Snapchat Storage Full?
Your Options
Snapchat Memories now caps out at 5GB free. If you are seeing the Low Storage banner, you have three real options: clean up and stay free, pay for a storage plan, or export everything and trim. Here is how to pick.
Seeing the "Low Storage" Banner? Here's What It Means
Snapchat now includes 5GB of free Memories storage per account. When the change reaches your account and your Memories are over (or near) that cap, a "Low Storage" banner appears at the top of Memories. Over-limit Memories get 12 months of temporary storage; after that they can be permanently deleted — as early as September 2026 for the earliest-notified accounts. The full background is in our guide to the Memories storage change.
Whatever you choose below, do one thing first: export your Memories. It is free, it does not delete anything from Snapchat, and it turns every option that follows from a risky decision into a reversible one.
Option 1: Clean Up and Stay Free (Under 5GB)
If you are only modestly over the cap, you can usually get back under it in one sitting without losing anything you actually care about:
- Check your usage in Snapchat's Memories settings to see how far over you are.
- Hunt videos first. Video is where the gigabytes live — one long saved video can equal hundreds of photos. Deleting a few of your longest videos is the fastest way back under the cap.
- Clear duplicates and junk — burst saves, blurry snaps, old screenshots you saved to Memories.
- Export before every delete. Save anything you might want later to your camera roll (or confirm it is in your Download My Data archive), then delete it from Memories.
One thing that trips people up: deleting exported copies from your camera roll does nothing for your Snapchat quota. Only deleting snaps inside Memories frees Memories storage.
Option 2: Pay for a Storage Plan
If your Memories genuinely will not fit in 5GB — typically years of saved videos — Snap's Memories Storage Plans are the keep-everything route:
| Plan | Storage | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 5GB | Most users — Snap says the vast majority fit here |
| Memories Storage Plan (~$1.99/mo intro US pricing) | 100GB | Big libraries, no interest in other Snapchat+ perks |
| Snapchat+ | 250GB | Anyone who also wants Snapchat+ features |
| Snapchat+ Platinum | 5TB | The heaviest savers, with years of video in Memories |
Pricing varies by region and can change — the Snapchat app shows current prices for your country. Two fine-print items worth knowing before you subscribe:
- The 48-hour downgrade window. Per Snap's support page, if you cancel while storing more than 5GB, you have 48 hours to resubscribe before over-limit Memories are affected. A storage plan is a commitment for as long as your library exceeds 5GB — export first if you ever plan to stop paying.
- It is storage, not a backup. Your Memories still live only in your Snapchat account. Losing access to the account still means losing the Memories, paid plan or not.
Option 3: Export Everything, Then Trim
The middle path, and for most people the right one: get a complete copy out of Snapchat, then keep only your favorites in Memories and stay under 5GB for free.
- Run a full export — request your archive via Download My Data with the "Export your Memories" toggle on, and bulk-save the snaps you want viewable in your camera roll. Both methods, with their quirks, are covered in the export guide.
- Verify the export — spot-check files, play a few videos, compare counts.
- Trim Memories down to the snaps you revisit, and let your own storage (phone, computer, cloud drive) hold the full archive.
Which Option Is Right for You?
| Your situation | Best option |
|---|---|
| Just over 5GB, mostly a few big videos | Clean up and stay free |
| Way over 5GB and you want zero effort | 100GB plan (or Snapchat+ if you want the features too) |
| Way over 5GB and you don't want a subscription | Export everything, then trim |
| Not over 5GB at all | Nothing required — but an export is still cheap insurance |
Storage Plans Don't Cover What Friends Send You
Every option on this page protects the same thing: snaps you saved. The snaps friends send you disappear after viewing, never enter Memories, and no storage plan or export includes them. SnapNinja handles that side — it automatically saves incoming snaps and stories to your own library, so the half of your Snapchat history that friends created gets backed up too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Snapchat introduced a 5GB cap on free Memories storage in September 2025. If the snaps and stories you have saved to Memories add up to more than 5GB, Snapchat shows a Low Storage banner in Memories once the change reaches your account. Only content saved to Memories counts — Snapchat does not back up your camera roll, so photos that appear in the Camera Roll tab don't use Memories storage. Saved videos are usually the culprit; a few minutes of video can use as much space as hundreds of photos.
The standalone Memories storage plan offers 100GB at an introductory US price of $1.99 per month. Snapchat+ includes 250GB of Memories storage with the subscription, and Snapchat+ Platinum includes 5TB. Prices vary by region and can change, so check the Snapchat app for current pricing in your country.
Delete your largest Memories until you are under 5GB. Start with videos — they use far more space per item than photos. Export anything you want to keep first (to your camera roll or via Download My Data), then delete it from Memories. Deleting snaps from your camera roll does not free Snapchat storage; you must delete them inside Memories.
Snap gives you 12 months of temporary storage for Memories over the limit, counted from when the rollout reaches your account. After that grace period, over-limit Memories can be permanently deleted — as early as September 2026 for the earliest-notified users. Snap has not specified the order in which over-limit Memories would be removed, so don't assume any particular snaps are safe.
If you cancel while storing more than 5GB, you get a 48-hour window to resubscribe before your over-limit Memories are affected. Export your Memories before downgrading rather than relying on that window.
Yes. Snapchat+ includes 250GB of Memories storage alongside its other features, and Snapchat+ Platinum includes 5TB. If you were already considering Snapchat+ for its features, the storage bundle can make it better value than the standalone 100GB plan.
Dramatically more. A single saved video can consume as much storage as hundreds of photos. If you are just over the 5GB cap, deleting a handful of long videos (after exporting them) is usually enough to get back under the limit without touching your photos.
Related Guides
Learn more about Snapchat features and how-to guides.
Back Up More Than Your Memories
Storage plans protect what you saved. SnapNinja saves what friends send you — the snaps that disappear after viewing and never reach Memories. Try it free with 5 saves included.
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