Manual method
- Open My Data from Snapchat settings or accounts.snapchat.com.
- Choose the account data and enable Memories export if you want the media. Set the period and notification email.
- Submit the request; open the exports page when it is ready and download the ZIP.
- Open index.html after extraction, then Memories. Download the actual Memories from the archive interface, individually or using its bulk option.
What you get: Snap history is not the same as the original photo/video. Retention varies, so expired or unsaved Snaps cannot be assumed present. Check that media files, rather than only their download links, have been saved. Provider instructions.
Size and waiting time
Planning example: 10 GB; light/heavy scenarios: 0.1–100 GB. These are estimates, not a measured population average or fixed limits. A few thousand saved Memories, including video clips; the ordinary account report without media is far smaller.
Preparation: Snapchat aims to deliver within seven days; large requests can take longer.
Network transfer of 10 GB: about 3.2 hours at 10 Mbps, 38 min at 50 Mbps, or 19 min at 100 Mbps. This assumes 70% sustained throughput and excludes preparation, manual work and extraction. These are download estimates; online backup takes additional time at your upload speed. Transfer calculations and large-file examples.
Store and check your archive
An encrypted external SSD or hard drive is a good main archive for this collection. Allow roughly 30 GB of working space for the example, including an original, an extracted working copy and room to check it. Very compressed packages can need more. A USB key is useful for a spare copy, but should not be the only one. An encrypted online copy protects against losing the local devices.
Keep the original in snapchat/YYYY-MM-DD/original/. Record the account alias, selected scope, date range and missing items. Open old and recent records and sample attachments offline, then compare file sizes or checksums after copying. Keep the source account until you have checked the result. Storage and recovery instructions.
Sources and review
Public documentation was reviewed on 27 October 2026. No signed-in export or restoration was performed. Account options and availability can change; follow the current provider instructions.