How to Save All Your Snapchat Memories Without Paying

Snapchat is putting a cap on free storage in its Memories feature at 5GB. After that, it’ll be a matter of paying for more space. If you leave well enough alone and surpass the cap, the app will attempt to preserve your oldest Memories first, then begin eliminating newer ones until the limit isn’t exceeded. There is a grace period during which they store any overages temporarily, but not forever.

The good news: You can preserve everything without giving Snap a penny. The following is a simple, battle-tested guide for exporting your Memories and smart places to store them for free, along with tips on keeping the archive under control.

What’s New About Snapchat Memories and the 5GB Limit

Memories began as an unlimited-save timeline for Snaps and Stories you opted to hold onto. With the 5GB cap, Snapchat is following a broader trend: cloud storage prices are going up and platforms are paring back their free tiers. Google Photos terminated its unlimited plan in 2021, and WhatsApp backups count against Google Drive. Look for other services to follow suit.

Snap counts more than 400 million people who use the service daily, according to its investor updates and, at that scale, storing years of videos can be very expensive. The company is providing paid Memories storage plans, but you have two free routes you can take to protect your media today.

Option 1: Export to Camera Roll in Manageable Batches

This route provides the most control and an opportunity to curate as you go. It also turns out to be the quickest way to get a category of your best Snaps off Snapchat altogether.

How to do it

1. Open Snapchat and swipe up on the camera screen to open Memories.
2. Long-press on a Snap to select, then tap up to 100 items at once.
3. Tap Export, then Save to Camera Roll.
4. Repeat for the next batch.
5. For Stories in Memories, open the Story, tap the three dots, and select Export.

Pro move

Update your default save setting so future Snaps don’t add to the cap. Go to your profile > Settings > Memories > Save To and switch the Save Button to Memories & Camera Roll. That way new captures are continuously backed up locally, and not just in Snapchat’s cloud.

Option 2: Request a Full Archive of Your Snapchat Data

If you want it all in one blast, use Snapchat’s data export. You’ll receive a downloadable .zip via email as soon as it’s ready. It’s hands-off rather than direct, but if you have years of content, processing can go on a while.

How to do it

1. In Snapchat, go to your profile > Settings.
2. Tap My Data, then sign in if asked (this opens Snap’s account portal).
3. Request your data (Messages and Memories are included).
4. Watch your confirmed email for a link to download the archive.
5. On your computer or phone, unzip your photos and videos.

Media files will be exported alongside metadata in your archive. File sizes can get on the large side, especially if you saved a lot of video. Download when you’re on Wi‑Fi.

Where to Store Your Snapchat Downloads for Free and Safely

Your phone’s storage is fine in a pinch, but add another backup so you’re not betting on one device.

• Google Photos: 15GB shared across your Google services.
• Apple iCloud: 5GB free tier.
• Microsoft OneDrive: 5GB.
• Dropbox Basic: 2GB.
• External drives and/or a computer folder are also easy, free options.

Tip: mix and match. Keep full-resolution files on your computer or an external drive, and store smartly downsized highlights in the free tier of a cloud service. Videos take up the majority of space; keep them in local storage.

Keep Your Exported Archive Lean, Organized, and Browsable

Start by triaging. As you export in batches, favorite keepers and delete duplicates and screenshots. The vast majority of us will never rewatch every clip; trimming now saves time on the back end.

Name your folders by year and month, or event. Lots of gallery apps can auto-group by date and location, but plain old human-readable folders will make future searches effortless.

Watch metadata: timestamps generally copy over when you duplicate. If uploading to a cloud service, you might need to check its settings to keep the date taken. For sharing, strip location data for privacy.

Why Snapchat Is Capping Free Memories Storage at 5GB

Cloud media isn’t cheap. Video is king in Memories, and storage plus bandwidth costs rise with user count. Snap has been pushing subscription and premium features — its Snapchat+ feature accumulated millions of users in its first two years — suggesting a larger move toward direct user revenue alongside ads.

Charging for heavy storage puts Snapchat more in line with the rest of the industry and could motivate people to back up locally or cough up for what they use professionally. For the bulk of users, 5GB will be enough only to cover high points. If you’re a power user and creator, then you’ll need a plan — or the free workflows above.

Bottom line: don’t let the cap bite you. Export those Memories now, configure your save settings to store things in the camera roll, and spread backups across at least two places. You won’t tamper with your timeline and you won’t be asking for a new subscription.