Snapchat Memories Missing, Not Loading or Not Backing Up? How to Fix It (and Storage Limits)

Does this match what you see?

• Snaps you recently saved to Memories are missing.
• Some Memories appear empty or grey.
• Memories show a backup icon or won’t finish backing up.
• You see a notice that you’re over your Memories storage limit.

iPhone & iPadAndroid

Based on eleven Snapchat Support articles supplied by the site owner. Snapchat’s pages show two cache paths; the App & Privacy one is listed first.

Why this happens: the possible causes

The reasons Snapchat gives for Memories going missing or not backing up.

• An old app version or full phone storageCheck this first

  Snapchat says to update the app and free up storage when Memories are missing or appear empty or grey.

• A weak connectionCheck this first

  Snapchat says backups need a good internet connection, ideally Wi-Fi.

• The Memories were never fully backed upPossible

  Snapchat says Memories that weren’t successfully backed up can’t be recovered after logging out, changing phones or uninstalling.

How to fix it, step by step

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and only move to steps that sign you out or remove data later.

Memories won’t back up

• Connect to Wi-Fi and make sure your internet connection is good.
• No Wi-Fi? Turn on Smart Backup: Settings ⚙️ > App & Privacy > My App > Memories > Smart Backup. Snapchat says Memories may then back up over mobile data when Wi-Fi isn’t available.
• You may also need to free up space by clearing the cache.

Check that your Memories are fully backed up

Snapchat says a backup icon on a Snap or Story in Memories means it isn’t backed up yet. To check everything:

• Settings ⚙️ > Apps & Privacy > My App > under Customize My App, tap Memories.
• Backup Progress should say “Complete”. If it says “# Snaps Remaining” or “No Network Connection”, your backup isn’t finished; get on Wi-Fi or a good mobile signal and wait.

Save Snaps to Memories, your camera roll or both

Save a Snap or Story: after creating a Snap, tap the save icon at the bottom. To save a whole Story, open My Account (tap your Bitmoji or Story icon at the top) and tap the save icon next to the Story; to save one Snap from it, view the Story, press and hold that Snap and tap Save Snap. Snapchat says that on someone else’s Story, you can only save the Snaps you added. To name a saved Story, open the Stories tab in Memories and tap Name Story (or press and hold > Rename Story). To make a Story from Memories, tap the selector icon at the top, pick the Snaps, then tap Create and name it.

Saving settings are in Settings ⚙️ > App & Privacy > My App > under Customize My App, tap Memories:

• Save Button: choose whether saving a Snap puts it in Memories, Memories & Camera Roll, or Camera Roll only.
• Auto-Save My Story Snaps: turn this on and Snapchat says Snaps you post to My Story are saved to Memories automatically.
• Smart Backup: Memories may back up over mobile data when there’s no Wi-Fi.
• Import Snaps from Camera Roll: select photos and videos from your phone to add to Memories. (Snapchat says it doesn’t back up your camera roll to Memories by itself.)
• Flashback: turn Flashback Memories on or off.
• Screenshop: Memories can show products related to your screenshots (Screenshots section > Shop Your Screenshots). To opt out, turn off Screenshop in Settings > Memories (under My Account).

Our tip: choose Memories & Camera Roll for Snaps you can’t lose, so you also have a copy on your phone.

My Eyes Only: set up, move Snaps and the passcode

My Eyes Only is a passcode-locked part of Memories for Snaps you want to keep extra private. To open it, swipe up from the camera to Memories, swipe left to My Eyes Only and enter your passcode.

• Set up: on iPhone, you need at least one Snap or Story in Memories (or something shared from your camera roll). In Memories, press and hold a Snap > More > Hide Snap (My Eyes Only) > Quick Setup, choose a 4-digit passcode and confirm it, then Continue > Finish. Android: the same, but tap Hide after pressing and holding the Snap. Prefer letters and numbers? Tap Use Passphrase on the Create New Passcode screen.
• Move Snaps in: in Memories, tap the selector icon at the top, pick the Snaps and Stories > Hide Snaps (My Eyes Only) > Move. You can also move photos and videos from your camera roll.
• Can’t move a video? Snapchat says only photo Snaps and video Snaps shorter than 10 seconds can be moved to My Eyes Only.
• Save there by default (iPhone): Settings > Memories (under My Account) > turn on Save to My Eyes Only by Default.

Change your passcode (if you know the current one): My Eyes Only > Options > Change Passcode, enter your current passcode, then create and confirm a new one (or tap Use Passphrase) > Continue > Finish.

Forgot your My Eyes Only passcode?

You can reset it, but Snapchat says resetting deletes every Snap in My Eyes Only. If you might still remember the passcode, keep trying before you reset.

• In Memories, swipe left to My Eyes Only > Options > Forgot Passcode.
• Enter your Snapchat account password > Next, acknowledge that your My Eyes Only Snaps will be deleted > Continue.
• Create and confirm a new passcode > Continue > Finish.

Face groups, Snap Feed and AI images of you

Face groups sort your saved Snaps by the faces in them. Snapchat says it’s opt-in, isn’t available in every region or for every account type, and groups and labels are visible only to you.

• Turn on or find them: open Memories > the Friends tab (next to Camera Roll), then tap Continue to opt in. You can also reach groups through Memories Search.
• Name a group: tap it > Add a Name, or the three-dot icon > Change Person > Done. Change Cover and Combine (select two or more groups) are there too.
• Names showing in Story titles or notifications? That’s Featured Stories; switch Flashback off in Settings > App & Privacy > My App > Memories.
• Turn face groups off: Settings > App & Privacy > My App > Memories > Face Groups > toggle off > Turn Off. Snapchat says this deletes all your face groups and labels.

Snap Feed and AI images of you: Snap Feed organizes Memories around what you like and can reimagine them with AI. Snapchat says generated images use your My Selfie, and you may appear in friends’ Snap Feeds. To stop that: Settings > My Selfie > under Who Can…, set Generate with My Selfie to Only Me. If you let Snap Feed use your camera roll, Snapchat says details such as creation date and location are sent to its servers, but the media isn’t backed up.

Snapchat says the face models it creates may be considered biometric information in some countries or states. They’re deleted if you turn face groups off, delete the Snap they came from, or delete your account, and may be deleted after two years of inactivity (depending on local rules).

Flashbacks and your Snapchat Recap: where they come from and why one disappeared

• Flashback Memories: Snapchat says they appear as a Featured Story in Memories when you have a saved Snap from at least one year ago to the day. You can share it or save it to your camera roll. Snapchat says Flashbacks use your general Memories, never My Eyes Only.
• A Flashback or Recap is gone? Snapchat says Featured Stories expire after a set time; an old notification may say the Recap “has already wrapped”. Open Memories to see current ones. (Featured Stories are separate from your year-end Snapchat Recap.)
• Snapchat Recap (year-end): a Story made from Snaps you saved to Memories over the past year, found in Memories. Not loading? Keep Snapchat open on Memories on Wi-Fi, quit and reopen, and update. Snapchat says not everyone gets a Recap (it depends on things like how many Memories you saved), it can’t be requested, it’s only around for a limited time, and it excludes My Eyes Only. Remove a Snap from it with the dots > Remove Snap; dismissing or hiding a Recap removes it for good.
• Title describes your Snaps instead of a date? Snapchat says some Featured Stories use generative AI to summarize your own Memories into a short title, and longer ones may be split into chapters.
• Friendship Flashbacks: recaps made from Snaps saved in a Chat. Swipe right to Chat > Flashbacks, open a marked conversation, tap its name or profile icon, then tap a Flashback. Deleted Snaps may not appear.
• Don’t want one Flashback? Tap the three-dot icon at the top right of that Story > Dismiss Story. To stop them altogether: Settings > App & Privacy > My App > Memories > Flashback.

Deleted Memories by accident?

Snapchat says Support can’t recover lost Memories. For privacy, when you delete a Snap from Memories, its servers are designed to erase it as soon as possible. If Memories seem missing rather than deleted, try the fix above first.

Our tip: for Snaps you really care about, also save a copy to your phone’s camera roll or another backup, since Snapchat doesn’t back up your camera roll to Memories.

Memories storage: the 5GB limit, plans and archiving

Snapchat says you get up to 5GB of Memories storage free. Check how much you use in Settings > My App > Memories > Cloud Storage; over 5GB, a notice appears in Memories.

• Upgrade: open Memories > Upgrade Storage and pick a plan: a 100GB Memories-only plan (monthly or annual), Snapchat+ (typically 250GB), Lens+ (the same as Snapchat+) or Snapchat+ Platinum (5TB). The 100GB plan is monthly or annual. On a Snapchat+ Family plan, each member gets the plan’s storage.
• Price: in the US, Snapchat says the 100GB plan is $1.99/month or $20/year; prices may vary by country and currency, so check the app.
• Manage or cancel the 100GB plan in your Memories settings.
• No upgrade banner? Snapchat says your Memories stay stored as they are, and you’ll be told when you’re eligible.

How to know it worked

• Your Memories load, and Backup Progress says “Complete”.

Still not working? Your next steps

1. Still missing after repeating the steps? Snapchat says those Memories are lost. If the app itself keeps crashing, see Snapchat not working.

Frequently asked questions