To save Snapchat videos and photos you make, tap the download icon at the bottom before sending. Choose whether they go to Memories, your Camera Roll or both in Settings, My App, Memories, Save Button. A friend's Snap can only be saved in Chat if they sent it with no limit or on loop.
Saving on Snapchat splits into two jobs. Your own Snaps are easy: one tap and they're kept. Snaps other people send you work differently, because Snapchat only lets you keep the ones the sender allowed to be kept. Here's how both work, and where the saved files end up.
Save your own Snap before you send it
- Take your photo or record your video as normal.
- Before sending, tap the download icon at the bottom of the screen.
- The Snap saves to wherever your Save Button setting points (see the next section).
- Send it, post it or discard it. Your saved copy stays.
For a Snap you've already posted to your Story, open My Account, tap the Story, press and hold the Snap and choose Save Snap. On someone else's shared Story, Snapchat only lets you save the Snaps you added yourself.
Choose where saved Snaps go
This one setting decides whether your videos land in Snapchat or on your phone:
- In My Account, tap the gear icon to open Settings.
- Scroll to App & Privacy and tap My App.
- Under Customize My App, tap Memories.
- Tap Save Button.
- Pick Memories, Memories & Camera Roll, or Camera Roll.
| Option | Where it lands | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Memories | Inside Snapchat, backed up to your account | Survives a new phone, once backup is complete |
| Memories & Camera Roll | Both places | The safest choice for anything you care about |
| Camera Roll | Your phone's gallery only | Snapchat doesn't back up camera roll media to Memories |
I'd pick Memories & Camera Roll. You get a copy in your gallery to share anywhere, plus a backed-up copy in Snapchat if your phone goes missing.
Saving Snaps your friends send you
This is the rule most people don't know. Snapchat says you can only save a friend's Snap in Chat if it's a photo set to no limit or a video set to loop. Look for the timer with the infinity symbol. If the sender used a timed Snap, the save option won't appear, by design.
When it's allowed:
- While viewing the Snap, press and hold on it, or swipe up.
- Tap Save in Chat.
- The Snap now appears in your conversation as Chat Media.
- To get it onto your phone, open it in the chat and use Export to save to your Camera Roll.
That last step matters. Snapchat says saving in Chat stores the Snap on its servers, not on your device. And either of you can delete saved content in a one-to-one chat, so if you want to keep a video your friend sent, export it rather than leaving it sitting in the conversation.
What about screenshots?
Snapchat's own help page points out that you can still take a screenshot of a Snap. Just don't expect it to be private. Snapchat shows the sender a screenshot icon on their Chat screen when you capture their Snap or chat, so they'll know. If the sender chose a timed Snap, a screenshot is the only way to keep it, and it's polite to ask first or simply ask them to resend it on loop.
Why you can't get an old Snap back
If you didn't save it, it's almost certainly gone. Snapchat says it can't provide copies of Snaps to anyone, that opened or expired Snaps typically can't be retrieved from its servers, and that unopened one-to-one Snaps are deleted automatically after 31 days. There's no support request that will bring one back.
Check your backup before you switch phones
Snapchat warns that lost Memories that weren't backed up can't be recovered. Before you log out, move to a new phone or delete the app, go to Settings, My App, Memories and check that Backup Progress says Complete. If it says Snaps Remaining or No Network Connection, connect to Wi-Fi and wait.
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Snapchat includes up to 5GB of Memories storage with every account, and you can see how much you're using under Cloud Storage on that same Memories screen. Video eats space fastest, so it's worth a look if you save a lot.
Stories are a separate job
Whole Stories, including the option to save them automatically, are covered in my guide to saving a Snapchat Story. And if you want to go the other way and share saved photos, here's how to post from your Camera Roll to your Story.
My advice
Set your Save Button to Memories & Camera Roll today, then forget about it. Every Snap you choose to keep will be in two places. For anything a friend sends, export it to your phone straight away, because a saved Snap in Chat isn't really yours to keep: they can delete it too. And if you're sending something you'd like them to be able to keep, choose the no limit or loop timer so the save option appears for them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I save a Snapchat video to my Camera Roll?
Set Save Button to Camera Roll, or Memories & Camera Roll, in Settings, My App, Memories. Then tap the download icon before sending.
Why can't I save a Snap my friend sent?
Snapchat only lets you save photo Snaps set to no limit and video Snaps set to loop. Timed Snaps can't be saved in Chat.
Where do Snaps saved in Chat go?
To Snapchat's servers, not your phone. Open the saved Snap and use Export to put a copy in your Camera Roll.
Can Snapchat recover a Snap I didn't save?
No. Snapchat says it can't provide copies of Snaps, and opened or expired Snaps typically can't be retrieved.
How much space do I get for Snapchat Memories?
Snapchat includes up to 5GB of Memories storage. You can check your usage under Cloud Storage in Settings, My App, Memories.
