Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Snapchat now limits free Memories storage to 5GB.
- Paid plans start at $1.99 per month for 100GB.
- Users get 12 months to export or upgrade plans.
I use Snapchat every day — since at least 2016, when Snap introduced Snapchat Memories. Memories is basically a built-in cloud locker for snaps. You can set it to automatically save everything you capture, or pick and choose what gets archived.
When Memories first launched, I was living in California and constantly snapping with friends and family in New York. My group chats were filled with quick photos and videos from my daily life, and I saved all of them to Memories. Fast-forward nearly a decade, and I’m still using those same group chats, which means I’ve probably got thousands of photos and videos stored away in the app.
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One of the things I’ve loved about Memories is how Snapchat serves them up in annual recaps. They’re a fun reminder of how long I’ve been sharing snaps, and I usually end up forwarding them back into my chats for a laugh.
But here’s the thing: Although I automatically saved my snaps to my Memories, I didn’t save them to my camera roll. Why would I, even though the option exists, when Snapchat stores them in the cloud for me and makes them easy to access and reshare?
Snap’s new ‘Memories storage plans’
Unfortunately for me, Snapchat just changed how I can save Memories. The app will keep my existing ones, but going forward, I will only get 5GB free. If I want to keep backing up every snap like I always have, I’ll need to pay for one of the new storage plans:
- 100GB for $2 per month
- 250GB with Snapchat+ for $4 per month
- 5TB with Snapchat Platinum for $16 per month
For me, this is more than just another subscription fee — it’s a fundamental shift in how I use Snapchat to communicate, and how I’ve treated it like my daily photo backup system for years. If I can’t cloud-save snaps all day, every day, without worrying about storage limits, that changes how I talk to my friends and family, and how I archive my own life.
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I’m already paying for Google Drive and iCloud. Do I really want to add Memories to the bill, too? Or is it time to stop using Snapchat the way I always have and just share photos in group iMessages like so many others do? The older I get, the stranger it feels to still be on Snapchat — even though I was in my 20s when I first downloaded it, and part of my job back then was covering it.
How to export your Snap Memories and avoid the storage cap
Snap’s new Memories storage plans mean longtime users like me have to choose: pay up or start exporting before the 12-month grace period ends. I chose to export my Memories, and while doing so, I found there are two ways to do it.
One way to export your Snap Memories is by saving them to your device’s camera roll. You can download them directly within the Snapchat app, but you can only export 100 at a time, which gets pretty tedious if, like me, you’ve got a decade’s worth stored up.
- Open Snapchat and tap the button to the left of the camera button — it looks like a “photos overlapping” icon.
- This opens the Memories screen. Tap the Select button at the top.
- Below the Memories carousel, you’ll see a grid of Snaps. Swipe to select up to 100.
- Once you’ve made your selection, an Export button (an arrow-up icon) will appear at the bottom.
- Tap Export and choose where you want to save them. Select Download to save them locally to your device.
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You’ll need to repeat this process in batches of 100 if you’re clearing out years of Memories. It’s not ideal, but it does let you selectively save the snaps that matter most.
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Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
If exporting 100 snaps at a time sounds unbearable, Snapchat offers a “Download My Data” option. This lets you pull your entire account archive — or just your Memories, if you prefer.
- Open the Snapchat mobile app and go to your Profile screen (top left of the camera view).
- Tap the Settings cog in the top right.
- Scroll down and select My Data.
- Choose the data you want to include. I recommend exporting your Memories and other media (including HTML and JSON files). You can download everything if you want, but it may be harder to sift through later to find just your Memories.
- Tap Next.
- Choose a time frame, such as All Time.
- Tap Submit.
Alternatively, from a desktop, go to accounts.snapchat.com. Log in, select My Data, and choose the data range you’d like (or request everything). Confirm your email and tap Submit.
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Either way, when it’s ready, Snapchat will send an email with a .zip file download link to the address associated with your account. From there, you can unzip the compressed file and upload your images to another cloud service, like Google Photos via Google Drive or Apple Photos with iCloud.
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Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
What are Snapchat Memories?
Memories is the Snapchat app’s built-in cloud storage feature that lets you save snaps as you take and share them. You can access your Memories by tapping the button to the left of the camera button — it looks like a “photos overlapping” icon — or by swiping up from the Snapchat camera screen. From there, you can search for Memories, edit them, resend or share them, and export them.
When are Memories cloud storage plans launching?
Snap announced the new plans on Sept. 26, 2025, with a 12-month grace period for users already over 5GB.
How much Memories storage are you using?
Frustratingly, Snapchat currently doesn’t provide an easy way to see the size of your total Memories in the app.
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The best workaround is to request a download of your My Data file. The compressed .zip will include your photos and videos and show their file sizes, giving you a rough idea of how many gigabytes your collection takes up. I suspect Snap will eventually display how much storage you’re using when it starts prompting people to switch to one of its new paid storage plans.
How much free storage do you get?
Every user still gets 5GB free of Memories storage.
What happens if I don’t pay for a storage plan?
Snapchat says it will keep your Memories saved for 12 months. After that, if you go over the 5GB limit and don’t subscribe, it’s unclear. Your Memories may be deleted or simply become inaccessible in the app.
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Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
I’ve reached out to Snap for clarification, but here’s what its announcement blog post says: “We’ll provide 12 months of temporary Memories storage for any Memories that exceed the 5GB storage limit. Snapchatters can upgrade to a Memories Storage Plan at any time, and as always, will be able to download their Memories directly to their devices.”
Snap says the “vast majority” of Snapchatters use under 5GB of Memories and won’t notice the change.
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