Snapchat has become one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among younger users. A big part of Snapchat’s appeal is that the photos, videos, and messages sent between users are meant to disappear after being viewed. However, one question that often comes up is “How long do Snapchat messages stay on the server after being deleted?” Here is a detailed look at how the Snapchat deletion process works and how long deleted snaps stay in the system before being permanently erased.
How Does Snapchat’s Deletion Process Work?
When a photo, video, or message is sent via Snapchat, it is uploaded to Snapchat’s servers. Once the content has been viewed by the recipient, Snapchat’s system is designed to automatically delete it from their servers. However, the content does not get immediately erased. Here are the steps involved:
- A snap is uploaded to Snapchat’s servers when sent by the user.
- The recipient views the snap.
- Once viewed, the snap is marked for deletion from Snapchat’s servers.
- Snapchat’s system runs a background deletion process that periodically cleans up and removes old snaps that have been viewed and marked for deletion.
- After the background deletion process runs, the snaps are permanently erased from Snapchat’s servers.
So in summary, snaps are not deleted instantly, but are marked for deletion once viewed. Snapchat then runs maintenance routines to permanently erase old snaps after some time has passed.
How Long Exactly Does Snapchat Keep Deleted Snaps?
Snapchat does not provide exact details on how long they retain snaps marked for deletion before permanently erasing them. However, based on tests and investigations done by independent researchers, here is an estimate of how long snaps stay on their servers after being deleted:
- Text chats: Deleted text chats were found to linger for up to 30 days before being deleted from Snapchat’s servers.
- Photos: Deleted photos stay in the system for up to 7 days before being purged.
- Videos: Deleted videos remain for up to 10 days.
In summary, deleted text messages tend to stay on Snapchat’s servers the longest at up to 30 days. Photos stick around for up to 7 days, while videos can last up to 10 days before being purged.
Why Deleted Snaps Are Not Instantly Erased
There are a few reasons why Snapchat does not instantly delete old snaps:
- Technical limitations: With millions of snaps being sent daily, it is technically challenging to instantly delete each one after being viewed. A background batch deletion process is more efficient.
- Data recovery: Keeping snaps for a few days allows Snapchat to recover data in case of any issues, like if a snap got marked as deleted erroneously before the recipient saw it.
- Legal requirements: Snapchat may be compelled to store certain data for a certain period due to legal requests or regulations in some countries.
By retaining snaps for up to 30 days in some cases, Snapchat ensures data can be recovered if needed and complies with any data retention laws. The downside is that old snaps may linger for longer than some users expect.
Does Deleting a Snapchat Account Permanently Erase Data?
What happens when a Snapchat account is deleted? Here is an overview of how Snapchat handles data when an account is deleted:
- When a user deletes their Snapchat account, the account itself is deactivated and hidden from other users.
- For 30 days after deactivation, Snapchat keeps the account data in case the user reactivates their account.
- After 30 days, Snapchat deletes the account and begins permanently deleting the data associated with the account.
- This deleted data includes snaps, chats, contacts list, and other account details.
- The deletion process can take up to 90 days to fully complete after the 30-day deactivation period.
In summary, Snapchat gives users a 30-day window to reactivate a deleted account. If the account remains deactivated, Snapchat initiates permanent data deletion which can take up to 90 days to fully complete.
Tips for Permanently Deleting Snapchat Data
If you want to minimize the time your snaps stick around for, here are some tips when using Snapchat:
- Avoid keeping a snap in unopened status for long. Unopened snaps remain on the servers until opened.
- Delete chats frequently. This removes old snaps from the chat history.
- Limit sensitive photo and video snaps as much as possible.
- Adjust privacy settings to limit who can view your story or see your location.
- Delete your Snapchat account if you want all your snaps and data erased permanently.
While Snapchat’s systems need some time to permanently erase deleted data, being mindful of what you share and with whom can help minimize privacy risks.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s unique selling point has always been the ephemerality of photos, videos and messages sent between users. However, the content does not get instantly deleted when you think it’s been removed. It can stay on Snapchat’s servers for up to 30 days in the case of text chats, up to 10 days for videos, and up to 7 days for photos.
The delayed deletion is mainly due to the technical challenges of instantly removing content at Snapchat’s scale. Legal requirements may also play a role in some cases. If you want to permanently erase Snapchat data, deleting your account initializes the deletion process but it can take up to 90 days to fully complete.
Being mindful of what you share and with whom is always good practice. But with billions of snaps sent daily, restoring privacy after something is posted can be difficult. So always think carefully before sharing any snap that you would not want to be out in the public forever.