Snapchat starts deleting Memories in -- See the deadline →

The complete guide

From Snapchat to a tidy archive, step by step.

The whole thing takes a few minutes of your attention. The only real wait is Snapchat preparing your data. Here is every step, with how long each one takes.

Request your data⏱ 2 min

Open your Snapchat data settings

On your phone, open Snapchat, tap your profile, then the gear (Settings). Or on a computer go to accounts.snapchat.com and sign in. Find the My Data section.

ResultYou're on the My Data page, ready to request your export.
Request your data⏱ 1 min

Submit your data request

Choose Submit Request. Make sure “Include Memories and other media” is ticked, so you get the actual photos and videos plus the hidden memories_history file. Pick the full date range so nothing is left out.

ResultSnapchat begins preparing your data export.
Wait for Snapchat⏱ 1 to 24 hrs

Wait for Snapchat's email

Snapchat emails you a download link when your data is ready. This is often within an hour, but can take up to a day for a large library. Check your spam folder if you don't see it.

ResultYou receive an email with a download link.

●●● This is the only waiting part. Everything else takes minutes.

Download & save⏱ 5 to 15 min

Download your export

Click the link in the email and download the file(s) to your computer. A big library often arrives as several ZIP files. Save them all into one folder. You do not need to unzip them yourself.

ResultYour ZIP file(s) saved together in one folder.
Rescue⏱ 2 min

Open the folder in SnapRescue

Open SnapRescue, click Choose folder, and pick that folder. It unzips everything and reads every memory plus its hidden dates and locations automatically, on your own computer. No merging folders by hand.

ResultEvery memory found, with its real dates and locations detected.
Rescue⏱ a few min

Review and rescue

See exactly what was found, choose where it lands, then hit rescue. SnapRescue writes the real capture date, GPS and captions into each photo and video, converts to true local time, and sorts everything into dated folders.

ResultA clean, dated archive ready for Google Photos, Apple Photos, Immich or anywhere.