Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photo and video messages called “snaps” to their friends. One of Snapchat’s signature features is that snaps disappear after being viewed by the recipient. However, there are a few ways to replay a snap if you accidentally miss it or want to view it again hours after it was originally sent.
Understanding Snapchat Replays
Typically, snaps can only be viewed once before they disappear from the recipient’s inbox. However, Snapchat does allow each user one free “replay” per snap. This means you can replay any snap once for free within 24 hours of receiving it. After it’s been replayed once, the snap will be unavailable.
If you don’t use your free replay, Snapchat will let you build up a stockpile of one replay that replenishes every 24 hours. So if you don’t replay any snaps for a few days, you could have several replays stored up to use on old snaps.
There are also some paid ways to replay expired snaps, which we’ll cover later in this article.
Replying Within 24 Hours
The easiest way to replay a snap is by using your free daily replay within 24 hours of receiving it. Here’s how:
- Open the Snapchat app and go to your inbox.
- Tap and hold the snap you want to replay.
- A pop-up will appear giving you the option to Replay or Exit.
- Tap “Replay” to view the snap again.
You’ll notice a little infinite symbol next to snaps you have replayed. You can use your one free replay on any unopened snap, as long as it’s less than 24 hours old.
Using Built-Up Replays
If you have gone days without replaying snaps, Snapchat may have awarded you with built-up replays that you can use on older snaps. Here’s how to check your available replays:
- Go to your Profile by tapping the Bitmoji icon in the top left corner.
- Tap the Settings gear icon in the top right corner.
- Go to Account Actions > View My Eyes Only.
- It will show how many Replay replays you have available.
To use a stored replay on an old snap:
- Go to your inbox and tap and hold the snap you want to replay.
- If the snap is more than 24 hours old, it will say “Replay Unavailable.”
- Tap “Replay Unavailable.”
- If you have a stored replay, it will give you the option to use one.
- Confirm by tapping “Use Replay.”
Using Snapchat Plus
In 2022, Snapchat introduced a new paid subscription called Snapchat Plus. One of the key features is the ability to replay any snap at any time, regardless of how old it is.
With a Snapchat Plus subscription you can:
- Replay snaps an unlimited number of times.
- Replay Stories as many times as you want.
- Re-watch Stories that have expired.
- Pin a friend to the top of your chat list.
Snapchat Plus costs $3.99 per month. Here’s how to sign up:
- Open your Snapchat Profile and tap the Settings icon.
- Go to Snapchat Plus.
- Tap “Try It Free” or “Subscribe.”
- Follow the on-screen instructions to purchase a monthly subscription.
Once subscribed, you can replay any snap directly from your inbox without limitations.
Using Snapchat Premium
Snapchat also offers an enhanced subscription called Snapchat Premium. It has all the features of Snapchat Plus as well as a few extras. The key additions are:
- Priority Story Replies – Your reactions and messages are more visible to celebrities, influencers, and close friends who post Stories.
- Custom Story icons – Choose an emoji or Bitmoji for your own private Story.
- Custom navigation – Pin your favorite Friends to the top of your Friends Screen for quick access.
Snapchat Premium costs $4.99 per month. You can upgrade to Premium from the Subscription screen if you already have Snapchat Plus.
Using Snapchat Spectacles
Snapchat Spectacles are the company’s video-recording sunglasses. If you or a friend recorded a snap using Spectacles, you can replay it long after it disappears from your inbox.
Here’s how Spectacles replays work:
- When recording on Spectacles, the video saves directly to your Memories.
- You can replay Spectacles snaps from Memories as many times as you want.
- Other users can’t replay your Specs snaps unless you also send them as a normal snap video.
So if there’s a particular Spectacles snap you want to be able to replay, make sure to save it to Memories after recording. The replay will stay available for as long as it’s saved there.
Recovering Deleted Snaps
If you accidentally deleted a snap you wanted to keep, there are a couple of ways you may be able to recover it:
- Memories – If it was a snap you originally sent, it may have been automatically saved to your Snapchat Memories.
- Chat Export – You can download your Chat History to access deleted snaps and chats.
- Data request – Submit a data request to Snapchat to recover deleted snaps and data.
Keep in mind unopened snaps disappear forever when deleted, so you’ll only be able to recover snaps you opened first.
Using Third-Party Apps
There are some third-party apps that claim to allow you to save or replay Snapchat snaps without limits. However, many of these apps violate Snapchat’s terms of service.
Snapchat doesn’t allow third-party apps to access their API. So while some of these apps may have found workarounds, there’s no guarantee they will work forever. And you risk having your Snapchat account banned.
For these reasons, it’s best to avoid third-party apps that offer Snapchat replay or download features. Stick to the official built-in methods covered above.
Conclusion
Here are some key tips to summarise how to replay old Snapchat snaps:
- Use your 1 free daily replay on snaps under 24 hours old.
- Check for built-up replays to use on older snaps.
- Subscribe to Snapchat Plus or Premium to replay anything.
- Save Spectacles videos to Memories.
- Recover deleted snaps from Memories or Chat History.
- Avoid third-party apps that break Snapchat’s rules.
While Snapchat’s ephemeral nature means most snaps can’t be viewed more than once, there are still a few legit ways to replay old messages. Using your limited daily replays wisely, upgrading to a paid subscription, or saving Spectacles videos to Memories will allow you to replay those snap moments you really want to see again.