Snapchat, the ephemeral messaging app that's all about fleeting moments, is flipping the script on its popular Memories feature. Announced just last week, the company now plans to charge heavy users for storing old photos and videos beyond a certain limit. It's a move that's already drawing sharp criticism from its vast user base, who see it as yet another monetization ploy from Snap Inc.
For those unfamiliar, Memories launched back in 2016 as a way to save snaps that would otherwise vanish after viewing. Over the years, it exploded in popularity—Snapchat boasts that users have saved more than one trillion Memories. But with 460 million daily active users and mounting storage costs, the company says it's time to rethink free access. Starting with a gradual global rollout, free storage will cap at 5GB for everyone. Exceed that, and you'll need to pony up for paid plans.
The entry-level option runs about $1.99 a month for up to 100GB, while higher tiers like Snapchat Plus bundle in 250GB and Snapchat Platinum offers a whopping 5TB. Snap is giving current users a 12-month grace period to export their data or subscribe, which softens the blow somewhat. Yet, the reaction online has been fierce. Many call it "greedy" and "unfair," especially since Memories were once a free perk. One user fumed on social media about paying to keep "drunk pics from college," highlighting the personal sting of the change.
Snap justifies it by pointing to infrastructure expenses that have ballooned with the feature's success. Indeed, as platforms like Instagram and TikTok rake in billions, Snapchat's pivot to paid storage feels like a desperate grasp for revenue amid slower growth. However, experts note this could be the start of a trend—after all, why not charge for what users hoard digitally? But for now, the vast majority of users, with under 5GB stored, won't feel the pinch right away.
Still, it raises questions about the future of free social media services. As our digital lives pile up, will preserving the past become a luxury?