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How do you get Snapchat messages that disappeared?

How do you get Snapchat messages that disappeared?

Snapchat is a popular social media app that lets users send photos, videos, and messages called “Snaps” to friends. A unique feature of Snapchat is that by default, Snaps disappear after they are viewed. This creates an ephemeral, in-the-moment experience. But sometimes, users want to recover Snapchat messages after they have disappeared. There are a few different ways to try to do this.

Save the Snap

One way to preserve a disappearing Snapchat message is to save it before it disappears. There are a couple of ways to do this:

  • Screenshot the Snap – Open the Snap and take a screenshot. This will save the image to your camera roll.
  • Replay the Snap – You can replay one Snap per day by tapping on it before it disappears. Replay allows you to view it one additional time.

Saving a screenshot or replaying a Snap is the easiest way to keep that content. The downside is that the sender will get notified that you took a screenshot or replayed their Snap. So it doesn’t work if you are trying to save Snaps secretly.

Use a Third Party App

There are some third party apps that allow users to save Snapchat messages without notifying the sender:

  • SnapSave – An app that runs in the background and automatically saves incoming and outgoing Snaps. The saver is hidden so the sender is not notified.
  • Snapbox – Allows you to log in to your Snapchat account through the app and save all your message history and stories.
  • Casper – Similar to Snapbox, this app lets you secretly save your Snaps. It also lets you save Stories and view Snapchat uploads from public accounts.

The downside with these third party apps is that they violate Snapchat’s terms of service. Using them could get your Snapchat account suspended if detected. They also require providing your Snapchat login details to the app developers, which raises security and privacy concerns.

Recover Deleted Snapchat Messages

If you did not save a disappearing Snapchat message through the methods above, is there still any way to try recovering deleted Snapchat messages?

Since Snapchats are deleted from Snapchat’s servers after they are viewed, the app itself provides no way to recover expired Snaps. However, the messages may still be retrievable from your device’s storage or backups:

  • App data recovery software – If you act quickly, data recovery software may be able to find residual files left behind by Snapchat on your device and restore deleted Snaps.
  • iCloud backup – If you have an iOS device and use iCloud backup, you may be able to recover deleted Snapchats from a previous iCloud backup.
  • Google Photos – On Android, your Snapchats may have been automatically backed up to Google Photos before being deleted.

The effectiveness of these recovery methods depends on whether your device has retained any Snapchat data since the Snaps were originally deleted. The longer it’s been, the lower your chance of successful Snapchat message recovery.

Retrieve Snapchat Memories

Snapchat Memories are Snaps and Stories that you previously posted and chose to save within Snapchat. Unlike regular Snaps, Memories do not disappear and can be accessed from within the app at any time.

To view your Memories:

  1. Open the Snapchat app
  2. Go to your profile page
  3. Tap the downward arrow at the top to open Memories
  4. This will display any Snaps you previously chose to save

If you posted a Snap to your Story in the past 24 hours, you can also go rewatch your Story to view that Snap again. So checking Snapchat Memories is a good way to retrieve Snapchat messages you purposefully saved before they disappeared.

Recover Deleted Snaps from Friends

Is it possible to recover a disappearing Snapchat message sent to you from a friend? Unfortunately, for privacy reasons, Snapchat does not provide a way to retrieve Snaps that someone else sent.

If your friend takes a screenshot of their Snap before sending it, they could choose to send you the screenshot through a different messaging app. But otherwise, there is no way to recover that deleted Snap without sophisticated hacking techniques.

Get Data from Snapchat

Snapchat allows you to download certain account data:

  1. Go to Settings > Account Actions > My Data
  2. Submit a data request for the information you want
  3. Wait up to 30 days for Snapchat to compile and send the data

However, this data will not contain other users’ Snaps or Chats with friends. It only includes data from your Memories, Profile, Contacts and Settings. So it won’t help recover deleted messages sent between you and your friends.

Hire a Snapchat Hacking Service

There are some questionable hacking services that claim they can secretly recover deleted Snaps by hacking into Snapchat servers and user accounts. They say they can access messages, photos, and other data that has disappeared.

Examples of Snapchat hacking services include:

  • SnapHacker
  • SnapCracker
  • SnapChatHack

However, these types of services are illegal, unethical, risky and not recommended. Hacking into someone’s account without their permission is illegal. And these services likely use malware, phishing and other shady tactics that could compromise your security and privacy. For these reasons, it’s best to avoid Snapchat hacking services.

Conclusion

Here are some key takeaways on how to recover deleted Snapchat messages:

  • Screenshot or replay Snaps before they disappear whenever possible.
  • Be wary of third party apps that secretly save Snaps for you.
  • On iOS devices, check iCloud backups for deleted Snaps.
  • On Android, deleted Snaps may be in Google Photos backups.
  • You can only retrieve your own Snapchat Memories, not friends’ Snaps.
  • Avoid using illegal Snapchat hacking services.

Ultimately, the ephemeral nature of Snapchat means messages are designed to disappear. So once a Snap is viewed and deleted, it can be very difficult to recover. Your best bet is to save important Snaps before they’re gone. Act quickly if you want any chance of retrieving deleted Snapchat messages through data recovery methods. But if it’s too late, you may just have to accept that temporary Snaps are often gone for good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you recover deleted Snapchat messages?

It is very difficult to recover deleted Snapchat messages. Since Snaps disappear from Snapchat’s servers after being viewed, there is no way to restore expired Snaps through Snapchat itself. However, you may be able to salvage deleted Snaps through phone data recovery methods if you act quickly and the Snaps were cached or backed up on your device or iCloud/Google Photos before deletion.

Does Snapchat notify if you screenshot a Snap?

Yes, Snapchat always notifies a sender when the recipient takes a screenshot of their Snap. This makes it impossible to secretly save someone else’s Snap by screenshotting.

Can police recover deleted Snapchats?

Police have very limited capability when it comes to recovering deleted Snapchat messages. Since Snapchats are deleted from Snapchat’s servers after viewing, not even Snapchat itself can restore expired Snaps. Police would have to rely on extracting residual Snapchat files from the sender or recipient’s device using advanced mobile forensics. This has a low success rate and depends on the device not having overwritten the data since deletion.

Can you recover deleted Snapchat memories?

No, there is no way to recover deleted Snapchat Memories. Since Memories are Snaps you chose to save within Snapchat, once you delete a Memory, it is gone for good just like any other Snap. The only way to preserve Memories is to save them before deleting.

Is there a Snapchat message history?

Snapchat does not store a message history of Snaps sent between friends. The ephemeral nature of the app means messages are deleted shortly after being viewed. The only message history available in Snapchat is for the Memories you choose to save – but this does not include regular back-and-forth Snaps between friends.

Can Snapchat tell if you use a third party app?

Snapchat cannot directly detect if you use a third party app to save Snaps. However, they can monitor app behavior and activity patterns to look for unauthorized apps interacting with their servers. Getting caught violating their Terms of Service by using third party apps could get your account temporarily locked or banned.

Four Methods to Retrieve Deleted Snapchats

Here are 4 main ways you could potentially recover deleted Snapchat messages, with a summary of the pros and cons of each method:

Method Pros Cons
Screenshot Snap
  • Simple
  • Works every time
  • Sender is notified
Third Party App
  • Saves without notifying sender
  • Security/privacy risks
  • May get account banned
Data Recovery Software
  • Can restore deleted files
  • Not guaranteed to work
  • Must act very quickly
Device Backups
  • May find Snaps in backups
  • Only if backup occurred before deletion

Snapchat by the Numbers

Here are some key statistics on Snapchat usage and growth:

Stat Number
Daily Active Users 332 million (as of June 2022)
Minutes Spent Per Day 30+ minutes (as of 2020)
Photos/Videos Sent Over 5 billion (as of 2020)
User Base Growth +39% year-over-year as of Q2 2022
User Age Range 13-34 years old primary demographic

With over 300 million daily users, Snapchat is one of the most popular apps in the world. The ephemeral messaging results in billions of Snaps being sent and deleted every day. For teens and young adults especially, communicating via disappearing Snaps has become a routine part of daily life.

Steps to Save Important Snapchats

Since Snapchat messages vanish forever once viewed, it’s important to save Snaps and Memories you want to keep before they disappear. Here are best practices to preserve your favorite Snapchat content:

  1. Screenshot or replay any incoming Snaps you want to keep.
  2. When sending a Snap, tap the arrow icon to also post it as a Memory.
  3. Frequently post Snaps you care about to your Snapchat Story.
  4. Use the Download My Data tool to export your Memories.
  5. Back up your entire device or Snapchat data regularly.
  6. Avoid questionable third party apps that could compromise your account.

Following these steps will ensure you have copies of your most important Snaps. Just be aware the sender will get notified if you screenshot their messages. The unique ephemeral experience of Snapchat may get diminished if you save too many Snaps. But for your favorite messages, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to disappearing Snaps!

Conclusion

Snapchat’s fleeting messages create fun, casual interactions. But if you want to recover deleted Snaps, the options are limited. Screenshotting Snaps is the easiest and most reliable method, though the sender is notified. Using questionable third party apps entails risks. Advanced data recovery techniques may work if attempted soon after deletion, but success is not guaranteed. And retrieving deleted messages from friends is essentially impossible without saving them originally. The beauty of Snapchat lies in its ephemeral nature – just be mindful that each Snap could be gone in an instant.