Snapchat just capped free storage at 5GB. But you’ve got a full year to grab your memories before fees kick in.

Here’s the deal. Snapchat launched its Memories feature back in 2016. Now it’s wildly popular. So popular that the company decided to limit free storage and charge for more space.

The good news? You’re not paying immediately. Snapchat gives you 12 months to sort things out once you hit that 5GB ceiling. Plus, downloading your memories takes maybe 10 minutes. So let’s walk through your options.

Two Ways to Save Your Snapchat Memories

You can either save memories in batches or download everything at once. Both methods work fine. The batch method is faster if you only want specific snaps. The bulk download grabs everything but takes longer to process.

Pick whichever fits your situation. Either way, you’ll avoid the monthly fee.

Save Snapchat Memories to phone in batches of 100 snaps

Method 1: Save Memories to Your Phone

This method works great for selective saving. But there’s a catch. Snapchat limits you to 100 snaps at a time.

Open Snapchat and tap the Memories icon (the stacked photos symbol). It sits just left of the camera button. Then tap Select at the top of the screen.

Choose up to 100 snaps from your collection. When you’re ready, tap the Export button. That’s the arrow pointing up. Select where you want to save them. Finally, hit download.

Repeat this process until you’ve grabbed everything important. Yes, it’s tedious if you have thousands of memories. But it works perfectly for smaller collections or specific moments you want to keep.

Method 2: Request Your Full Data Archive

Request full Snapchat data archive download through My Data settings

This approach downloads everything in one shot. However, you’ll wait for Snapchat to prepare your file. The wait depends on how much data you’ve stored.

Open Snapchat and go to your profile. Tap the settings gear icon at the top right. Scroll down to find My Data and select it.

Choose which data you want to download. You can pick specific categories or grab everything. Next, select a time frame. The “All Time” option captures your complete history.

Finally, tap Submit. Snapchat will email you when your file is ready. Download the ZIP file to your computer. Then unzip it and access all your memories at once.

This method beats downloading in batches if you’ve accumulated years of memories. Just be patient while Snapchat processes your request.

What If You Need More Storage?

Maybe you want to keep using Snapchat Memories without limits. The company offers three paid tiers.

Snapchat storage tiers and twelve month grace period after hitting limit

The basic option costs $2 monthly for 100GB. That’s probably enough for most users. If you’re already paying for Snapchat Plus ($4 monthly), you’ll get 250GB included. And Snapchat Platinum subscribers ($16 monthly) receive 5TB of storage.

Note that these prices apply to US users. Other markets might see different rates. But here’s my take. Most people should just download their memories and avoid the fee entirely.

Act Before Your Year Runs Out

Snapchat won’t delete your memories immediately. But once that 12-month grace period ends, you’ll either pay up or lose access to anything over 5GB.

So set a reminder now. Download your important memories while you’ve got time. Delete the rest if they don’t matter anymore. Otherwise, you’re adding another monthly subscription to your pile.

The process takes minimal effort. Plus, having your memories stored locally means you control them. No company can decide to change terms or raise prices later. That’s worth the small time investment today.