Snapchat is a popular messaging app that lets users send photo and video messages that disappear after being viewed. One of Snapchat’s key features is that conversations are not permanently stored, giving an ephemeral feel to your chats.
When you clear a conversation on Snapchat, it removes the conversation from your chat screen. But does clearing a conversation really delete everything permanently? Or can the messages be recovered? Let’s take a closer look at what exactly happens when you clear conversations on Snapchat.
What happens when you clear a conversation on Snapchat?
When you clear a conversation on Snapchat, it removes the conversation thread from your chat screen. This makes it appear like the messages have been permanently deleted.
However, clearing a conversation does not actually delete the messages from Snapchat’s servers. The messages still exist in Snapchat’s database, even though they are no longer visible in your app.
Here is a quick overview of what happens when you clear a Snapchat conversation:
- The conversation disappears from your chat screen and inbox
- The messages are removed from your phone’s storage
- The messages still exist on Snapchat’s servers
- You can no longer view or search for the messages in the app
- Your chat partner can still view the conversation thread on their end
So in summary, clearing a Snapchat conversation only removes the messages visually from your perspective. It does not permanently erase or delete the conversation.
Can cleared Snapchat messages be recovered?
Since clearing a conversation does not actually delete the messages from Snapchat’s servers, this means there are ways the messages can potentially be recovered. Here are some possibilities for recovering cleared Snapchat messages:
Retrieving messages from chat partner’s account
If your chat partner has not also cleared the conversation from their account, they may still be able to view and take screenshots of the disappeared messages in the conversation thread. So one way to recover cleared messages is by retrieving them from the other person’s Snapchat account if they still have access.
Using Snapchat’s data download feature
Snapchat has a “My Data” feature that lets you download an archive of your Snapchat data. This includes your chat logs, photos, videos, memories and more. Cleared conversations may still exist in your data download file, allowing you to recover disappeared messages.
Using data recovery software
There are third-party apps designed to recover deleted Snapchat messages, photos and videos. These tools scan your device’s storage to find any residual files left behind even after you’ve cleared a conversation. However, their success rate varies.
Retrieving data from Snapchat’s servers (difficult)
In some very rare cases, it may be possible to retrieve cleared Snapchat messages directly from their servers through legal requests and procedures. But this is extremely difficult, complex and requires lawful grounds.
So in summary – yes it is possible to recover cleared Snapchat messages through various methods, but not directly through the app itself once it’s been cleared.
How long do cleared Snapchat messages stay on servers?
Snapchat does not officially provide details on how long cleared messages are stored on their servers before being deleted permanently.
However, based on reports from users and experts, it appears Snapchat keeps cleared chats and messages on their servers for around 30 days.
Potentially, Snapchat may retain data for longer periods if required by law due to legal requests or investigations. But in general, any cleared Snapchat messages are likely removed from their servers within a month’s timeframe.
So if you want to recover disappeared messages on Snapchat, it’s best to act as soon as possible within 30 days before they are purged from Snapchat’s systems.
Does clearing chat notify the other person?
When you clear a conversation on Snapchat, your chat partner does not receive any notification or indication that you have done so.
The conversation simply disappears from your end. On their side, the chat thread will remain visible unless they also decide to clear the messages.
So clearing a conversation is a one-sided action. Your friend will not know you’ve cleared the chat history and messages will only disappear from your perspective. From their account, the conversation remains intact until manually cleared.
This allows you to remove chats without alerting others that you have done so. It gives you private control over which conversations you keep or remove, without your actions being visible to chat partners.
What types of messages get cleared?
When you clear a conversation thread on Snapchat, it removes all messages, photos, videos and other content that you’ve exchanged in that chat. This includes:
- Text messages
- Photo snaps
- Video snaps
- Chat messages with emoji
- Voice and video notes
- Stickers
- Snapchat memos
In short, clearing a chat deletes the entire conversation history and media exchanged with a user. The only exception are Snapchat memories, which get saved separately to your account’s memories storage area.
So clearing chats is an easy way to wipe the slate clean and remove entire conversations from your Snapchat inbox.
Does clearing a chat affect memories or stories?
No, clearing conversations does not affect your Snapchat memories or stories:
Memories
– Your saved photos and videos in Snapchat memories are stored separately from chats.
– Clearing a conversation does not delete snaps saved to memories.
– You have to manually clear memories to delete those snaps and videos.
Stories
– Public stories and private stories are also unaffected when clearing chats.
– Stories have their own separate storage from conversations.
– Your stories remain intact even after you clear a chat with someone.
So you can clear conversations without worrying about losing your saved memories or public/private stories. Only the messages within that specific chat will disappear when cleared.
Can you recover cleared chats after 30 days?
It becomes very difficult to recover cleared Snapchat messages after 30 days, as they are likely permanently deleted from Snapchat’s servers by then.
However, there are a couple long shot methods that may work in some cases:
- Snapchat data downloads – Downloaded before 30 days is up
- Chat partner’s account – If they still have the chat
- Deleted files recovery apps – If residual files exist
- Legal request – For very serious cases
But beyond 30 days, your chances of recovering cleared chats on Snapchat become extremely low. Some of the above methods may recover parts or remnants of old conversations, but complete chats are unlikely to be retrievable.
So for the best chance of recovering disappeared messages, be sure to act within 30 days and not wait months after clearing a conversation.
Does clearing a chat on Snapchat notify other users?
No, clearing a conversation or chat on Snapchat does not send any notification to other users that you have deleted the messages.
When you clear a chat on your end, it simply removes the conversation from your perspective. For other users, the chat history and messages will remain visible in the conversation thread unless they also clear it themselves.
Some key things to note:
- Chat partners don’t receive alerts when you clear a chat
- Your actions are not visible to other users
- You have independent control over clearing chats
- Chats only disappear from your view, not others’
So clearing Snapchat messages is a one-sided, private action. You can remove conversations without your friends being aware. This gives you complete control over managing your own chat history.
Can you recover cleared chats without third-party apps?
Within Snapchat itself, there is no native option to retrieve cleared or deleted conversations once they’ve been removed. The only way is through your chat partner’s account if they still have access on their end.
Some methods to try recovering cleared Snapchats without third-party apps:
- Ask the person you chatted with if they still have the conversation available in their Snapchat history and can send you screenshots.
- If you cleared the chat recently (within 30 days), download your Snapchat data which may contain archived conversations.
- Connect your Snapchat to another app like IFTTT which may have synchronously copied over parts of conversations before you cleared them.
- Check your camera roll or photos app for any saved Snapchat media you posted before clearing the chat.
- See if your conversations were backed up through your Google or iCloud account to be viewed on linked devices.
But beyond these limited methods, recovering erased Snapchat messages will require third-party apps or professional data recovery assistance once a chat is cleared. The app itself does not have built-in chat restoration capabilities.
Conclusion
Clearing conversations on Snapchat removes the messages from your chat screen and app interface. However, the messages continue existing on Snapchat’s servers for around 30 days before permanent deletion.
Within this 1 month timeframe, the cleared messages could potentially be recovered through various methods if needed. But this becomes much more difficult beyond 30 days once Snapchat deletes the data from their systems.
The key takeaways are:
- Clearing chats removes them visually but data still exists on servers temporarily
- Messages remain recoverable for up to 30 days after clearing
- No notifications are sent when you clear conversations
- Third-party apps may be needed to restore cleared chats in some cases
- Act quickly if you need to retrieve deleted Snapchat messages
So ultimately, clearing a conversation does not instantly or permanently erase or delete the messages from Snapchat’s platform. But it does remove the chat from view unless recovered soon after clearing.