Snapchat changed how memory exports work. If your Memories library is large, Snapchat no longer sends you one ZIP file. It sends several. Each one has a different job, and if you do not know what goes where, you can end up missing files or metadata without realizing it.
This post breaks down exactly what is inside each ZIP, what to do with them, and why the files still are not ready to use in Apple Photos or Google Photos even after you have them all.
Snapchat used to send a single small ZIP file that only contained links to your media, not the media itself. That is no longer the case. Now, when you request your data, Snapchat exports the actual photo and video files directly into the ZIP.
The catch: if you have a large library, Snapchat splits everything across multiple ZIP files. You get one primary ZIP and one or more secondary ZIPs. They are not identical, and only one of them holds the full picture.
The first ZIP Snapchat sends you is the primary export. It contains four things:
memories folder This holds a portion of your actual photo and video files.
html folder Inside you will find two files: faq.html, which is Snapchat’s own explanation of the export, and memories_history.html, a browsable table of your memories.
json folder This contains memories_history.json, the single most important file in the entire export. It holds the timestamp, GPS location, caption, and media type for every memory you have, including the ones that live in the secondary ZIPs.
index.html The landing page that links the html and json folders together for browsing.
If you only look at one file to understand your export, make it memories_history.json. It is the map that tells you when and where every memory was created.
If your library was large enough to require extra ZIP files, those additional files are much simpler. Each one contains only a memories folder, with more of your photo and video files inside. There is no html folder, no json folder, and no index.html in these secondary ZIPs.
This is by design. Snapchat only needs to generate the metadata and HTML index once, in the primary ZIP. The secondary ZIPs exist purely to carry the overflow of media files that would not fit in the first one.
Snapchat splits large exports into chunks so each file stays a manageable size for download and extraction. If you have thousands of memories, or years of daily Snapchat use, expect two, three, or more ZIP files in your download.
There is no way to control how many ZIPs you get. It depends entirely on the size of your library.
Because your media is now spread across multiple ZIPs, you need to consolidate everything before you can properly organize your Memories.
Skip this step and you will end up with scattered files that never get their proper dates or locations restored, because the metadata in memories_history.json only gets matched against whatever files sit in that one primary memories folder during processing.
Getting the actual media files is a real improvement over the old export. But two problems remain, and they are the same problems that made Snapchat exports frustrating before:
No embedded metadata The photo and video files themselves still do not have the correct date, time, or GPS location written into them. All of that data lives separately, in memories_history.json. Open one of the exported photos in Apple Photos or Google Photos and it will show the download date, not the day you actually took it.
Separated overlays If a memory had text, stickers, or a filter, that overlay downloads as a separate transparent file rather than being merged into the photo or video itself.
So even with a complete set of files across your consolidated memories folder, you still cannot browse your Memories by date, see them on a map, or view them with their original captions intact. For a closer look at why this happens, see how to download Snapchat memories without losing metadata.
ExportSnaps is a desktop app built specifically for this stage of the process, after you have consolidated your media into one memories folder alongside the memories_history.json file. You can see the full walkthrough of how ExportSnaps works before you start.
Here is what it does:
All of this runs locally on your computer. Nothing uploads to the cloud, and the app does not touch Snapchat’s servers except to read the files you already downloaded.
ExportSnaps has been tested on libraries up to 1,163.34 GB across 64,790 files, so it holds up even for users with years of daily Snapchat use. It runs on macOS, both Intel and Apple Silicon, and on Windows 10 and above. The free version processes up to 200 files, and a one-time $15 payment unlocks unlimited files with no subscription. Full details are on the ExportSnaps pricing page.
Snapchat splits large Memories libraries across multiple ZIP files so each one stays a manageable size. The number of ZIPs you get depends on how many memories you have saved over the years.
No. Only the first ZIP contains the memories, HTML, and JSON folders plus index.html. Any additional ZIPs contain only a memories folder with more media files inside.
memories_history.json, found in the json folder of the primary ZIP. It contains the timestamp, location, caption, and media type for every memory across all your ZIP files.
Yes. Move all the files from each secondary ZIP’s memories folder into the primary ZIP’s memories folder before processing. The json file only matches against files in that one folder.
Snapchat does not write the original date into the file itself. That information stays in memories_history.json. A tool like ExportSnaps reads that file and writes the correct date into each photo and video.
Yes. It processes everything locally on your device. Nothing is uploaded, and it does not communicate with any server other than downloading data you already have.
Per Snapchat’s support documentation, it can take up to 7 days, not 24 to 48 hours as many users expect. Larger libraries may take longer.
