Snapchat is changing how it stores photos and videos saved in Memories. After nearly a decade of offering that backup service for free, the company now says anyone who keeps more than 5 gigabytes of Memories will need to choose a paid storage plan or export their files. The change will roll out gradually. They plan to give affected users one year of temporary storage before they must decide what to do.
Snapchat users will be charged for this feature soon
Snapchat said that those with under 5GB of saved Memories will not see any difference. For users above that threshold, the company is offering new paid tiers to keep their Memories online. It will have an entry-level 100GB plan and a 250GB option tied to the Snapchat+ subscription. A 5TB plan will be available with Snapchat Platinum. They also said it will provide “12 months of temporary Memories storage for any Memories that exceed the 5GB storage limit” (via Snapchat Newsroom)
Press reports say the standalone 100GB plan would cost about $1.99 per month. 250GB is included in Snapchat+ at the reported $3.99 monthly rate.
Snap framed the move as a necessary step to keep investing in the product. “It’s never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it,” the company wrote. They added that the goal is to “continue to invest in making Memories better for our entire community.”
If a user chooses to export, Snapchat offers two practical routes: Download directly from the app (best for moderate amounts). They can open Memories, tap Select, choose up to 100 items, tap the Share icon, and pick Download. Repeat the batch process until the user has saved what they wanted.
Another method is to request a full data download (best for large archives). Here is how it works;
- Go to your Profile > Settings > My Data under Privacy Controls.
- Select “Memories and Other Media” (and any other data you want), choose an “All time” range if needed, confirm your email, and submit. Snapchat will email a package you can save locally.
Users have already voiced concern on social media about being asked to pay for storage they expected to remain free. Some said they have built up many years’ worth of snaps and now face a choice between paying or manually moving thousands of files. Snapchat noted, “It’s never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it, but we hope the value we provide with Memories is worth the cost.”
Originally reported by Preksha Sharma on Mandatory.
