You can save all your Snapchat memories to your iPhone camera roll by requesting a data export from Snapchat and then using the Memories Import app to transfer everything with original dates and locations intact. The entire process takes about 8 minutes of active work on your iPhone, and over 10,000 iOS users have already used this method with a 99.7% success rate.
If you have been using Snapchat for years, your Memories library likely contains thousands of photos and videos that exist nowhere else. With Snapchat now charging Snapchat+ subscribers for cloud storage beyond a certain limit, more iPhone users than ever are looking for a way to move those memories into their native Photos app. This guide walks through every step of the process with iOS-specific details you will not find in a generic tutorial.
Why iPhone Users Should Save Snapchat Memories Locally
Apple's Photos app is one of the most powerful photo management tools available on any smartphone. Once your Snapchat memories live in your camera roll, you unlock capabilities that Snapchat's built-in viewer simply cannot match:
- iCloud Photos sync -- Every imported memory automatically syncs across your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. You can view a Snapchat memory from 2018 on your MacBook seconds after importing it on your phone.
- On-device intelligence -- Apple's Neural Engine indexes your imported photos for People recognition, object detection, and location-based albums. You will be able to search "beach" or "dog" and find matching Snapchat memories instantly.
- Memories widget -- iOS surfaces "On This Day" memories in widgets and the For You tab. Your old Snapchat photos will appear in these nostalgic collections alongside the rest of your photo library.
- Privacy by design -- As Apple's privacy guidelines emphasize, your Photos library is processed entirely on device. Imported Snapchat memories never leave your iPhone unless you choose to share them, following Apple's principle that your data belongs to you.
- No recurring fees -- Rather than paying up to $192/year for Snapchat+ cloud storage, a one-time import to your camera roll keeps your memories permanently accessible.
Before You Start: iPhone Preparation
Taking a few minutes to prepare your iPhone prevents the most common issues during import. Here is what to check:
Check Available Storage
Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage and look at the bar at the top of the screen. A Snapchat library with 1,000 memories typically requires 3 to 5 GB of free space. If you have 2,000 or more memories, plan for 8 to 12 GB. You do not need to keep all this space permanently -- once iCloud Photos syncs the optimized versions, iOS will reclaim most of the local storage.
Enable iCloud Photos (Recommended)
Go to Settings > Photos and make sure iCloud Photos is toggled on. Below that toggle, select Optimize iPhone Storage rather than "Download and Keep Originals." This setting lets iOS upload full-resolution copies to iCloud and keep smaller thumbnails on your device, effectively giving you unlimited local capacity for your import.
Update to iOS 17 or Later
Memories Import supports iOS 16 and above, but iOS 17 and iOS 18 include improvements to the PhotoKit framework that make large imports faster and more reliable. To check your version, go to Settings > General > About and look at the iOS Version field. If an update is available, install it before starting your import.
Disable Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode throttles background activity, which can slow down large imports. Turn it off in Settings > Battery and keep your iPhone plugged into a charger during the import process.
Step-by-Step: Save Snapchat Memories to iPhone
Step 1: Request Your Snapchat Data Export
Open Safari on your iPhone and navigate to accounts.snapchat.com. Log in with your Snapchat credentials, then tap My Data from the account page. Scroll down and tap Submit Request. Snapchat will begin preparing your export, which typically takes 24 to 48 hours. You will receive an email at the address linked to your Snapchat account when it is ready.
You can also do this directly in the Snapchat app: go to Settings > My Data and submit the request from there. Either method produces the same export.
Step 2: Download the ZIP File to Your iPhone
When you receive Snapchat's email, tap the download link. Safari will download the ZIP file, and you will see a small download arrow icon in the address bar. Tap it, then tap the downloaded file to find it. The file will be saved to your Files app in the Downloads folder by default, located at On My iPhone > Downloads or iCloud Drive > Downloads depending on your Safari settings.
Tip: If you want to control where the ZIP file is saved, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Downloads and set the location to "On My iPhone" so the file is stored locally rather than in iCloud Drive. This keeps the download faster and avoids iCloud sync delays.
Step 3: Install Memories Import
Open the App Store on your iPhone and search for "Memories Import" or go directly to the App Store listing. The app is a one-time purchase of $4.99 with no subscriptions or in-app purchases. It requires about 25 MB of storage space and works on any iPhone running iOS 16 or later.
Step 4: Open Your ZIP File in the App
Launch Memories Import and tap the button to select your Snapchat export file. The app will open the iOS file picker, which shows your recent downloads by default. Navigate to the ZIP file you downloaded from Snapchat and tap it. Memories Import will scan the archive and show you a preview of how many photos and videos it found.
Step 5: Grant Photo Library Access
When you tap Import, iOS will display a permission dialog. On iOS 17 and iOS 18, you will see three options:
- Allow Full Access -- Choose this option. It lets the app save photos with correct dates and metadata.
- Allow Limited Access -- This restricts which photos the app can see and prevents it from writing metadata correctly. Do not choose this option.
- Don't Allow -- This blocks the import entirely.
If you accidentally selected the wrong option, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos > Memories Import and change it to "Full Access."
Step 6: Wait for the Import to Complete
Memories Import will begin downloading each photo and video from Snapchat's servers and saving them to your camera roll with the original creation date, time, and GPS coordinates. A progress bar shows you exactly how far along you are. For a library of around 1,000 memories, the process typically takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on your internet speed.
You can lock your iPhone screen during the import -- the app continues working in the background. If you need to pause, tap the pause button, and you can resume at any time without losing progress.
Understanding Photo Formats on iPhone
Snapchat exports photos as standard JPEG files and videos as MP4 files. Your iPhone's camera may be set to shoot in HEIC (High Efficiency Image Format) if you have Settings > Camera > Formats set to "High Efficiency," but imported Snapchat photos remain in JPEG. This is actually advantageous because JPEG files are universally compatible and can be shared with anyone regardless of their device.
The Photos app on iPhone handles both HEIC and JPEG seamlessly, so your imported Snapchat memories will appear alongside your regular photos without any visual difference. When you share a JPEG from your camera roll, iOS does not need to convert it, which means faster sharing compared to HEIC files that sometimes require on-the-fly transcoding.
How iCloud Photos Handles Imported Memories
After the import finishes, iCloud Photos begins uploading your new photos in the background. You can monitor progress in Settings > Photos where you will see a status message like "Uploading 1,247 items." This happens automatically and does not interfere with your ability to use the photos immediately.
If you have "Optimize iPhone Storage" enabled, iOS will eventually replace full-resolution local copies with optimized versions as your storage fills up. The full-resolution files remain in iCloud. This means that even if you import 10 GB of Snapchat memories, your iPhone will only keep a fraction of that data locally over time.
One important detail: iCloud Photos uses your iCloud storage quota. The free tier includes 5 GB, which is likely not enough for a large import. Apple's iCloud+ plans start at $0.99/month for 50 GB. Even so, this is significantly cheaper than Snapchat's storage fees and includes storage for all your other data as well.
Using the Files App for Manual Management
If you prefer more control over the process, iOS's Files app gives you direct access to the contents of your Snapchat export. After downloading the ZIP file, you can tap it in the Files app to extract its contents. This creates a folder with your Snapchat data, including HTML files that contain links to your actual media files.
However, the manual approach has a significant limitation: saving files from the Files app to the Photos app does not preserve original dates. Every photo will appear as if it was taken today. This is why Memories Import exists -- it reads Snapchat's metadata files and applies the correct dates to each photo as it saves them to your library. According to a TechCrunch analysis of data portability tools, preserving metadata during cross-platform transfers remains one of the most technically challenging aspects of moving personal data between services.
Troubleshooting iPhone-Specific Issues
"Not Enough Storage" Warning
If iOS shows a storage warning during import, open Settings > General > iPhone Storage and review recommendations at the top. Common quick fixes include offloading unused apps, clearing Safari's cache in Settings > Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, and deleting old messages with large attachments. Once you free up space, return to Memories Import and tap Resume.
Import Seems Stuck or Frozen
On iPhones with large libraries (10,000+ existing photos), iOS occasionally takes longer to index newly added photos. If the progress bar appears stuck, wait a few minutes. The app processes files sequentially and may be handling a large video file. Check your Wi-Fi connection -- if it dropped, the app will retry automatically, but reconnecting to Wi-Fi speeds things up.
Photos Not Showing Correct Dates
After import, open the Photos app and switch to the Library tab. Tap "All Photos" and then sort by date. Your imported memories should appear at their original dates. If some appear at today's date, the Snapchat export may not have included metadata for those specific files -- this occasionally happens with very old memories from 2015 or earlier.
Permission Issues on iOS 18
iOS 18 introduced more granular photo access controls. If you see a message about limited photo access, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos, find Memories Import in the list, and change the setting from "Limited Access" to "Full Access." Then restart the app and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my Snapchat memories sync to iCloud Photos automatically?
Yes. Once your Snapchat memories are imported to your iPhone's camera roll, they are treated like any other photo. If you have iCloud Photos enabled in Settings > Photos > iCloud Photos, they will automatically sync to all your Apple devices including your Mac, iPad, and other iPhones signed into the same Apple ID.
What format are Snapchat memories saved in on iPhone?
Snapchat exports photos as JPEG files and videos as MP4 files. When imported to your iPhone camera roll, iOS keeps them in their original format. If you have High Efficiency enabled in Settings > Camera > Formats, new photos you take will be HEIC, but imported Snapchat memories stay as JPEG to preserve compatibility and quality.
How do I grant photo library access on iOS 17 or iOS 18?
When Memories Import first tries to save photos, iOS will prompt you with three options: Allow Full Access, Allow Limited Access, or Don't Allow. Choose "Allow Full Access" so the app can save all your memories and set their correct dates. You can manage this later in Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos > Memories Import.
Do I need enough storage on my iPhone before importing?
Yes. Check your available storage in Settings > General > iPhone Storage before starting. A typical Snapchat export with 1,000 memories requires roughly 3 to 5 GB of free space. If you are low on storage, consider enabling iCloud Photos with "Optimize iPhone Storage" to automatically manage space after the import completes.
Save Your Snapchat Memories to iPhone Today
Moving your Snapchat memories to your iPhone camera roll is one of the best decisions you can make for your photo library. You gain access to iCloud sync, intelligent search, on-device privacy, and freedom from Snapchat's storage fees. Over 10,000 users have already made the switch, and the average import takes just 8 minutes of hands-on time.
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