Snapchat puts a cap on Memories storage, rolls out paid plans

Snapchat

Snap is shaking up how Snapchat Memories work. Since its launch in 2016, the feature has quietly become a digital attic, holding onto more than a trillion saved Snaps from users worldwide. But that unlimited space is about to shrink. The company has announced that Memories will now come with a 5GB free storage cap, after which users will need to pay for additional space.

Snap is introducing new Memories Storage Plans to handle the overflow. The entry-level option gives users up to 100GB for $1.99 per month. If you’re already a Snapchat+ subscriber at $3.99/month, your limit automatically jumps to 250GB. For those who never delete anything, Snapchat’s top-tier Platinum plan at $15.99/month now bundles a massive 5TB of storage.

Snap insists that most users won’t feel the pinch, since the majority are nowhere close to the 5GB threshold. But for power users—people who treat Snapchat as a photo archive—the new rules mark a big shift. To smooth the transition, Snap says anyone already over the limit will get a one-year grace period of temporary storage before having to choose a plan.

The move comes as Snap looks for ways to diversify revenue beyond ads. Just last month, the company introduced a $9/month Lens+ subscription for exclusive AR effects. Adding storage fees to the mix puts Snapchat in the same camp as Google and Apple, which also monetise cloud storage.

While most users won’t pay a rupee more, those with years of Snaps stashed in Memories may soon need to decide: clean up the backlog, or start paying to keep the past intact.