- Save your whole Story in one go
- Keep just one snap
- Switch on auto-save so you never miss one
- What you can save and what you can't
- Where saved Stories go, and getting them onto your phone
- Mix-ups that catch people out
- Why saving matters if you post for a business
- Before you save: two quick checks
- My advice
- Frequently asked questions
Go to your Profile, find My Story, tap the three dots next to it and choose Save Story, and your whole Snapchat Story goes straight to Memories. For just one snap, open your Story, tap that snap, then tap the three dots and choose Save.
Timing matters more than anything else here. Your Story disappears after 24 hours, and Snapchat doesn't keep a copy for you unless you saved it or had auto-save switched on. So if there's something on your Story right now that you want to keep, save it before you read any further.
Save your whole Story in one go
- Open Snapchat and tap your Bitmoji or profile picture in the top corner to go to your Profile.
- Find My Story near the top of your Profile.
- Tap the three dots next to My Story.
- Tap Save Story.
- Snapchat saves every snap currently on your Story to Memories.
If a menu name looks different in your version, search Snapchat's settings for the word "Memories" and you'll find the save options there.
Keep just one snap
Sometimes you only want the best snap from a long Story. You can pick it out on its own.
- Go to your Profile and tap My Story to play it.
- Tap through until the snap you want is on screen, then tap it.
- Tap the three dots.
- Choose Save. The snap goes to Memories.
This is also the quickest fix if you've posted a lot in one day and only care about a couple of moments.
Switch on auto-save so you never miss one
If you forget to save things, let Snapchat do it for you. With auto-save on, every snap you add to your Story is saved to Memories automatically.
- Go to your Profile.
- Tap the gear icon to open Settings.
- Tap Memories.
- Find the option to auto-save your Story snaps (it may be called Auto-Save My Story Snaps or something close) and switch it on.
Auto-save only works going forward. It won't bring back a Story that already expired before you switched it on.
The catch: people often assume Snapchat keeps an archive of old Stories somewhere they can download later. It doesn't. Once your Story is gone and you didn't save it, there's nothing to get back, which is why I'd turn auto-save on today rather than waiting until you lose something you care about.
What you can save and what you can't
| What | Can you save it? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Your whole Story | Yes | Profile, three dots next to My Story, Save Story |
| One snap from your Story | Yes | Open the snap, three dots, Save |
| Every future Story snap | Yes | Settings, Memories, turn on auto-save |
| A friend's Story | No, not in the app | Ask them to send it to you |
| A friend's Story without them knowing | No | Screenshots and screen recordings usually notify them |
Friends' Stories can't be saved inside Snapchat. If you take a screenshot or record your screen while watching someone's Story, Snapchat usually tells them. I'm not going to explain ways around that. If you love a friend's snap, just ask them for it, they'll usually be happy you did.
Where saved Stories go, and getting them onto your phone
Everything you save lands in Memories. To open it, swipe up from the Camera screen or tap the Memories icon just below the capture button. Your saved Stories and single snaps both show up there, newest first, so the thing you just saved is easy to spot.
Memories lives inside Snapchat. If you want a copy in your phone's own photo gallery, for a backup or to share somewhere else, export it:
- Open Memories.
- Press and hold the snap or Story you want.
- Tap Export, or Save to Camera Roll, depending on your version.
- Choose where to send it. Saving to your camera roll puts it with your normal photos.
If you don't see an Export option, update the app and try again. Older versions sometimes use slightly different wording in this menu.
Mix-ups that catch people out
Saving sounds simple, but a few details trip people up. These are the ones I'd keep in mind.
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- Saving doesn't make your Story last longer. It still disappears for your friends when it expires. Only your own copy in Memories stays.
- Memories isn't your phone's gallery. A snap saved to Memories lives inside Snapchat until you export it.
- Saving a message in a chat is a separate feature. It has nothing to do with saving your Story.
- Deleting a snap from your Story doesn't touch a copy you've already saved to Memories.
- Saving your own Story is private. Nobody is told that you saved it.
Why saving matters if you post for a business
If you use Snapchat for a shop, a side hustle or a creator account, your Stories are content you've already made. Throwing them away after a day is a waste.
With your Stories saved in Memories, you can repost a good one later, export a product demo and use it on another app, or keep a record of a launch or an event. A clip that did well once will often do well again with a new caption. I'd treat Memories as a free content library and save anything that shows your product, your space or your face clearly.
Before you save: two quick checks
First, see who watched it. If you're saving a Story because it did well, it helps to know who viewed it while it was live. Here's how to see who viewed your Snapchat Story.
Second, check whether it's still up. If you're not sure your Story is still live, my guide on how to check if a Snapchat Story is active shows where to look. And if you'd rather remove a snap after saving it, here's how to delete a Snapchat Story without losing the saved copy.
My advice
If it were my account, I'd switch on auto-save once and leave it on. It's free, it takes a few taps, and it means a Story I'm proud of never vanishes by accident. Then every few months I'd export the ones I want to keep to my phone, so they're backed up outside Snapchat too.
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Frequently asked questions
Where do saved Snapchat Stories go?
They go to Memories. Swipe up from the Camera screen or tap the Memories icon below the capture button, and you'll find them there. From Memories you can export them to your phone's camera roll.
Can I save my Story after it has expired?
Only if you saved it or had auto-save on before it expired. Once your Story is gone, Snapchat doesn't keep a copy for you to download later.
Can I save a friend's Snapchat Story?
Not inside the app. Snapchat doesn't offer a save button for other people's Stories, and a screenshot or screen recording usually notifies them. If you'd like a copy, ask your friend to send it to you.
How do I save every Story snap automatically?
Go to your Profile, tap the gear for Settings, open Memories and turn on the option to auto-save your Story snaps. The wording can vary between versions.
