Since September 2025, one warning has kept circulating in group chats: “Snapchat is about to delete your Memories.” Part of it is true. Snapchat now caps free Memories storage at 5GB and charges users who want more. What it doesn’t do, according to its own support page, is automatically delete your Memories because you didn’t pay.
Here is what Snap has confirmed, what changes in January 2027, and what to do if you have years of Snaps saved.
What Snapchat actually announced
In late September 2025, Snap introduced Memories Storage Plans. Nearly a decade after Memories launched in 2016, free storage became limited to 5GB.
Snap made three commitments:
- Most users, who have less than 5GB saved, will see no change.
- Anyone over 5GB gets 12 months of temporary storage for the excess.
- Users can always download their Memories to their own devices.
The paid plans offer 100GB, 250GB with Snapchat+, or 5TB with Snapchat Platinum. The move follows a broader trend of social apps putting features behind subscriptions, similar to Meta’s paid tiers for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Why people think their memories will be deleted
The fear has a real source. Early coverage, including TechCrunch’s report, said that if you went over the limit without paying, your oldest Snaps would be kept and your most recent ones deleted. Third-party blogs then turned that into a “September 2026 deletion deadline,” a year after the announcement.
Snap’s current documentation says otherwise. Its Memories storage help page says it will not automatically delete Memories because you don’t upgrade. The plan now is archiving, not deletion.
What happens in January 2027
According to Snapchat Support, starting in January 2027:
- You keep full access to Memories saved in the last year.
- You keep full access to your oldest 5GB of Memories.
- Everything else, meaning Memories older than one year that aren’t in your oldest 5GB, gets archived.
Archived Memories stay on Snapchat’s servers and show up as thumbnails in the app. To open, edit or share them, you have to upgrade your storage or download them.
Snap also says no Memories will be archived before January 2027, and that it will notify you in the app before anything changes on your account.
Archiving vs. deleting
These are not the same, and the difference matters.
- Deleted means gone. There’s nothing to restore.
- Archived means stored but locked. You can still see a thumbnail, and you can get the full file back by paying or downloading.
So if you go over 5GB and never pay, the confirmed outcome is limited access to older Snaps, not losing them. Snap could still change its policy, which is why backing up is worth doing anyway.
Who is affected?
Most people aren’t. Snap says the “vast majority” of users have under 5GB of Memories. The change mainly hits long-time users with thousands of saved Snaps, especially videos and camera roll uploads, which take up far more space than photos.
If you’ve saved Snaps since 2016 and rarely cleared them, you are the likeliest to be over the limit.
How to check your storage
Open Memories in the app. If you’re over 5GB, you’ll see a banner showing how much storage you’ve used, along with an Upgrade Storage option.
If you don’t see a banner, Snapchat says your Memories will stay stored as they are for now, and you’ll be told when you become eligible for a plan. The rollout is gradual, so two friends may see different notices at different times.
How much do the storage plans cost?
In the US, Snapchat lists:
| Plan | Storage | Price |
| Memories-only plan | 100GB | $1.99/month or $20/year |
| Snapchat+ | 250GB | Included in subscription |
| Snapchat Platinum | 5TB | Included in subscription |
Prices vary by country, so check the in-app price before you subscribe. On a Snapchat+ Family plan, each member gets the storage benefit.
How to back up your memories for free
You don’t need to pay to keep your Snaps. There are two free options.
Save to your camera roll. Select Memories and export them to your phone. You can only do this in batches of about 100 at a time, which is slow if you have thousands.
Request a My Data export. Go to your Profile, then Settings, then My Data. Select Memories and submit the request. Snapchat emails you a download link to a .zip file.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Data costs: A large archive can be many gigabytes. With Nigerian data prices up sharply since the 2025 tariff hike, download over Wi-Fi or a large bundle, not a small daily plan.
- Storage space: Make sure your phone or laptop has room before you download.
- A second copy: Once it’s downloaded, back it up to Google Photos, a laptop or an external drive.
- Scams: Only use the export tool inside the app. Be wary of links promising to “rescue” your Memories before a deadline, as phishing pages that copy real services are common.
What if memories are already missing?
If older Snaps have gone missing, the storage policy probably isn’t the cause. No archiving has happened yet. Missing Memories are more often down to sync failures, logging in on a new device before backups finished, or a deleted account. Deleting your Snapchat account removes your Memories along with it.
Contact Snapchat Support with the approximate dates and details of what’s missing. Recovery isn’t guaranteed.
The bottom line
Snapchat isn’t deleting your Memories because you skipped a paid plan, at least under its current policy. From January 2027, Memories outside your last year and your oldest 5GB will be archived and locked behind a paid plan or a download.
If your Snaps matter to you, download them now. A copy you control doesn’t depend on Snap’s future pricing decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Will Snapchat delete my memories if I don’t pay?
No. Snapchat Support says it won’t automatically delete Memories because you don’t upgrade. Memories over the limit will be archived from January 2027.
Will Snapchat delete memories after 12 months?
No. The 12 months was a grace period of temporary storage. What follows it is archiving, not deletion.
Can I still see archived memories?
You’ll see thumbnails. To open, edit or share the full files, you need to upgrade or download them.
Is Snapchat charging everyone for memories?
No. Only accounts with more than 5GB of Memories need a plan to keep full access.
How do I download all my Snapchat memories at once?
Use Settings > My Data, select Memories, and submit the request. Snapchat emails you a download link.
Last updated: September 26, 2026
