Snapchat is only charging some users for Memories, not everyone. The main reason is the huge cost of storing massive amounts of photos and videos people have saved over many years.
What changed
Snapchat has introduced a cap of about 5GB of free Memories storage per account. If your saved Snaps and videos go over that limit, you’re asked to pay for a “Memories Storage Plan” to keep everything stored on Snapchat’s servers long term. For most users under 5GB, nothing changes and Memories stay free.
Why Snapchat is charging
Snap says people have saved more than one trillion Memories since the feature launched in 2016, which creates large ongoing costs for servers and infrastructure. Charging heavy users lets the company cover those storage costs and make money from people who use a lot of space, while keeping the basic service free for everyone else.
How the paid plans work
If you go over the 5GB free limit, Snapchat offers paid tiers with higher storage, such as options around 100GB and above, sometimes bundled with premium subscriptions like Snapchat+ or higher-tier plans. Snapchat also gives around 12 months of temporary storage for anything above the free limit so you can either upgrade or download your Memories before they are removed from the app.
