Snapchat rolls out Infinite Retention and Group Streaks: Key details

Snapchat

Snapchat is introducing two new features aimed at giving users more control and more ways to connect: Infinite Retention for chats and Group Streaks.

• For years, Snapchat’s defining trait has been disappearing messages. But the company says users increasingly want the option to save conversations permanently.
• Streaks, one of Snapchat’s stickiest engagement tools, are now expanding from one-on-one to group chats, letting friends maintain shared milestones together.

• Infinite Retention can be turned on per conversation, with everyone in the thread notified when the setting changes. Messages stay saved indefinitely unless deleted.
• Group Streaks count each Snap shared within a group. The streak continues as long as most members participate, and like individual streaks, they’re optional, private, and restorable within a week of ending.

Snapchat has been steadily layering new features onto its original disappearing-messages model to keep pace with TikTok and Instagram, while still leaning into its reputation for close-friend connections. By letting conversations persist and turning streaks into group rituals, Snapchat is betting on deeper engagement with its core user base.

The features are rolling out broadly after testing. For Snapchat, the challenge is balancing permanence with its brand promise of ephemerality—giving users new ways to stay close without diluting what made the app stand out in the first place.