Snapchat is a popular messaging app known for its disappearing messages. Users can send photos, videos, text, and more, with the content automatically deleting after it’s viewed by the recipient. This ephemeral nature is part of what makes Snapchat appealing for many users. However, sometimes Snapchat messages don’t actually disappear as expected. There are a few potential reasons why Snapchat messages may not vanish.
Saving via Screenshots
One of the most common ways Snapchat messages are preserved is through screenshots. When a recipient opens a Snapchat message, they can easily take a screenshot to save the content before it disappears. The sender is notified if the recipient screenshots the message, but there is no way to prevent it from being saved this way.
Taking screenshots is quick and easy on mobile devices, making it a straightforward workaround for Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging. Users may screenshot messages to preserve funny conversations, capture embarrassing photos, or keep important information. The screenshot notification may discourage some users from saving Snaps, but many disregard the warnings entirely.
Using Third-Party Apps
In addition to manual screenshots, there are also third-party apps designed to covertly save Snapchat messages. These programs can record Snaps without triggering the screenshot notification, allowing users to save photos, videos, and chats discreetly.
Some popular third-party Snapchat saver apps include:
- SnapchatSaver
- Snapbox
- SnapCrack
- Casper
These apps may violate Snapchat’s terms of service and compromise the intended ephemeral messaging experience. However, many users still turn to these tools to preserve Snaps without the sender knowing.
Backups of Data
Snapchat messages can also persist through backups of data. If a user backs up their Snapchat data, either manually or through automatic phone backups, copies of Snaps may be preserved outside of the app.
Snapchat states that messages are deleted from their servers after they are viewed. However, the content may still exist in a device or iCloud backup. Users who restore data from a backup can regain access to Snapchat messages that otherwise would have disappeared.
Snapchat Servers
While Snapchat deletes messages from their servers once they are viewed, there are a few scenarios where content may remain stored:
- Unopened Snaps – Messages that recipients have not opened yet remain on Snapchat’s servers.
- Malfunctioning Connection – Poor internet connection can prevent messages from deleting properly.
- Account Suspension – If an account is suspended, messages may not clear as expected.
In most cases, Snapchat will attempt to delete unviewed, undelivered messages after 30 days. But glitches in the system can sometimes result in messages remaining in their servers indefinitely.
Chat Export Feature
Snapchat offers a chat export feature that allows users to save chat conversations before they disappear. Users can request to download their chat history, which provides a zip file with images and videos from the chats.
Once the chat history is exported, users can save the files locally before deleting their Snapchat account. The exported chats are no longer ephemeral, enabling users to preserve conversations from Snapchat.
Deleting the App
When a user uninstalls the Snapchat app from their device, any unopened Snaps or chat messages may remain accessible if they reinstall it.
Snapchat automatically erases unviewed content after 30 days if the recipient no longer has an active account. However, anyone who temporarily deletes Snapchat and then redownloads it within 30 days can potentially recover messages that would otherwise have disappeared.
Jailbreaking or Rooting
Rooting or jailbreaking a mobile device can allow users to access and save Snapchat messages that should have expired. These advanced device modifications give users elevated system access, enabling them to manipulate Snapchat’s encrypted local data stores where copies of messages may be retained.
While Snapchat messaging still relies heavily on ephemeral content, determined users can find ways to preserve Snaps through technical workarounds. But the average Snapchat user likely won’t go through the trouble of jailbreaking their phone solely to save expired Snaps.
External Storage of Content
Some Snapchat messages contain media such as photos or videos. Even if the Snapchat message itself disappears, users may have saved the original photo or video externally on their camera roll.
So while the Snap itself is ephemeral, the user still has the underlying content stored locally on their device. They can then re-upload the photo or video to other platforms and maintain access to the content.
Purposefully Disabling Disappearing Messages
Snapchat allows users to message each other privately using the Chat feature. Within Chat, users can optionally disable disappearing messages for specific conversations.
When this setting is enabled, messages within the chat will be permanently saved instead of automatically deleting. Users may intentionally disable ephemeral messaging if they want to preserve a conversation on Snapchat. The chat recipients can see when a conversation has non-disappearing messages enabled.
Banned or Suspended Accounts
If a Snapchat account gets banned or suspended, unopened Snaps associated with the account may not disappear as expected.
Snapchat states they will attempt to delete unopened Snaps from banned accounts after 30 days. However, immediate account bans may disrupt the message deletion process, inadvertently preserving Snaps that should have expired.
Legal Retention
In some circumstances, Snapchat may be compelled to preserve certain messages to comply with legal requests. If law enforcement requires Snapchat to retain specific user data as part of an investigation, some messages may not be deleted.
These legal data preservation orders override Snapchat’s standard ephemeral messaging capabilities. However, overall these court-ordered message retentions are rare compared to the app’s widespread user base.
Accidental Restore from Backups
As mentioned previously, device and cloud backups can store copies of Snapchat messages, even after they are deleted from the app. If users accidentally restore a backup, they may regain access to Snapchat content they expected to be deleted.
For example, if someone performs a factory reset and restores a week-old iCloud backup, a whole week’s worth of “expired” Snapchat messages could suddenly reappear. Restoring backups is not intended to recover deleted Snaps, but can have that effect inadvertently.
Developer and Researcher Access
Snapchat developers and independent researchers may have special access to expired Snap messages. Developer tools and internal systems at Snapchat may override standard retention limits, especially for debugging purposes. Hackers and researchers may also discover methods to retrieve supposedly deleted data.
While privacy is a core tenet of Snapchat’s service, some staff and specialist users likely have access to view or store messages post-deletion. However, this does not generally affect the experience of everyday Snapchat users.
Conclusion
Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging is central to the app’s appeal and usage. The premise of disappearing Snaps and chats after viewing creates an environment of spontaneity, authenticity, and privacy for users. However, there are various technical workarounds and special circumstances that can result in Snapchat messages being intentionally or unintentionally saved.
Screenshots, third-party apps, data backups, account issues, legal requests, and specialist access can all enable users to preserve Snapchats even after they have supposedly disappeared. While Snapchat’s systems are designed to enforce ephemeral messaging, users ultimately have some control over whether their sent Snaps vanish for good. Understanding the potential reasons Snapchat messages persist gives users greater insight into the nature of digital communications.