Snapchat introduces paid plans for memories storage, faces backlash

Dubai: Snapchat is making a major change to one of its most beloved features, and not everyone is pleased.

The social media company announced that it will begin charging users who exceed 5 gigabytes of saved content on its Memories feature, a digital archive that allows people to revisit photos and videos they’ve captured over the years.

Since Memories launched in 2016, users have been able to store their content for free. But with more than one trillion pieces of media now housed on the platform, the company says it can no longer offer unlimited storage without cost.

Under the new system, users who surpass the 5GB limit will need to upgrade to a paid plan to retain access to their full archives. Snapchat’s new “Memories Storage Plans” include options for 100GB, 250GB, and up to 5TB of additional space, at prices ranging from a few dollars to $15.99 per month, or as much as $191.88 annually.

In a statement, the company said users would be granted 12 months of temporary storage for any content that exceeds the free limit, giving them time to either download their files or subscribe to a paid plan.

“It’s never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it, but we hope the value we provide with Memories is worth the cost,” Snapchat said. “For the vast majority of Snapchatters, who have less than 5GB of Memories, nothing will change.”

Still, the update has drawn swift backlash from long-time users, many of whom have turned to social media to voice their frustration.

“Charging a subscription fee for my Memories is the absolute greediest move I’ve seen,” one user wrote on X, summing up a sentiment shared widely across the platform.