Asger Risom
Snapchat is making a major change to its popular Memories feature by introducing charges for users who exceed a storage threshold. The update has sparked criticism from longtime users who have relied on the platform’s free cloud storage since 2016.
Snapchat is making a major change to its popular Memories feature by introducing charges for users who exceed a storage threshold. The update has sparked criticism from longtime users who have relied on the platform’s free cloud storage since 2016.
Snapchat introduces paid storage limits
The company has announced that users who store more than 5GB of content in Snapchat Memories will soon need to pay to retain access. The change will be introduced through a phased global rollout.
New pricing tiers revealed
Snapchat will offer a 100GB storage plan for $1.99 per month, while a 250GB option will be included in the $3.99 Snapchat+ subscription. Higher tiers will be available under Snapchat Premium.
Free storage is still available—for now
Snap says the change won’t impact the majority of users, who have less than 5GB of saved content. However, those above the limit will be prompted to upgrade their storage plans.
Users face a choice: pay or lose their Memories
Those unwilling to pay for additional storage will be given 12 months of temporary access to their data before it is removed. Snapchat has offered users the option to download and keep their content locally.
Social media users react with frustration
Some longtime Snapchat users, who have accumulated years of saved content, are now facing storage bills or the loss of personal media. Many have taken to social media to voice their displeasure.
Accusations of corporate greed
Critics say the move is “unfair” and accuse Snapchat of exploiting users who were encouraged to save content without any warning of future charges. Others see the shift as a natural evolution.
Snap defends the decision
In a blog post, the company acknowledged the challenge of moving from a free to a paid service but stated that the fees will help improve Memories for all users moving forward.
The scale of Snapchat Memories
Snapchat says users have saved over a trillion photos and videos to Memories since its launch. The feature allows short-lived posts to be archived and revisited later as throwbacks.
The appeal of long-term content storage
As users post less frequently but save more content privately, platforms like Snapchat have become informal personal archives—now potentially behind a paywall.
Industry experts say it’s only the beginning
Analysts suggest that paid storage models are likely to become standard across all major platforms. As social media matures, free unlimited storage may no longer be sustainable.
Competing platforms still offer free storage
Snapchat’s rivals like Instagram and TikTok currently offer unlimited storage at no extra cost, but how long that will last remains to be seen.
What users need to know now
Snapchat users with large Memories libraries should review their storage usage, consider downloading important content, and prepare for a potential subscription if they want to keep everything stored.
This article is made and published by Asger Risom, which may have used AI in the preparation
