Snapchat caps free Memories storage at 5GB. Starting September 1, 2026, anything over that limit can be permanently deleted. If you have years of Snapchat history, that likely means some of it.
You have two official options: pay $3.99 a month for Snapchat+ to keep more storage, or export your data and keep it yourself. This guide covers the second option and how to do it so your backup actually works.
Snapchat’s export now includes your actual photos and videos, not just a page of download links. That’s an improvement. But it still has three problems that make it unusable as a real backup on its own.
No correct dates. Files show the day you downloaded them, not the day you took the photo. Every memory from the last seven years looks like it was taken today.
No GPS data. Location info exists, but it isn’t written into the files. Map view in your photo app stays empty until location data is added back in.
Overlays stay separate. Any memory with text, a sticker, or a filter downloads as two pieces: the base photo and the overlay, in different files. Nothing merges them back together for you.
All of this metadata does exist. It just lives in a file called memories_history.json, not inside the photos and videos themselves.
If your library is large, Snapchat splits the export across more than one ZIP file.
The first ZIP contains a memories folder with some of your files, an HTML folder with faq.html and memories_history.html, a JSON folder with memories_history.json, and index.html.
Any additional ZIPs contain only a memories folder with more of your files. No JSON, no HTML, no index.
The memories_history.json file in the first ZIP holds the dates and locations for everything, including memories that live in the other ZIPs. So before you can restore anything correctly, you need to bring all your files into one place.
1. Request your data. Go to accounts.snapchat.com, sign in, and open My Data. Check both “Export your Memories” and “Export JSON Files.” The JSON option is not optional if you want a usable backup. Submit the request. Per Snapchat’s own support page, this can take up to 7 days, not the 24 to 48 hours many people expect.
2. Download and consolidate. Download every ZIP file Snapchat sends. Extract the first ZIP and leave its folder structure alone. Extract any additional ZIPs and move everything from their memories folders into the first ZIP’s memories folder. When you’re done, that one memories folder should hold every photo and video you have.
3. Process with ExportSnaps. ExportSnaps is a desktop app for macOS and Windows built for exactly this step. Upload memories_history.json, and it matches every entry to the file sitting in your consolidated memories folder. Turn on overlay merging and duplicate removal in settings, choose your output folder, and start the export. The app writes the correct date, GPS coordinates, and timezone into each file’s EXIF data and merges overlays automatically. If anything fails, it creates a failed.json you can reload to retry just those files.
4. Save the finished files in more than one place. Once processing is done, you have properly dated, GPS-tagged, fully merged photos and videos. Import them into Apple Photos or Google Photos and they will sort by the correct date and show up on the map. Then copy the same folder somewhere else too, which brings us to the next part.
One copy of anything is not a backup. Keep your processed Memories in three places.
Your computer. The output folder from ExportSnaps is kept on your main drive.
An external drive. A separate SSD or hard drive, ideally stored somewhere other than next to your computer. This is what protects you if your computer is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Cloud storage, through the ExportSnaps Cloud Upload add-on. This add-on uploads your finished files straight from the app to your own Google Drive or Dropbox account. It does not route through ExportSnaps’ servers, and it’s off by default. See current pricing for the add-on and bundle options.
Three locations means one bad drive, one lost laptop, or one account issue does not cost you your entire library.
The export request itself is the slowest part, up to 7 days, regardless of library size. Once you have the files:
A library under 5,000 files usually processes in under 30 minutes.
A library in the 5,000 to 20,000 file range takes one to two hours.
Anything larger, up to the 64,790 files and 1,163.34 GB ExportSnaps, has been tested with and can take a few hours, depending on your computer.
Start the export request now. Waiting until late August leaves no room to fix anything if the first attempt has problems.
Only if something goes wrong the first time, like a corrupted download or missing files. Requesting early gives you time to try again before September 1.
Snapchat splits large libraries across multiple ZIPs. Only the first one has the json and html folders; the rest just carry more media files.
Only after processing. The raw export has location data in memories_history.json, but it isn’t written into the actual photos until a tool like ExportSnaps embeds it.
No. It’s optional and separate from the main ExportSnaps app. You can back up entirely to a computer and an external drive without it.
Anything over the 5GB free limit that hasn’t been exported may be permanently deleted, according to Snapchat’s own storage policy. There’s no guarantee of recovery after that.
![Snapchat Export Separate Overlay File Fix [2026]](https://darksalmon-camel-116041.hostingersite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/banner-image.webp)
