Snapchat allows users to download a copy of their Snapchat data, which can be useful for reviewing past Snaps, Chats, Memories, and more. However, once you’ve downloaded your Snapchat data, you may be wondering where to actually find it on your device.
Locating Your Downloaded Snapchat Data on a Computer
If you requested your Snapchat data download on a computer, here is where you can find your downloaded files:
- Your download will be in a zip file called ‘My Data.zip’. Locate this file in your computer’s Downloads folder, or wherever you saved the zip file.
- Double click the ‘My Data.zip’ file to open it.
- Inside this zip folder will be a folder simply called ‘My Data’. Open this folder.
- Within the ‘My Data’ folder you will find several more folders containing your various Snapchat data, like Memories, My Story, etc.
So in summary, on a computer your Snapchat data will be in:
Downloads Folder > My Data.zip > My Data Folder > Data Folders
Locating Your Snapchat Data on an iPhone
If you downloaded your Snapchat data on an iPhone, here is how to find it:
- Open the Files app on your iPhone. This is the grey folder icon.
- Select ‘On My iPhone’ from the sidebar.
- Scroll down and select ‘Downloads’.
- You will see a zip file called ‘My Data.zip’. Tap on it.
- Tap on the ‘Share’ icon in the upper right and select ‘Uncompress’.
- This will unzip the ‘My Data’ folder. Tap on this folder.
- Now you will see all the different Snapchat data folders available to explore.
Locating Your Downloaded Data on Android
On an Android phone, your downloaded Snapchat data can be found by:
- Opening the ‘My Files’ or ‘Files’ app on your Android.
- Navigating to ‘Internal storage’ > ‘Download’ folder.
- Looking for a zip file called ‘My Data.zip’ and tapping on it.
- Tapping on the 3 vertical dots in the upper right corner.
- Choose ‘Extract Here’ to unzip the ‘My Data’ folder.
- Opening the ‘My Data’ folder.
- You will now see your Snapchat data folders.
What’s Inside Your Downloaded Snapchat Data
Once you access your downloaded Snapchat folder, here are some of the key folders you’ll find containing your Snapchat data:
- My Memories – Saved photos and videos from your Snapchat Memories.
- My Story – Photos and videos you posted to your Snapchat Story.
- My Snaps – Snaps you’ve sent to friends.
- My Chats – All your Snapchat chat conversations.
- My Contacts – Your Snapchat friends list.
- My Purchase History – Any Snapchat purchases you’ve made.
- My Settings – Your Snapchat account settings.
So in summary, your downloaded Snapchat data contains all your Snaps, Chats, Memories, Stories, Friends, and more! Everything you’ve posted on Snapchat will be available in your downloaded data for you to view and review.
How to View Your Downloaded Snapchat Memories
One of the most useful parts of downloading your Snapchat data is being able to access your old Snapchat Memories. Here’s how to view your downloaded Snapchat Memories:
- Access your ‘My Data’ folder as explained above.
- Open the ‘My Memories’ folder.
- Here you will see folders organized by date, with each folder containing the Memories saved on that date.
- Tap into a date folder to open it.
- This will display previews of all the photos and videos saved on that date. Tap any individual photo/video to open it.
You can now scroll through and view all your old Snapchat Memories conveniently in one place. From silly selfies to fun vacation pics, browsing your downloaded Memories lets you reminisce on great times from the past.
How to View Your Sent or Received Snaps
In addition to Memories, you may want to look back on Snaps you’ve sent and received in the past. Here’s how to view these with your downloaded data:
- Inside your ‘My Data’ folder, open the ‘My Snaps’ folder.
- Here you’ll see separate folders for ‘Sent’ Snaps and ‘Received’ Snaps.
- Open either of these folders to view your sent or received Snaps.
- The Snaps will be organized by date sent/received. Open any date folder.
- You will see image previews of all the sent/received Snaps on that date. Tap any image to open it.
Being able to look through your old sent and received Snaps can be both nostalgic and fun. So if you ever want a trip down Snapchat memory lane, your downloaded data has you covered.
How to View Your Snapchat Chat History
Your downloaded Snapchat data also provides the ability to look through your past Snapchat chats and conversations. Here’s how:
- In your ‘My Data’ folder, open the ‘My Chats’ folder.
- This contains folders with your chat history sorted by friend. Open any friend’s folder.
- You’ll see a ‘Chat.json’ file containing the full text chat history with that friend.
- Open this .json file to view and read through your chat history.
Having access to your old chats can be great for reminiscing or even just referencing things you may have forgotten. So your downloaded Snapchat data makes it easy to take a stroll down chat history lane if you ever need to.
How to Access Your Snapchat Contacts List
The ‘My Contacts’ folder within your downloaded Snapchat data provides access to your full Snapchat friends list and contact details. Here’s how to view it:
- Inside ‘My Data’, open the ‘My Contacts’ folder.
- Open the ‘Contacts.json’ file.
- This .json file contains your full friends list with their Snapchat user names.
- You can scroll through and lookup any friends’ usernames here if needed.
Having your contacts list can help you find old friends you may have forgotten about. And it serves as a nice record of all the friends you’ve added on Snapchat over time.
Other Data In Your Downloaded Snapchat Folder
Some other noteworthy folders and data in your downloaded Snapchat archive include:
- My Story – View photos/videos posted to your story.
- My Settings – See your Snapchat preferences.
- My Purchase History – Review any purchases.
- Marketing – Contains ads data.
- Snap Map – Saved location data from Snap Map.
So in summary, your downloaded Snapchat data contains a comprehensive archive of almost everything from your account. It serves as both a fun nostalgia trip and a useful reference point.
How Long Does Snapchat Store Your Data For Download
Snapchat stores your account data for you to download for 30 days. This means your downloaded Snapchat archive contains the last 30 days of activity from your account.
Some key data ranges include:
- Snaps – Sent and received snaps from the last 30 days.
- Chats – Chat history from the last 30 days.
- Memories – Saved memories from the last 30 days.
- Story – Story posts from the last 30 days.
So your downloaded data serves as a rolling 30 day window into your Snapchat account activity and history.
Can You Download Older Snapchat Data
Unfortunately, Snapchat does not provide access to older Snapchat data beyond the 30 day rolling window that they store.
Some key points:
- You cannot download older Snaps, Chats, etc beyond 30 days.
- Snapchat deletes account data after 30 days from their servers.
- So there is no way to retrieve older account data from Snapchat.
The 30 day limitation can be frustrating if you wanted to access older memories. But this does align with Snapchat’s ephemeral ethos and focus on privacy.
How Often Can You Download Your Snapchat Data
You are limited to requesting your Snapchat data download once per calendar month. So if you download your data on October 1st, you will have to wait until November 1st to request it again.
Some key points on download frequency limits:
- Can download Snapchat data once per calendar month.
- Minimum 30 days required between each download.
- Data refreshes each time with newest 30 days of activity.
The 30 day limit prevents abuse and overloading of Snapchat’s systems. For most users, requesting the download once a month should be sufficient.
How to Download Snapchat Data on iPhone
Downloading your Snapchat data on an iPhone just takes a few steps:
- Open the Snapchat app and tap your profile icon.
- Tap the gear icon to open your Settings.
- Scroll down and select ‘My Data’.
- Tap ‘Submit Request’.
- Confirm by tapping ‘Request Data’.
- Your data will now be compiled and emailed to you in the next 24-48 hours.
- The email will have a link to download your ‘My Data.zip’ file.
And that’s all there is to it! Within a couple days you’ll have access to a download of your last 30 days of Snapchat activity.
How to Download Snapchat Data on Android
On Android devices, the process is very similar:
- Open Snapchat and tap your profile.
- Tap the Settings cog icon.
- Tap ‘My Data’.
- Tap ‘Submit Request’.
- Confirm by tapping ‘Request Data’.
- Wait for the email with download link, usually within 48 hours.
- Follow the link in the email to download your data as a .zip file.
Same as on iPhone, you’ll now have your last 30 days of Snapchat activity compiled into a downloadable zip folder.
Troubleshooting Data Downloads
If you are having trouble downloading your Snapchat data, here are some things to check:
- Make sure your email on your Snapchat account is valid and set up correctly.
- Check your spam folder if you haven’t received the email.
- Wait the full 48 hours before contacting Snapchat support.
- The download link expires after a few days, so make sure to download the zip file promptly.
- If issues persist, you can contact Snapchat support for help troubleshooting.
With a valid email set up on your account, you should have your Snapchat data download emailed to you without issues in most cases.
Conclusion
Downloading your Snapchat data is easy and provides access to a wealth of account activity history and nostalgic memories. Simply navigate to the My Data section within Snapchat’s settings, submit a download request, and check your email for the link to your .zip file.
Once you have the data, you can dig through your Snaps, Chats, Stories, Memories, and more. It serves as both a fun trip down memory lane and a useful archive. Just take note that the data only covers the last 30 days, not your full Snapchat history.
So if you ever find yourself feeling nostalgic for the past, downloading your Snapchat data offers an easy way to dive back into your digital memories and reminisce.