Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photo and video messages that disappear after being viewed. One of the key features of Snapchat is that the content is designed to be ephemeral, meaning it is not saved by default. However, many Snapchat users, especially those with iPhones, wonder if the photos and videos they send and receive on Snapchat take up storage space on their device.
Quick answers
The short answers are:
- Yes, Snapchat photos and videos do take up storage space on your iPhone.
- Snapchat media is temporarily cached on your device before being deleted.
- The amount of storage space used will depend on the number and size of Snaps you send and receive.
- Snapchat photos and videos are not stored permanently on your iPhone by default.
- You can save Snapchat photos and videos to your Camera Roll if you want to store them permanently.
How Snapchat Works
To understand if and how Snapchat uses iPhone storage, it helps to know how the app works:
- When you take a photo or video via Snapchat, it is uploaded to Snapchat’s servers.
- When you send the Snap, it is downloaded to the recipient’s device where it is viewable for 1 to 10 seconds.
- The Snap is displayed on the recipient’s device from a cache, not directly from the servers.
- Once viewed, the Snap is automatically deleted from the recipient’s device cache.
- Snapchat Snaps are not saved by default in the recipient’s photo gallery.
So in summary, Snapchat Snaps are temporarily cached before being deleted, but not permanently saved.
Caching of Snaps on iPhones
While Snapchat Snaps are designed to be deleted, they do get temporarily stored in the app’s cache on your iPhone in order to be displayed to the recipient. The Snapchat cache saves the incoming and outgoing Snaps until they are viewed and deleted.
This caching is necessary due to the size of Snapchat media files and to ensure smooth operating of the app. If the photos and videos were not cached temporarily, they would have to load directly from Snapchat’s servers each time, which would be slow and inefficient.
Where are cached Snapchat files stored?
On iPhones, the Snapchat cache is located in the app’s private file directory. The cached Snapchat photos and videos are saved in this folder until deleted after being viewed.
The exact file path is:
/private/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/{Snapchat App ID}/Library/Caches/Snapchat/
How much storage space do cached Snaps use?
The amount of storage space used by the Snapchat cache will depend on:
- How many Snaps you send and receive
- The size and duration of video Snaps
- How long you wait to view the Snaps
Since Snaps are deleted shortly after being viewed, the cache size fluctuates frequently. Under normal usage, the Snapchat cache tends to remain under 100MB.
Saving Snapchat Photos
While Snapchat photos and videos are deleted automatically by default, there are ways to save Snapchat content to your iPhone’s photo gallery if you want to store them permanently:
- Save to Camera Roll – You can save a received Snap to your Camera Roll before it disappears by tapping on the download icon.
- Memories – Snapchat Memories allows you to save your sent Snaps. They are still deleted after 30 days unless you save them to your Camera Roll.
- Screenshots – You can take screenshots of received Snaps and they will save to your Camera Roll.
If you utilize the save options above, Snapchat Snaps will take up photo storage on your iPhone like any other photos or videos in your Camera Roll.
Managing Snapchat Cache Size
If you find Snapchat is taking up too much temporary cache storage, there are some steps you can take to reduce the cache size:
- View Snaps more promptly so they get deleted faster
- Close out of the Snapchat app between uses
- Log out of your Snapchat account before extended inactivity
- Uninstall and reinstall the Snapchat app to clear the cache
You may also want to check your Snapchat settings and turn off features like Travel Mode, Snap Map location sharing, and background app refresh – disabling these can result in less caching.
Check and Manage iPhone Storage Usage
You can check how much total storage space Snapchat is using in your iPhone Settings:
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
- Wait for it to calculate storage usage
- Scroll down to find the Snapchat app storage usage
This will show both the app size and the amount of documents and data being cached. If Snapchat is using a lot of data, you can clear the cache from this screen by tapping on Snapchat, then tapping Offload App to uninstall.
Conclusion
In summary:
- Yes, Snapchat uses some temporary storage space on iPhones to cache Snaps.
- The cache size depends on Snap usage but is typically less than 100MB.
- Snaps are automatically deleted shortly after being viewed.
- Saving Snaps to your Camera Roll or Memories will take up permanent iPhone photo storage.
- You can manage the cache size by changing Snapchat behaviors and settings.
So while Snapchat does temporarily use some iPhone storage space, it’s small compared to other apps. And the automatic deletion of Snaps helps avoid accumulating a large cache.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Snapchat take up storage on Android?
Yes, the Snapchat app also uses device storage space on Android phones to cache photos and videos before deletion. The Snapchat cache works similarly on both iOS and Android.
Do Snapchat photos count against iCloud storage?
No, the temporary Snapchat cache does not count against your iCloud storage quota. Only photos and videos saved permanently to your Camera Roll are uploaded to iCloud.
Is there a limit to how many Snaps can be cached?
There is no definitive limit, but the cache size is dynamically managed by Snapchat and older cached Snaps will be deleted first as new ones arrive. Under typical usage the cache tends to stay under 100MB on modern iPhones.
Does clearing the Snapchat cache delete Snaps?
No, clearing the Snapchat cache does not delete or remove any unviewed Snaps. It only deletes cached Snaps that have already been viewed. Any pending Snaps will still be downloadable.
What takes up most storage on an iPhone?
Photos and videos tend to take up the most iPhone storage space for most users. Over 50% of storage is typically used for the Camera Roll. Other apps with large storage footprints include iTunes movies, Spotify music, and large offline maps.
Comparisons with Other Social Media Apps
Snapchat vs Instagram
| Storage Use | Snapchat | |
|---|---|---|
| Media Caching | Temporarily caches sent/received Snaps | Does not cache feed photos and videos |
| Permanently Saved Media | Only if user saves to Camera Roll | All feed and user photos saved by default |
| Typical Storage Used | Less than 100MB | 1+ GB |
Instagram uses significantly more storage than Snapchat because all feed and user photos are saved permanently rather than temporarily cached.
Snapchat vs Facebook
| Storage Use | Snapchat | |
|---|---|---|
| Media Caching | Temporarily caches sent/received Snaps | Caches photos and videos from feed |
| Permanently Saved Media | Only if user saves Snaps to Camera Roll | Does not automatically save feed posts |
| Typical Storage Used | Less than 100MB | 500MB+ |
Facebook uses more storage than Snapchat due to caching far more feed content. But less than Instagram since it doesn’t automatically save all media.
Optimizing iPhone Storage
Here are some tips to optimize overall iPhone storage when using Snapchat and other social media apps:
- Close out of apps when not in use to limit background caching
- Turn off auto-play video and download options in app settings
- Save photos/videos to the cloud rather than device storage
- Offload unused apps and delete downloaded music/movies
- Use iPhone storage tools to manage large files and caches
- Upgrade iCloud storage plan if needed for photo backup
Following these best practices allows you to get the most out of your iPhone storage when using social and camera apps.
Conclusion
To summarize, Snapchat does utilize some temporary storage on iPhones and Androids to cache sent and received Snaps. However, this cache is automatically cleared quickly as Snaps are viewed and deleted. So while Snapchat uses less overall storage than other social apps like Instagram and Facebook, the cached Snaps can build up if you have high Snap usage. By managing your Snapchat habits and iPhone storage settings, you can ensure Snapchat doesn’t take up too much device space.