Snapchat to Start Charging Users for Saving Old Photos and Videos: How to Download Them for Free

Snapchat is making a big shift in how its Memories feature works. Since its launch in 2016, Memories has allowed users to store photos and videos—originally designed to disappear after 24 hours—completely free of cost. But that’s about to change. The company has confirmed that users storing more than five gigabytes (GB) of content in Memories will now need to subscribe to a paid plan to continue saving and accessing their older Snaps.

“When we first launched Memories, we never expected it to grow to what it has become today,” Snapchat said in a statement. “We want to make sure that our community can continue to store all of their Memories over the long term, so we are introducing new Memories Storage Plans to support Snapchatters with more than 5GB of Memories.”

This change will impact millions of users worldwide, especially those who use Snapchat as a long-term gallery.

What Are Snapchat’s New Memories Storage Plans?

Storage Tiers and Pricing

Snapchat has rolled out three storage plans under its Snapchat+ subscription:

• 100GB storage plan: $1.99/month (around ₹165)

• 250GB storage plan: $3.99/month (around ₹330)

• Snapchat Platinum plan with 5TB storage: Pricing varies by region, aimed at heavy users

While India-specific prices are yet to be announced, the global rollout makes it clear that Snapchat is moving towards a tiered cloud storage model similar to Google Photos, iCloud, and OneDrive.

Temporary Storage Period for Users

To ease the transition, Snapchat said that anyone who crosses the 5GB free storage limit will receive 12 months of temporary storage. During this period, users can either download their old Snaps to a device or switch to a paid Memories plan. After the grace period, access to Memories beyond 5GB will require a subscription.

How to Download Snapchat Memories for Free

If you don’t want to pay for Snapchat storage, you can download your old photos and videos directly to your device. Here’s how:

1. Open Snapchat

2. Tap the photo icon to access Memories

3. Press and hold on the Snap (or multiple Snaps) you’d like to save

4. Tap “Export”

5. Choose your preferred location—Gallery, Google Photos, iCloud, or any storage app

This ensures your Snaps are preserved without needing a Snapchat+ subscription.

Why Snapchat is Making This Change

Over the years, Memories has become a vast storage hub, hosting billions of photos and videos worldwide. With rising server costs and data management needs, Snapchat is following the footsteps of other tech companies that monetize cloud storage. The move also helps Snapchat promote its Snapchat+ premium subscription, which already offers exclusive features like custom app icons and AI tools.

Conclusion

Snapchat’s decision to introduce fees for storing Memories over 5GB represents a significant change in how users engage with the app. By offering flexible storage plans ranging from 100GB to 5TB, Snapchat is targeting everyone from casual users to heavy content creators. However, the lack of unlimited free storage may push some users to download content externally rather than pay for extra space.

With a 12-month grace period, users have time to decide whether to subscribe or manage their own backups. This update signals Snapchat’s broader push to monetize premium features while ensuring its infrastructure can support the massive scale of Memories usage worldwide.