Snapchat has decided to end free unlimited storage for its Memories feature and launched new paid-for Memories Storage Plans.
To explain, users can store up to 5GB of photos and videos for free, however, beyond that, they must choose from the following paid tiers:
- Memories-only plan with 100GB storage
- Snapchat+ plan with 250 GB storage
- Snapchat+ Platinum plan with 5TB storage
The company said this change will help assist long-term storage of over one trillion Memories that users have saved since the feature launched in 2016. Users who exceed the 5GB limit will have a 12-month grace period to delete, download, or upgrade before their excess data is removed.
In its statement, Snapchat said that this update aims to help users “to continue to store all of their Memories over the long term”, describing Memories as a curated archive where users save only ‘meaningful’ moments.
The company revealed that users can still download their content at any time, and acknowledged that it is never easy to move from a free to a paid service model.
Notably, Snapchat framed this change as a sustainability measure rather than a monetisation move, noting that most users have less than 5GB saved and will not be affected. However, the update fundamentally changes what Memories represents, as what began as a free archive is now a paid service that assigns economic value to personal data.
Part of a global retreat from free storage plans
Snapchat’s decision aligns with a broader industry shift away from free unlimited storage. Google Photos ended free “high-quality” uploads in 2021 after reporting that users were uploading more than 28 billion photos and videos each week. Flickr capped the free photos count at 1,000 in 2018 for its accounts. Meanwhile, Apple iCloud and Microsoft OneDrive each continue to offer only 5GB of free space.
These examples point to a clear industry pattern: major platforms are moving away from free storage models that once drew users into their ecosystems. The shift suggests that maintaining large-scale free storage is becoming less viable for many companies.
What this means for users and their data
The change raises practical and legal questions about data ownership, portability, and user rights, especially under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023. It remains unclear how easily users can export large archives, whether Snapchat has explicitly obtained consent from users for this new storage model, and what recourse exists if Memories are deleted after non-payment or cancellation.
While Snapchat says users can export their data at any time, transferring large archives from a mobile app can be difficult. The 12-month grace period offers some flexibility, however Snapchat clarifies that users who cancel a paid plan while exceeding the 5GB limit get only 48 hours to resubscribe before the platform deletes any Memories beyond the free limit.
The policy also…
Source link
Disclaimer
We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We blogs.grocliq.com want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It’s possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.
Website Upgradation is going on for any glitch kindly connect at [email protected]
