Snapchat to charge users to store photos and videos
Snapchat will start charging to store photos and videos, prompting fury from users who have been using the app to archive their old posts.
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Since 2016, users have been able to store and save their posts as part of the “Memories” feature.
Until now, this feature has been free of charge, but today, Snapchat announced anyone with more than 5GB of data saved will be forced to pay.
A Snapchat spokesperson told tech outlet TechCrunch a 100GB plan would be priced at $1.99, while a more expensive 250GB plan would cost $3.99.
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The tech brand said it “is never easy” to charge users, but the “vast majority” of people won’t be affected by the change.
In a statement, Snapchat said: “Since we launched Memories in 2016, Snapchatters have saved more than 1 trillion Memories. Unlike the camera roll full of duplicates and screenshots, Memories on Snapchat are special because Snapchatters choose to save the moments that really matter.
“When we first launched Memories, we never expected it to grow to what it has become today. We want to make sure that our community can continue to store all of their Memories over the long term, so we are introducing new Memories Storage Plans to support Snapchatters with more than 5GB of Memories.
“For the vast majority of Snapchatters, who have less than 5GB of Memories, nothing will change. For Snapchatters with more than 5GB of Memories, meaning thousands of Snaps, we are rolling out new options to upgrade and increase storage. The introductory Memories Storage Plans offer 100GB, 250GB with Snapchat+, or 5TB with Snapchat Platinum.
“We’ll provide 12 months of temporary Memories storage for any Memories that exceed the 5GB storage limit. Snapchatters can upgrade to a Memories Storage Plan at any time, and as always, will be able to download their Memories directly to their devices.”
The social media firm added: “It’s never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it, but we hope the value we provide with Memories is worth the cost. Thank you for trusting us with some of your most precious moments.
“These changes will allow us to continue to invest in making Memories better for our entire community.”