Why won't my Snapchat Memories download?

Snapchat's help advises downloading from a computer and trying another browser. Other causes are an expired link or a security restriction.

What does "Security restriction: please try again after 72 hours" mean?

The message asks you to retry from that device after 72 hours. Snapchat's help pages don't explain it. Wait, then try again from the same computer, without filing a new request.

My export link expired. Are my Memories lost?

No. Only the file prepared for you expired. A new export request prepares a new one.

How long does a Memories export take?

About an hour in normal times, longer when Snapchat is busy. Snapchat's help aims for 7 days, and says a large download can take longer.

Snapchat Memories won't download: the causes and what to do

When the download does nothing, Snapchat's help says to use a computer and try another browser. Your Memories stay in your account. If that fails, go through My Data.

Open the free tool

Send the link to my computer

No export yet? The 4-step guide

Before: copied to the camera roll, the photo from the ZIP takes today's date, without its overlay. After: it goes back to 3 August 2019, in Biarritz, with its overlay.

Updated November 8, 2026 · Not affiliated with Snapchat.

By GetMemoriesOut. We wrote these guides from a real Snapchat export that we opened and counted, with Memories from 2016 to 2026. When something couldn't be checked, the guide says so.

Get the export out in 3 steps

Switch to a computer. Snapchat's help says to download from a computer, not a phone.
Switch browsers: Chrome if you were on Safari, or the other way round.
On accounts.snapchat.com, open My Data, then See exports and Download. That skips the link in the email.

Once the ZIPs are downloaded, drop them all into GetMemoriesOut: it counts your Memories, then sorts them by year, each on its own date. The recap is free. You need a computer, with Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.

How long Snapchat takes to send your export

“We strive to deliver data within 7 days, but large downloads can take longer.”
Source: Snapchat's help, article read on 12 November 2026.

Request your export now. Outside busy periods, users report about an hour, and ours, 27.7 GB, took 55 minutes on 9 November.

When Snapchat announced paid storage in October 2025, users reported 6 days, 14 days and up to 6 weeks. These are Reddit reports and a single test of ours, not a measurement.

While you wait

Request your export now, for all your Memories, with no date filter.
Don't request it again right away: check See exports first.
If the email doesn't arrive, open accounts.snapchat.com, My Data, then See exports. A ready export downloads from there.
Check your spam folder.
When it's there, download every ZIP, then drop them into GetMemoriesOut on your computer. The recap is free.

Nothing after 7 days? The Export never arrived guide lists what to check.

Nothing happens when you click

It's the most common complaint under YouTube tutorials: you click Download and nothing happens. Snapchat's help gives two tips: download from a computer, and try another browser.

If the ZIP you downloaded has a memories/ folder, your photos and videos are already in it. The "Download all Memories" button on the index.html page is then of no use. This guide shows what's where in the ZIP.

The download stops, or only gets some of the files

Late 2025, Reddit was full of it: “A large portion of the data you try to download will just straight up fail” (6 December 2025).

Another: “It says it's downloaded all of them, but it's only downloaded three out of twenty-six” (15 December 2025).

Download the ZIP files from See exports, on a computer, one at a time, and let each one finish.
If one stops, restart only that one, in another browser if needed, as Snapchat's help suggests.
Once they're downloaded, check that nothing is missing: the free summary in GetMemoriesOut counts your Memories, year by year.

"Security restriction": try again in 72 hours

Some people get this message when they try to download: "Security restriction: Please try again from this device after 72 hours".

It keeps coming up on YouTube and Reddit, as recently as October 3, 2026. Snapchat's help pages don't mention it (checked November 6, 2026).

The message says "this device". Wait the 72 hours and come back on the same computer and the same browser.
Some say they saw it again and again, for weeks, on several devices. No report we read gives a fix that always works.
Your export request isn't lost meanwhile. Don't file a new request each time: you'd start days of waiting over again.

The link expired

Download links don't last. Snapchat's help doesn't say for how long, so download on the day the email arrives, on a good connection.

If it's too late, request a new export with the export guide. Your Memories stay in your account: an expired link doesn't delete them.

The export arrives empty, or nearly

Memories not switched on. Without Export your Memories, the export holds your account history and no pictures.
A date filter left on. Only Memories from that period arrive.
A ZIP left behind. A large export comes as several ZIPs of about 2 GB. The first ones can hold nothing but chat media.

To see what's missing, count your Memories.

FAQ

Why won't my Snapchat Memories download?: Snapchat's help advises downloading from a computer and trying another browser. Other causes are an expired link or a security restriction.
What does "Security restriction: please try again after 72 hours" mean?: The message asks you to retry from that device after 72 hours. Snapchat's help pages don't explain it. Wait, then try again from the same computer, without filing a new request.
My export link expired. Are my Memories lost?: No. Only the file prepared for you expired. A new export request prepares a new one.
How long does a Memories export take?: About an hour in normal times, longer when Snapchat is busy. Snapchat's help aims for 7 days, and says a large download can take longer.