Snapchat is putting a price tag on one of its most beloved features — Memories. Nearly a decade after introducing the option for users to save their Snaps and Stories in the cloud, the company has announced a major change: free storage will now be capped at 5GB, ending the era of unlimited backups.
The social media platform confirmed that users who exceed this 5GB limit will have to either export their Memories manually or subscribe to a paid storage plan. According to a statement shared with TechCrunch, the new base plan will provide 100GB of storage for $1.99 per month. Snapchat+ subscribers, who already pay $3.99 monthly, will receive 250GB, while the top-tier Snapchat Platinum plan—priced at $15.99 per month—offers up to 5TB of storage.
For those who choose not to upgrade, Snapchat will automatically begin deleting the most recent Snaps once users hit the 5GB threshold, preserving only the oldest content. However, a 12-month grace period will allow excess Memories to remain temporarily stored before permanent deletion occurs.
The move has prompted many users to begin exporting their archives rather than paying for extra space. Snapchat’s export tool enables saving batches of up to 100 photos or videos directly to the device’s camera roll, though the process can be time-consuming for those with large collections. Alternatively, users can download their entire archive via the “Download My Data” option in settings, which provides a single .zip file backup delivered through email.
This change underscores Snapchat’s broader strategy to monetize long-standing free features. Introduced in 2016, Memories quickly became a core part of Snapchat’s user experience, serving as a private digital scrapbook for millions. Now, as the platform seeks to expand its subscription offerings and diversify revenue, even nostalgia is becoming part of the business model.
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