Snapchat users will soon have to pay to store large amounts of saved photos and videos as the platform rolls out a major change to its popular Memories feature.

Since its launch in 2016, Memories has enabled users to save Snaps that originally disappeared after 24 hours, creating an archive of daily moments, milestones, and celebrations. However, the company says anyone with more than 5GB of saved content will now need to upgrade to a paid storage plan to keep Memories available.

The company acknowledged that “it’s never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it.” Still, it said the new plans will make it “worth the cost” and allow Snap “to continue investing in making Memories better for our entire community.”

Snap said users have saved more than 1 trillion Memories since the feature debuted.

New storage tiers

Under the new system, users who exceed the 5GB limit will be prompted to upgrade to a paid option. Introductory Memories Storage plan options offer a 100GB storage plan, 250GB with Snapchat+, or 5TB with Snapchat Platinum.

Increased levels of storage will be available to users paying for more expensive Snapchat+ and Snapchat Premium subscriptions.

The company said it will offer 12 months of temporary storage to users who exceed the limit. During that time, users can either subscribe to a paid plan or download and store their Snaps elsewhere.

How to download Snapchat Memories

If users don’t want to pay for storage, Snapchat allows the option to export saved Snaps. Here’s how to download Memories to your device:

• Open Snapchat and tap the photo icon to access Memories
• Press and hold the Snap(s) you want to save and select “Export”
• Choose where you’d like to download the file

Snapchat Support said users can select multiple Snaps stored in Memories at once.

Here’s how to download all your Snapchat data:

• Go to Settings in the Snapchat app
• Scroll down and tap “My Data”
• Choose the type of data and select a date range
• Tap Submit Request and ensure your email address is correct.

Once processed, Snapchat will email you a link to download a file containing your Memories, which you can then store on your computer.