Since it was introduced in 2016, the popular messaging app has long enabled its users to save and store previously posted content as Memories, enabling a platform of recollection as well as immediate communication. The app has confirmed that since its initial rollout nearly a decade ago, more than one trillion Memories have been saved by its users.
However, now, that's all about to change. Snapchat is introducing a storage limit for Memories and prompting users who exceed 5GB to pay for more space.
The announcement means that people with more than five gigabytes (GB) worth of Memories will now need to pay to keep them available. Users who have saved more than 5GB of content will be prompted to upgrade to a 100GB storage plan for $1.99 (£1.48) per month.
Higher storage tiers are included with the more expensive Snapchat+ and Snapchat Premium subscriptions. For example, the Snapchat+ subscription includes 250GB of storage for $3.99 (£2.96) per month. The company will offer users 12 months of temporary storage to download content if they exceed the limit.
Snapchat’s parent company Snap, revealed in its blog post that its rollout of storage plans will not impact "the vast majority of Snapchatters", whom it said had less than 5GB of Memories.
There has been a backlash from users of the app, with many people accusing the company of being greedy. Some users say being forced to choose between paying for a subscription or losing their Memories is "unfair" and "greedy" on the part of Snap.
Snap understands that it is "never easy to transition from receiving a service for free to paying for it" but has suggested it will be "worth the cost" for users.
"These changes will allow us to continue to invest in making Memories better for our entire community," it said in a blog post, announcing the move.
