Snapchat is making a big change to its Memories feature, and it could cost some users money. The company has announced that anyone storing over 5GB of photos and videos in Memories will need to pay for extra space.
What’s Changing
Memories, launched back in 2016, allows users to save snaps that would normally disappear after 24 hours. But with more than a trillion Memories saved so far, Snap says it needs to invest more in the feature—and that means charging for storage.
Here’s the new breakdown:
- Free: Up to 5GB of storage.
- $1.99/month: 100GB of storage.
- $3.99/month (Snapchat+): 250GB of storage.
Snap confirmed the rollout is global, though UK pricing has not yet been revealed. Users who go over the 5GB limit won’t lose their content immediately; instead, they’ll have 12 months of temporary storage to decide whether to upgrade or download their saved content.
Why the Change?
According to Snap, introducing paid storage will “allow us to continue to invest in making Memories better for our entire community.” The company admitted that moving from free to paid storage “is never easy,” but argued the benefits will be worth it for heavy users.
Who’s Affected?
Snap says the majority of Snapchatters won’t notice the change since most people store less than 5GB. Still, backlash has already begun online. Long-time users who’ve been saving photos and videos for years say the new rule could mean significant costs just to keep their digital memories. Some have accused Snap of being greedy and unfair.
Bigger Trend in Social Media
This isn’t the first paid feature Snapchat has introduced. Earlier this year, the platform rolled out Lens+, a $9/month subscription for premium AR filters. Experts believe the move to paid storage is part of a larger trend across social media, where platforms shift toward subscriptions and premium features.
Drew Benvie, CEO of consultancy Battenhall, explained: “The road to paying for storage on social media is inevitable. In an era where we post less but save more, this is an evolution of messaging and social platforms.”
With more than 900 million monthly active users as of April, Snapchat continues to hold its ground against rivals like Instagram and TikTok, both of which boast billions of users worldwide.
