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Are Snapchats deleted permanently?

Are Snapchats deleted permanently?

Snapchat is a popular social media app that lets users send photo and video messages called “Snaps” to friends. A unique feature of Snapchat is that by default, Snaps disappear after they are viewed by the recipient. But are Snapchats really deleted permanently after they are viewed? Here’s a closer look at whether Snapchats are deleted forever.

How Snapchat’s deletion works

When a user sends a Snap, the Snap is uploaded to Snapchat’s servers. After the recipient views the Snap, Snapchat’s servers are supposed to automatically delete the Snap from their system within 30 days.

Snapchat states that once the servers delete the Snap, there is no way to retrieve it. In its Privacy Policy, Snapchat says: “Snapchat deletes each Snap from our servers once all recipients have viewed it. If you don’t open a Snap within 30 days, it goes away forever.”

So according to Snapchat, once a Snap is viewed and their system deletes it, there is no way for anyone – including Snapchat itself – to retrieve the deleted Snaps.

Ways Snaps may not be permanently deleted

However, there are a few scenarios where a sent Snap may still be retrievable even after it is supposedly “deleted” from Snapchat’s servers:

Screenshots

Recipient takes screenshot – If the recipient takes a screenshot of the Snap before it disappears, the Snap will still continue to exist on the recipient’s phone even after Snapchat deletes it from their servers.

Sender takes screenshot – Similarly, the sender of the Snap can also take a screenshot or photo of the Snap before sending it, allowing them to have a copy of it saved on their device even after it is deleted from Snapchat.

Storage outside Snapchat’s system

Snapchat’s servers aren’t the only place where copies of a sent Snap may be saved:

  • Cached on recipient’s device – The Snap may get temporarily cached or stored on the recipient’s device even after they view it.
  • Backed up to cloud – If the recipient has cloud backups enabled, the Snap may get saved to the cloud before deletion.
  • Saved using third-party apps – There are third-party apps that can covertly save Snapchats even as they are being viewed.

So if the recipient or a third-party app has saved the Snap locally or on the cloud, a copy of it will continue to exist even after Snapchat deletes it from their servers.

Legal requests

In response to search warrants and legal requests from law enforcement agencies, Snapchat may be compelled to provide access to “deleted” Snaps. Their Privacy Policy states:

“Snapchat may access, preserve and disclose any information as we reasonably believe is necessary… as required by law.”

So in cases where law enforcement is involved, Snapchat may allow previously deleted Snaps to be retrieved.

Can Snapchat itself access deleted Snaps?

According to Snapchat, their system is designed so that deleted Snaps are inaccessible to their own employees. Their Privacy Policy states:

“We designed Snapchat so that we do not have access toexpired Snaps.”

However, some sources have questioned whether this is completely true and whether Snapchat may have undisclosed ways to retain or access supposedly deleted content. A few reasons for the skepticism:

  • In the past, Snapchat settled an FTC complaint alleging they misled users about how private Snaps are.
  • There have been techniques discovered that would theoretically allow Snapchat employees to copy Snaps before deletion.
  • Snapchat’s system and policies may allow certain employees under special circumstances to access deleted content.

But Snapchat has denied these allegations and maintained that they do not have retained copies of users’ deleted Snaps on their servers.

Factors that determine how long deleted Snaps may persist

Even if Snapchat deletes a Snap from their servers, the Snap or traces of it may still exist in other locations or devices for some period of time depending on certain factors:

Retention period

Snapchat retains Snaps for up to 30 days before deleting them. A longer retention period means more time for the Snap to be backed up or extracted by other means before deletion.

Recipient actions

  • Screenshots – Recipient taking screenshot ensures Snap remains accessible.
  • Caching – Temporary caching adds opportunity for Snap to be retrieved from device storage.
  • Backup habits – Cloud backups and synchronization may retain Snaps.

Sender actions

  • Screenshot – Sender taking screenshot retains copy on their device.
  • Third-party apps – Sender using tools to covertly save Snaps before sending.

Device factors

  • Storage capacity – Larger storage provides more caching space for temporary Snap copies.
  • Encryption – Encrypted devices make recovery of cached Snaps challenging.

Legal requests

  • Law enforcement requests may compel Snapchat to hand over deleted Snaps.

Can you recover an accidentally deleted Snap?

If you accidentally deleted a Snap you sent before your recipient opened it, unfortunately there is no way to recover it.

Some things that won’t help recover a deleted Snap include:

  • Asking the recipient – Since the Snap was never opened, your recipient doesn’t have it.
  • Contacting Snapchat – Snapchat does not have access to unopened deleted Snaps.
  • Device backup – Your device backups won’t save unopened Snaps.

So if you mistakenly deleted a Snap before it was viewed, it is likely gone for good and cannot be retrieved.

Ways to recover opened Snaps

While you can’t recover unopened deleted Snaps, for Snaps that were opened by the recipient, there are some limited ways they could potentially be recovered by:

The recipient

  • Checking if Snap is cached locally on their device storage
  • Checking cloud backups for cached copies of Snap
  • Using data recovery software to rescue deleted files

However, success rates may be low since Snapchat tries to wipe cached copies after viewing.

The sender

  • Sender may have taken screenshot before sending
  • Their cloud backups may have retained the Snap
  • They can try using data recovery tools to restore deleted files

But again, recovering sender deleted Snaps is challenging without either party having explicitly saved the Snap.

Law enforcement

Police may be able to legally compel Snapchat to hand over backups of specific Snaps if they have a valid warrant or subpoena.

Conclusion

In summary:

  • Snapchat deletes Snaps from their servers after they are viewed.
  • However, Snaps may still exist in other locations like user devices, backups, or with law enforcement.
  • Many factors determine how long traces of a deleted Snap may persist.
  • Accidentally deleted unopened Snaps are likely gone forever.
  • Viewed Snaps have a small chance of recovery using advanced techniques.
  • Overall, while Snapchats aren’t necessarily deleted permanently in all cases, Snapchat does make it very difficult to access deleted Snaps.