
The easiest and most trusted sign is the Snapchat Plus badge. Snapchat gives every Plus member a small black star badge that looks like this: ✪. It sits right next to their display name on their profile. When you see it, you can be sure that person pays for Snapchat Plus. Free accounts cannot get this badge, and there is no way to fake it.
Keep one thing in mind. Snapchat turns this badge off by default. Each member has to switch it on in their Plus settings. So a missing star does not prove they use the free plan. But a visible star is all the proof you need.
Why do I trust this sign the most? Because Snapchat itself built it for this exact job. The support page says the badge lets friends know you are a Plus subscriber. It is not a hidden hack or a guess. It is an official label. Just remember that a hidden badge proves nothing, since so many members leave it off.
Look for the Gold Ring on Their Friendship Profile
The second strong sign hides on the Friendship Profile. That is the page that opens when you tap a friend’s name in your chat list. If your friend has Plus and has turned on the Solar System, you may see a Best Friends badge with a gold ring around it. That gold ring only appears for Plus members, and it means you are one of their top eight friends.
There is one catch. You can only see this gold ring if you also pay for Snapchat Plus. Snapchat made this a Plus to Plus perk. On the free version of the app, the ring stays hidden even when your friend has Plus turned on.
No gold ring in sight? That tells you nothing for sure. They may have Plus with the Solar System turned off. Or you may simply sit outside their top eight friends. Move on to the next signs.
A quick tip: the Friendship Profile is not the same as the normal profile page. You get there from a chat, not from search. Open any chat with the person, tap their name at the top, and you land on the Friendship Profile. That is where Snapchat puts the Best Friends badge for Plus viewers.
Check Your Planet in Their Solar System
This sign goes one step past the gold ring. Tap the gold ring badge and Snapchat opens your planet in your friend’s Solar System. You might see Mercury, Venus, Earth, or one of the other planets. Each planet marks your rank in their best friends list. Mercury means you are their number one best friend, while Neptune means you are number eight.
Why is this such a clear sign? Because only Snapchat Plus members can switch on the Solar System at all. If you can open it and see your own planet, there is zero doubt left. Your friend pays for Plus. To learn what each planet means, read our guide to Mercury on Snapchat and the full Solar System order on the Snap Planets homepage.
If tapping the badge does nothing, the Solar System is turned off, or you are not in their top eight. Try the other signs below.
Each planet tells a clear story. Mercury is the closest friend, Venus is next, then Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune last. If you want the full order with pictures, our Mercury on Snapchat guide walks through all eight spots in simple words.
Watch for Stories That Stay Up Longer Than a Day
Normal Snapchat stories vanish after 24 hours. That rule applies to every free account. But Snapchat Plus members can change how long their stories stay up. They can pick longer timers, such as two days, three days, or even a full week.
So here is a clever trick. If you notice that someone’s story is still sitting at the top of your feed after two or three days, that is a real hint they may have Plus. A free account simply cannot stretch a story that long.
I still call this a hint and not proof. You would need to watch their stories closely for a few days. Also, some people repost the same story, which can look like one long story. Mix this clue with the stronger signs above for the best guess.
This trick works best with friends who post every day. Pick one friend, watch their story feed for three or four days, and note how long each story lasts. Free users will always drop off at the 24 hour mark. A Plus user with a long timer will sail right past it.
Spot Exclusive Plus Style on Their Profile
Plus members get special looks that free users cannot touch. They can set a custom profile background built with smart tools. They can dress their Bitmoji in exclusive outfits. They can add rare pets and cars to their Bitmoji scenes. If a friend’s profile looks far fancier than most, Plus may be the reason.
Treat this one as a soft hint only. A cool profile does not prove anything by itself, because some free features look nice too. But when a fancy profile shows up together with one of the strong signs above, your guess gets much better.
Free profiles can still look nice, so do not judge by style alone. The real test is whether the fancy bits match the official Plus list: custom profile backgrounds, exclusive Bitmoji outfits, and special pets or cars. If you see all three, your hint gets stronger.
They Show You Plus Features Firsthand
Some signs only work face to face. If your friend hands you their phone, glance at the home screen. Only Plus members can set a custom Snapchat app icon, so a non yellow icon is solid proof. You have to see it with your own eyes, because this change only shows on their own phone.
Or they might show you their own screen while they check story stats. Plus members can see how many friends rewatched each story, marked with a little eyes emoji. Only the person who posted the story can see that number. If they show it to you, the mystery is solved.
And never forget the simplest move of all. Just ask. Many Plus members love to talk about the fun extras they get. There is nothing awkward about asking a friend which plan they use.
One more honest note. None of these face to face checks work from far away. They are bonus signs for real life friends. For online only friends, stick with the badge, the gold ring, and the story timer trick.
Myths About Spotting Snapchat Plus
The internet is full of bad tips on this topic. Some blogs repeat the same wrong ideas without ever checking Snapchat’s own help pages. I checked each claim below against Snapchat Support, so you get the real facts. Let us clear up the biggest myths so you do not waste your time chasing false clues.
Myth 1: You Can See Their Custom App Icon
False. A custom app icon only changes on the phone of the person who pays for Plus. You will never see it on your own phone. If a website tells you to look for a strange icon in your chat list, ignore that advice.
Myth 2: You Can See Rewatch Counts on Their Stories
False. The little eyes emoji and the rewatch count only appear under stories that you post yourself. When you watch a friend’s story, Snapchat will not show you how many times others rewatched it. Only the poster ever sees that number.
Myth 3: The Post View Emoji Shows on Their Stories
False. This works just like the rewatch count. The Post View Emoji is a Plus perk for the person who posted the story. As a viewer, you cannot see it, so it tells you nothing about their plan.
Myth 4: You Can Hear Their Custom Notification Sounds
False. Plus lets members set special sounds for each friend, but those sounds only play on their own phone. You will keep hearing your normal Snapchat sounds no matter which plan they pay for.
Myth 5: No Badge Means No Plus
False. Both the star badge and the Solar System start out turned off. Each member has to switch them on by hand. Many members never bother. So a plain looking profile can still belong to a paying Plus subscriber.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Know If Someone Has Snapchat Plus
How to know if someone has Snapchat Plus starts with the star badge. Look next to their display name on their profile. If you see a small black star, they have Plus and they have switched the badge on. If there is no star, check the gold ring on their Friendship Profile, or look for a story that stays up longer than a day. No single sign is certain, because a member can turn the public signs off.
How Do I Know If Someone Has Snapchat Plus
If you ask how do I know if someone has Snapchat Plus, use the checks in order. First look for the star badge. Next check the gold ring on the Friendship Profile. Then see if a story stays up past one day. Ask them directly if you are still unsure, since many members are happy to say which plan they use.
How to Check If Someone Has Snapchat Plus
To check, open Snapchat, find your friend, and open their full profile. Look for the star badge next to their name. Then open their Friendship Profile and look for the gold ring. If neither sign appears, they may still have Plus with the public signs turned off.
How Much Does Snapchat Plus Cost
Snapchat Plus costs $3.99/month in the United States. That price covers Plus extras such as the star badge, the Solar System view, longer stories, and custom profile looks. Prices can change, so check the price shown in Snapchat or in your app store before you subscribe.
Conclusion
Now you know how to tell if someone has snapchat plus like a pro. Start with the star badge, then check the Friendship Profile for the gold ring. Keep the myths in mind, and do not trust every tip you read online. If you want to learn what the paid plan actually includes, read our main Snapchat Plus guide. For more simple explainers, visit the Snap Planets homepage. Happy Snapping!
Did this guide help you solve the mystery? Share it with a friend who keeps asking the same question. And if you spot a new sign we missed, we would love to hear about it.