Snapchat Memories Deadline: What Happens in January 2027
Snapchat is moving older Memories behind a storage limit. Here is what the official help center says, what the plans cost, and how to download your Memories — with their real dates — before the deadline.
Drop the mydata~….zip files from Snapchat. Each photo and video that can be matched to memories_history.json gets its capture date and location written into the file (JPEG photos and MP4/MOV videos); anything that can't be matched is kept unchanged and listed in report.csv. Nothing is uploaded. Free for up to 200 files.
Open the Snapchat Memories fixer →What Snapchat announced
Snap announced Memories storage plans on 26 September 2025 (Snap newsroom). According to the Snapchat help center, starting in January 2027:
- every account keeps 5GB of Memories for free;
- Memories that are older than one year and not part of your oldest 5GB are archived — you keep access to Memories saved within the last year and to your oldest 5GB;
- archived Memories appear only as thumbnails in the app, and you need to upgrade your storage to open, edit or share them;
- Snapchat says you will have "the options of subscribing or downloading your Memories to access them outside the app."
Snapchat also says that if you don't see a banner offering Memories storage upgrade options, your Memories "will continue to be stored as they are today", and that no Memories will be archived before January 2027 — it will give advance notice in the app.
Storage plans (US prices from the help center)
- Free: 5GB
- Memories storage plan: 100GB for $1.99 a month or $20 a year
- Snapchat+: typically 250GB
- Snapchat+ Platinum: 5TB
Prices may vary by market.
How to download your Memories before the deadline
- Go to accounts.snapchat.com → My Data.
- Turn on Export your Memories and Export JSON Files. Without the JSON files your export has no dates or locations.
- Choose Request Only Memories, pick All Time (or a date range) and submit.
- Snapchat emails you when the export is ready ("We strive to deliver data within 7 days, but large downloads can take longer"). Download every
mydata~….zippart soon — community reports range from about 3 to 7 days before it expires. - Drop all the ZIP parts into the Snapchat Memories downloader to write the dates and GPS into the matched JPEG photos and MP4/MOV videos.
Two things to check first: export tools report that Memories in My Eyes Only are not included in the export, so move the ones you want to keep into regular Memories before you request it. And large libraries arrive as several ZIP parts — usually only the first one contains memories_history.json, so keep them all together.
Why the dates matter
Snapchat lists the capture date and location of every Memory in memories_history.json. The location is not written into the files, and the date often isn't either (reports differ for newer exports), so galleries can fall back to the download date. Imported as they are, years of Memories can end up under the day you downloaded them. See how to fix Snapchat Memories dates.
FAQ
What is the Snapchat Memories deadline?
Snapchat's help center says that starting in January 2027, Memories that are more than one year old and are not part of your oldest 5GB of Memories will be archived. Archived Memories show only as thumbnails in the app, and you need a storage upgrade to open, edit or share them.
When did Snapchat start charging for Memories?
Snap announced paid Memories storage plans on 26 September 2025. The free tier is 5GB; the archiving of older Memories above that starts in January 2027, according to the help center.
Will Snapchat delete my Memories that exceed the limit?
The help center says: "No. Snapchat will not automatically delete your Memories because you do not upgrade." Older Memories beyond your oldest 5GB are archived as thumbnails and open again after a storage upgrade. Snapchat says you will have "the options of subscribing or downloading your Memories to access them outside the app."
How do I keep my Memories without paying?
Download them with Snapchat's own data export (accounts.snapchat.com → My Data → Export your Memories, plus Export JSON Files). The export gives you the original photos and videos; the dates and locations are in a separate JSON file, which the Snapchat Memories fixer on this site writes back into each file.
How long does the export take?
Snapchat says "We strive to deliver data within 7 days, but large downloads can take longer." Leave yourself time before January 2027, and download the ZIP files soon after the email arrives — community reports range from about 3 to 7 days before the download expires.