The Memories tab is a core part of the Snapchat app that allows users to access their saved Snaps, Stories, and imported photos and videos in one place. However, as Snapchat frequently updates its interface, the Memories tab doesn’t always stay in the same place. So for those trying to find the Memories tab for the first time or relocate it after an update, the tab’s location may not be immediately obvious. This article will provide a straightforward guide on where to find the Memories tab in the current version of Snapchat for iOS and Android devices.
Where to Find the Memories Tab on iOS
On iOS devices, the Memories tab can be found on the bottom toolbar of the Snapchat app, in between the Camera and Snapchat tabs. Specifically:
- Open the Snapchat app on your iPhone or iPad.
- At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a toolbar with four icons – left to right, they are: Chat, Camera, Memories, Snapchat.
- Tap the Memories icon (third from the left). It looks like two overlapping squares.
This will open up the Memories tab where all your saved Snaps and Stories are stored.
If you don’t see the Memories tab in the bottom toolbar, make sure you have the latest version of Snapchat installed. The developers frequently move tabs around in updates, so an outdated app may have the Memories tab in a different location.
Where to Find the Memories Tab on Android
On Android, the Memories tab is also located on the bottom toolbar, though its position varies slightly compared to iOS. Specifically:
- Open the Snapchat app on your Android phone or tablet.
- At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a toolbar with four icons – left to right, they are: Chat, Snapchat, Camera, Memories.
- Tap the Memories icon on the far right. It looks like two overlapping squares.
Tapping the Memories icon will open the tab where all your Snaps, Stories, and other saved media is stored.
As with iOS, make sure you have the most up-to-date version of Snapchat installed if you can’t locate the Memories tab. The interface may have changed with a recent update.
What You Can Find in Memories
Once you’ve located and opened the Memories tab, here’s an overview of what you’ll find inside:
- Snaps – All the individual photo and video Snaps you’ve taken in Snapchat and chosen to save will appear here. You can view, edit, and re-send any saved Snaps.
- Stories – Any Stories you’ve posted and chosen to save – whether to your main Story or custom Stories – will be available to view and re-post from Memories.
- Camera Roll – Snapchat gives you the option to back up your device’s camera roll. Any photos/videos you import this way will be viewable in Memories.
- My Eyes Only – This is a private, passcode-protected area for saving your most sensitive Snaps and Stories. You can only view My Eyes Only content from within Memories.
So in summary, the Memories tab acts as a central archive for any Snaps, Stories, photos, or videos you’ve captured in Snapchat and want to save privately or re-share later on.
How to Use Memories
Once you’ve accessed the Memories tab, here are some of the key things you can do:
- View your Snaps and Stories – Simply tap any Snap or Story to view it.
- Edit and re-send Snaps – Tap the pencil icon on any Snap to add stickers, text, drawings, etc. Then tap the arrow icon to send it to friends.
- Revive Stories – Tap a saved Story to re-post it to your current Story on Snapchat.
- Delete Snaps and Stories – Tap and hold on a Snap or Story, then tap the trash icon to delete it.
- View Camera Roll – Browse your backed-up camera roll photos and videos here.
- Manage My Eyes Only – Access and manage your private, passcode-protected Snaps and Stories.
So in summary, Memories gives you a robust set of tools for privately viewing, editing, and re-sharing your saved Snaps and Stories well after you originally captured them.
Why Use Memories?
There are a few key reasons why Memories can be a useful part of the Snapchat experience:
- Relive fond memories – The Snaps and Stories you save to Memories capture special moments with friends, family, events, travel, and more. Revisiting Memories lets you reminisce.
- Revive old Stories – Posting throwback Stories from Memories lets you share memories with new friends/followers who weren’t originally able to view them.
- Free up storage – Saving Snaps and Stories to Memories allows you to delete those items from your phone’s storage while still retaining them.
- Private archive – Memories provides secure, long-term storage for your more personal and sensitive photos/videos that you may not want to keep in your camera roll.
- Edit and remix content – The editing tools in Memories let you get creative with old Snaps by adding drawings, text, stickers, etc.
So in short, the Memories tab extends the lifespan of your Snaps while giving you more control over private content.
Backing Up Your Memories
It’s recommended that Snapchat users back up the content they’ve saved to Memories for an extra level of protection:
- Snapchat Memories Export – You can download certain Memories content like Snaps and Stories to your device storage through the Export feature in Memories settings.
- Local device backups – Use your Android or iOS device’s local backup tools to create backups that include Memories content.
- Cloud backups – On iOS, use iCloud to backup Memories along with your other device data. On Android, use Google One for cloud backups.
This provides an extra layer of protection in case you ever lose access to your Snapchat account or have your phone lost, damaged, or wiped.
Memories Privacy and Security
When using Memories, it’s important to understand Snapchat’s approach to privacy and security:
- Memories content is encrypted and stored separately from your device’s native photo storage.
- You have granular control over privacy – you can save Snaps privately to just Memories or also to your Story.
- My Eyes Only provides passcode protection for your most private Memories.
- Snapchat servers are regularly audited for security and data is deleted upon account deletion.
- Despite these measures, nothing online is 100% secure, so discretion is still advised.
While Snapchat takes meaningful steps to protect Memories, there is always some residual risk when storing content online. So only save Snaps and Stories to Memories that you’d be comfortable with potentially being compromised in a worst case scenario data breach.
Conclusion
The Memories tab in Snapchat provides a private, personal archive for your saved Snaps, Stories, photos, and videos. It’s located on the bottom toolbar of the app – on iOS, it’s the third icon from the left, and on Android it’s the far right icon. Tapping Memories lets you reminisce over old content, revive Stories for new viewers, free up device storage, securely save private media, and get creative by editing old Snaps. Overall, Memories extends Snapchat from being just an ephemeral messaging app into a feature-rich platform for long-term visual communication.