Pecohub Snapchat says it will begin charging users who exceed a 5GB limit on its “Memories” feature, marking a shift from the free, unlimited storage it has offered since 2016.
In a statement on Friday, the social media company said Snapchatters have saved more than 1 trillion Memories over the years, far beyond what it initially anticipated.
The platform described Memories as unique compared with traditional camera rolls, noting that users deliberately save their most meaningful moments rather than duplicates and random screenshots.
“For the vast majority of Snapchatters, who have less than 5GB of Memories, nothing will change,” the company said. “For Snapchatters with more than 5GB of Memories, meaning thousands of Snaps, we are rolling out new options to upgrade and increase storage.”
The new Memories Storage Plans will include 100GB, 250GB with Snapchat+, and 5TB with Snapchat Platinum. The platform didn’t disclose the fee to be paid.
Snapchatters whose Memories already exceed the free limit will be given 12 months of temporary storage to either upgrade, download or delete content.
“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,” the company said.
Snapchatters have taken to the app’s Instagram to rant about the new policy
A user, cas.vawdrey, said, “Dont make us pay for Snapchat Memories storage. I have dead friends who took their own lives and only have photos of them in my Snapchat Memories.”
Another user, lucy.dibblee said “DO NOT CHARGE US. Sincerely, a broke student who can barely afford food. I can’t do this.”
Snap first introduced Memories in 2016, and the feature has since grown into one of its most popular services, allowing users to save Snaps in the app rather than on their device.
The company said the new subscription model will allow it to continue investing in the long-term future of Memories.
