Want to save your Snapchat memories to your camera roll? Whether you have hundreds or thousands of photos and videos, this guide shows you exactly how to export everything to your phone with original dates and locations preserved.
Why Save Snapchat Memories to Your Camera Roll?
Snapchat Memories is convenient for storing photos within the app, but there are several important reasons to save them to your camera roll:
- Snapchat now charges for storage - With Snapchat+ storage fees reaching up to $192/year, keeping memories in the cloud is getting expensive
- Access anywhere - Photos in your camera roll can be viewed in any app, backed up to iCloud or Google Photos, and shared easily
- No account dependency - If you ever lose access to your Snapchat account or delete it, your memories are safe on your phone
- Better organization - Your camera roll automatically organizes photos by date, making it easy to find old memories
- Full-quality backups - Ensure your memories are backed up at full quality with your other photos
Method 1: Save Memories One at a Time (Slow)
The simplest method is saving memories individually through the Snapchat app. Here's how:
- Open Snapchat and tap on Memories (the cards icon below the capture button)
- Find the photo or video you want to save
- Tap and hold on the memory
- Select "Export Snap"
- Choose "Save Image" or "Save Video"
The problem: This method works fine for a few photos, but if you have hundreds or thousands of memories, it would take hours of tedious work. Plus, the saved photos may not keep their original date and time.
Method 2: Request Your Snapchat Data Export
Snapchat allows you to download all your data, including memories. This is the foundation for bulk exports:
- Go to accounts.snapchat.com on a computer or phone browser
- Log in to your Snapchat account
- Click on "My Data"
- Scroll down and click "Submit Request"
- Wait for Snapchat's email (usually 24-48 hours)
- Download the ZIP file from the link in the email
Important: The download links in your export expire after 7 days, so don't wait too long to process your export!
Your export will contain a ZIP file with all your data. Inside, you'll find links to download your actual photos and videos (they're not included directly in the ZIP to keep the file size manageable).
Method 3: Use Memories Import (Easiest & Fastest)
If you want to save all your Snapchat memories quickly while preserving original dates and locations, Memories Import is the fastest solution. Here's how it works:
- Request your data export from Snapchat (as described above)
- Download the Memories Import app from the App Store or Google Play
- Open your ZIP file directly in the app
- Tap Import and let the app do the rest
What Makes Memories Import Different?
- Preserves original dates - Your photos appear in your camera roll exactly when they were taken, not when you imported them
- Keeps location data - GPS coordinates are preserved so you can see where each photo was taken
- Handles large libraries - Import thousands of photos and videos without issues
- Pause and resume - Large import? You can pause and continue anytime
- 100% offline - All processing happens on your device. Your memories never touch any servers
- One-time purchase - Pay $4.99 once instead of monthly cloud storage fees
What Happens to the Original Dates?
One of the biggest frustrations with saving Snapchat memories is losing the original date. When you save a photo manually, it often shows up as "today" in your camera roll instead of when it was actually taken.
Memories Import solves this by reading the metadata from your Snapchat export and properly setting the creation date on each photo. This means a photo from 2019 will appear in your 2019 photos, not mixed in with your recent pictures.
Will I Lose Quality?
No. When you request your data export from Snapchat, you receive the original quality photos and videos. Memories Import doesn't compress or modify your media in any way - it simply saves them to your camera roll with the correct metadata.
How Long Does the Import Take?
The import time depends on how many memories you have:
- 100-500 memories: A few minutes
- 500-2,000 memories: 15-30 minutes
- 2,000+ memories: May take an hour or more
You can pause the import at any time and resume later without losing progress. The app also handles network interruptions gracefully - if a download fails, it automatically retries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to keep Snapchat installed?
No. Once you have your data export (the ZIP file), you don't need the Snapchat app to complete the import.
Will this delete my memories from Snapchat?
No. This only copies your memories to your camera roll. Your Snapchat Memories remain untouched.
Can I import memories from multiple accounts?
Yes. You can request data exports from multiple Snapchat accounts and import them all to the same camera roll.
What if my export link expires?
Snapchat's download links expire after 7 days. If your links expire, you'll need to request a new data export from Snapchat.
Is my data safe?
Absolutely. Memories Import processes everything on your device. Your photos never leave your phone and are never uploaded to any server. We don't even require an account or collect any personal information.
Get Started
Ready to save your Snapchat memories? The process takes just a few minutes:
- Request your data from accounts.snapchat.com
- Download Memories Import
- Import your memories with one tap
Stop paying monthly fees for your own memories. Save them once, keep them forever.
Ready to save your Snapchat memories?
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