Snapchat is shaking things up for creators by adding a price tag to its Memories feature. The popular app is now limiting free saved content to 5GB, and if you go over, you’ll need to pay to keep it.
Since 2016, Memories has been a go-to tool for users to archive snaps and videos beyond their 24-hour lifespan. But starting now, creators with larger libraries will be prompted to upgrade to a paid storage plan. The base plan offers 100GB of space for $1.99 a month, while the $3.99 Snapchat+ subscription bumps that up to 250GB. Snap says these changes are designed to improve the platform: “These changes will allow us to continue to invest in making Memories better for our entire community.”
Still, backlash has been swift. Many creators feel blindsided, believing the move is greedy. Some have years’ worth of saved content and now face unexpected costs.
Snap acknowledges the shift may be frustrating.
“It’s never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it,” the company stated in a blog post.
Users who exceed the limit will have 12 months of temporary storage to decide whether to subscribe or download their files. Snap insists this won’t impact the majority of users. But for content creators who rely on archiving their work, the new policy could be a major disruption.
With more than a trillion Memories saved so far, this signals a broader trend — social platforms moving from free features to pay-to-play.
