After nearly a decade of offering unlimited free digital storage for Snaps, Snapchat is limiting its Memories feature to 5GB for free users. If you’ve saved more than that, you’ll need to subscribe to one of Snapchat’s new Memories Storage Plans.
New Snapchat Memories Storage Options
For users with extensive saved Snaps, Snapchat is rolling out paid storage tiers:
- 100GB for $1.99/month
- 250GB with Snapchat+ ($3.99/month)
- 5TB with Snapchat Platinum ($15.99/month)
Snap says the majority of its users won’t be affected, as most have less than 5GB stored. For those who exceed the cap, the company will provide 12 months of temporary storage before excess Snaps are deleted. Users can also download Memories directly to their devices.
Why the Change Matters
Since its launch in 2016, Snapchatters have saved over 1 trillion Memories. Originally, Snap never expected the feature to grow this large. Now, with infrastructure costs rising, the company says the paid plans will ensure long-term storage and improvements to the feature.
“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,” Snapchat said.
The Bigger Picture
For most users, nothing changes. But for power users who treat Snapchat as a true digital diary, the paid plans are the only way to preserve an entire Snaps history. The move also helps Snap monetize storage-heavy users while keeping the core experience free for the majority.
