The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
Snapchat has revealed it will introduce charges for storing older photos and videos, sparking criticism from long-time users who have built up large archives on the app.
Since 2016, Snapchat’s “Memories” feature has allowed users to save posts beyond their 24-hour lifespan. Under the new policy, however, anyone storing more than five gigabytes (GB) will need to pay for additional space.
Snap, the app’s parent company, confirmed the change will be implemented gradually worldwide but did not disclose UK pricing. A spokesperson told TechCrunch that in some regions, 100GB of storage will cost around Ksh257 monthly, while 250GB is included in the Ksh516 Snapchat+ subscription plan.
The company admitted that moving from free to paid storage may frustrate users but argued the fees are necessary to improve the service. In a blog post, Snap noted more than one trillion Memories have been saved since the feature launched nearly a decade ago.
Those exceeding the 5GB cap will receive 12 months of temporary storage and the option to download their content. Beyond that, they must subscribe to a paid plan to retain their Memories.
Snap insists the update will not affect most users, since the majority keep less than 5GB of content. Still, many on social media have condemned the decision, calling it “greedy” and “unfair,” particularly for people who have relied on the free storage for years and now face potentially high costs.
Industry experts suggest this shift is part of a broader trend. Drew Benvie, founder of consultancy Battenhall, said charging for storage across social platforms is “inevitable” as people increasingly save more content than they post.
Snapchat currently has over 900 million monthly users, but rivals Instagram and TikTok still lead with user bases in the billions.
