Snapchat is facing strong backlash after announcing that users will soon have to pay to store older photos and videos saved in the app’s Memories feature. The change, revealed in September by Snap Inc., marks a major shift for the popular platform that millions have used freely for years.
According to the company, users who exceed 5GB of saved Memories will need to subscribe to a new paid storage plan. Snapchat said the move is part of a gradual global rollout, but did not specify when it would begin or how much the new storage plans will cost in the UK or elsewhere.
User Outrage and Online Criticism
The news has triggered widespread outrage among Snapchat users worldwide. App stores and social media platforms have been flooded with one-star reviews, angry comments, and online petitions.
One frustrated user wrote, “Half of my life is on this app, and now they expect us to pay for it.” Others have called the move “unethical,” “corporate greed,” and even a “memory tax.”
A petition criticizing Snapchat’s decision has already gathered thousands of signatures. Many users argue that Memories are not just files — they are emotional keepsakes representing years of personal moments, friendships, and family milestones.
One reviewer on the Google Play Store wrote, “Five gigabytes is nothing. I’ve been using Snapchat for almost a decade, and all my teenage years are saved there. Bye, Snap.”
Users Threaten to Leave Snapchat
Some users have taken to TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) to share their plans to delete Snapchat altogether.
Guste Ven, a 20-year-old journalism student from London, said she immediately began downloading her data after hearing the news.
“Almost all of my teenage years are documented through Snapchat Memories,” she told BBC News. “It doesn’t make sense to start charging people for something that has been free for so long.”
Another user, 23-year-old Londoner Amber Daley, said she felt “distraught” by the decision.
“Snapchat has been part of my everyday life since 2014,” she said. “These aren’t just called Memories — these are our actual memories.”
Snapchat Defends Its Decision
In response to the backlash, Snap Inc. defended the move by comparing it to paid cloud storage services like Apple’s iCloud and Google Drive. The company stated that only a small number of users—those storing over 5GB of data—would be affected.
A Snap spokesperson admitted that transitioning from a free service to a paid model is never easy but said the new plans will be “worth the cost” for users who want secure and unlimited storage.
Snap also reminded users that they can download their Memories directly to their devices if they prefer not to subscribe.
Experts Say Cloud Costs Are Rising
Industry experts say the decision reflects the rising cost of data storage.
Social media consultant Matt Navarra explained that hosting billions of photos and videos involves enormous expenses for cloud infrastructure, bandwidth, encryption, and data backups.
“Hosting trillions of Memories on Snapchat isn’t trivial,” Navarra said. “But introducing fees after users built these large digital archives feels like moving the goalposts.”
He added that people view their saved Memories as “emotional artefacts, not just data dumps.”
The Bigger Picture: Commercial Control of Personal Memories
Researchers warn that Snapchat’s change highlights the risks of storing sentimental content on commercial platforms.
Dr. Taylor Annabell, a postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University, said users often assume their content will be permanently accessible.
“These companies benefit from users’ trust and dependence,” she noted. “But they are not benevolent guardians of personal memory.”
Future Outlook
Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel said the company is aiming to reach one billion users and achieve record revenues. The paid storage model may help fund that goal, but it risks alienating a loyal user base that sees Snapchat as more than a messaging app.
As the rollout continues, users will face a tough choice:
either pay for extra storage or download and safeguard their memories elsewhere.
For now, one thing is clear — this new policy has sparked one of Snapchat’s biggest public controversies in years, and the debate over the value of digital memories is only just beginning.
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