Snapchat is a popular social media app that allows users to send photos, videos, and messages that disappear after being viewed. While Snapchat is known for its disappearing content, there are a few ways to save Snapchat photos before they vanish.
Saving photos in Memories
The easiest way to save Snapchat photos is by adding them to your Memories. Memories is Snapchat’s cloud storage where you can access your saved photos and videos. Here’s how it works:
- Take a photo or video within Snapchat as you normally would.
- Before sending it, tap the downward arrow icon in the bottom left corner.
- Select “Save to Memories” or “Save to Camera Roll” if you want it saved to your phone’s storage as well.
Once in Memories, your Snapchat photos and videos will no longer disappear. You can view them, edit them, create stories with them, and more. They will remain in your Memories until you choose to delete them.
Saving via Snapchat Chat
You can also save a Snapchat photo that someone sends you directly in a Snapchat chat. Here’s how:
- Open the Snapchat message with the photo.
- Press and hold down on the photo until a pop up appears.
- Select the download icon in the bottom left corner.
This will save the photo to your Camera Roll so you can access it through your regular phone storage. The sender will still be notified that you took a screenshot.
Using third-party apps
If you want to save Snapchat photos without the sender knowing, you can use third-party apps and workarounds. Here are some options:
- Airplane mode: Open the Snapchat image, turn on Airplane mode on your phone, take a screenshot, exit Snapchat, turn Airplane mode off. The screenshot will save but the notification will not send.
- AZ Screen Recorder: This Android app lets you secretly record your phone’s screen. Launch it before opening a Snapchat image, record the screen, then stop recording and crop the video after.
- iOS screen recording: On iPhone, you can enable screen recording in your Control Center. Then open Snapchat, start recording, view and screenshot the snap, and stop the recording.
- Snapchat Plus/Snapchat+: Modified versions of Snapchat that allow stealthy saving. However, these come with risks as they violate Snapchat’s terms.
Where to find your saved Snapchat photos
Now that you know how to save Snapchat photos, here is where to find them on Android and iOS devices:
On Android
- Memories: Open Snapchat > Tap your profile icon > Tap the Memories icon (an infinity symbol) – saved Snaps and Stories are displayed here
- Camera roll: Open your Photos/Gallery app – Snapchats saved to your camera roll will be mixed in with all your other photos
On iPhone
- Memories: Same steps as on Android – Open Snapchat > Tap your profile icon > Tap the Memories icon
- Camera roll: Open the Photos app – saved Snapchats get stored with all your other photos
- Files app: iOS has a dedicated Files app for exploring all files stored on your device, including Snapchat media saved to your camera roll
Locating Memories on Snapchat
Snapchat Memories can contain a lot of saved Snaps, Stories, and media. Here are some tips for organizing Memories and finding a specific photo you’re looking for:
- Use the search bar – enter a keyword or username to look for specific Snaps
- Tap the selector icon to pick Snaps from particular dates or places
- Edit Memories titles, tags, and more to stay organized
- Sort Memories into custom, smart, or default categories
- View Snaps you’ve sent, received, or created in Stories to narrow it down
Why saved Snapchats get deleted
Sometimes Snapchat photos saved to Memories mysteriously disappear. This can happen for a few reasons:
- The sender deleted the Snap from their end, so it vanishes from recipients’ Memories too
- Your Memories storage is full, so old Snaps may have been overwritten
- The Snap may have exceeded the 90-day limit before disappearing
- A glitch or bug caused Memories to unexpectedly clear
- You accidentally cleared Memories while trying to delete something else
Losing your saved Snapchats can be frustrating! The best way to prevent it is by frequently saving Snaps you really want to keep to your camera roll or downloading them to cloud storage.
How long do saved Snapchats last?
| Where Snapchat is saved | How long it lasts |
|---|---|
| Memories | Up to 90 days |
| Camera roll | Until you delete it |
| Cloud storage | Until you delete it |
As you can see in the table above, Snapchats stored in Memories will automatically delete after 90 days. But Snapchats saved to your camera roll or cloud storage will remain indefinitely, giving you permanent access.
Recovering deleted Snapchat photos
If you notice a favorite Snap is missing from Memories, don’t panic. Here are some ways you may be able to get it back:
- Restore Memories: Snapchat has a 30-day restore window. Go to Settings > Support > Lost Memories and request a restoration.
- Check cloud backup: If your snaps were saved to iCloud or Google Photos cloud storage, you can retrieve the media from there.
- Try file recovery software: Programs like iMyFone D-Back and EaseUS can scan your storage and recover deleted Snapchat files.
- Ask the sender: If it was a Snap sent to you, politely ask the sender if they can resend it or have it saved.
Prevention is the best medicine though. Be sure to frequently export special Snapchats you want to keep forever before that 90-day window ends.
Conclusion
Snapchat may seem like an ephemeral place, but there are ways to preserve special moments before they disappear. Saving Snapchat photos to Memories lets you access them for up to 90 days. You can also save Snaps directly to your camera roll or use third-party apps for stealthy saving.
Locate saved Snapchat photos in your phone’s Memories section or camera roll. Just keep in mind that Memories has limited storage life. Frequently saving Snaps to your camera roll is the best way to permanently keep your favorite ephemeral moments.