Why won't the photos in my Snapchat export open?

Open them from the extracted folder, on a computer, not from the ZIP or from a phone. An image that looks blank is the caption overlay.

Why does a Snapchat .mp4 video say “format not supported”?

Your player may not read the way it's encoded, or the file may be damaged. Try another player or a browser, then download the ZIP again if nothing opens it.

Can GetMemoriesOut repair a file that won't open?

No. It doesn't repair or convert files. It dates them, sorts them by year and puts the captions back on the photos.

The files in your Snapchat export won't open

Download the ZIP on a computer, extract all of it, then open the files from the extracted folder. An image that looks blank is the caption overlay, kept apart from the photo.

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.

Open them in 3 steps

Download each ZIP in full, on a computer. Snapchat's help recommends a computer over a phone.
Double-click the ZIP to extract it into a folder.
Open the photos and videos from the extracted memories/ folder, not from the ZIP preview.

What Snapchat's help says

Snapchat's help says it plainly: “To open a zip file and view the contents you must have compatible software on your device.” It also says to “try downloading your data from a computer rather than a mobile device” (article read on 6 November 2026).

If a ZIP won't open, download it again: a download cut off halfway leaves an incomplete file.

Know what you're opening

In a real export, each file name ends with what the file is (this guide has the details):

-main.jpg: a photo.
-main.mp4: a video, sometimes cut into 10-second pieces.
An image that looks blank: the overlay, with the text and stickers on a transparent background. This guide explains how to put them back on the photo.

A photo saved as “file”

“for photos it just saves as a “file” and won’t let me do anything with it” (r/SnapchatHelp, 13 November 2025). A file with no extension, neither .jpg nor .mp4, doesn't tell your device what to open it with.

Rather than saving Memories one by one on your phone, download the ZIP files on a computer, from the See exports page of My Data. The files in the memories/ folder keep their full name there, extension included.

“Format not supported” on an .mp4 video

Two complaints keep coming back: “Every time I open the video, it says the format is not supported, even though it's an mp4 file.” (r/SnapchatHelp, 18 July 2026), and “a large number of the exported videos and photos won’t open on my Mac” (r/SnapchatHelp, 4 August 2026).

The .mp4 extension gives the file type. Your player may still be unable to read how the picture inside is encoded. Try another player, or drag the video into a Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox tab.

If nothing opens it, the file may be damaged. Download the ZIP that holds it again.

What GetMemoriesOut does, and doesn't

GetMemoriesOut doesn't repair a damaged file or convert formats. A file Snapchat sent broken stays as it is.

It puts the -overlay layers back on the photos, joins split videos when the order is certain, and sorts everything by year, each Memory on its own date. The summary is free, on a computer, in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox.

FAQ

Why won't the photos in my Snapchat export open?: Open them from the extracted folder, on a computer, not from the ZIP or from a phone. An image that looks blank is the caption overlay.
Why does a Snapchat .mp4 video say “format not supported”?: Your player may not read the way it's encoded, or the file may be damaged. Try another player or a browser, then download the ZIP again if nothing opens it.
Can GetMemoriesOut repair a file that won't open?: No. It doesn't repair or convert files. It dates them, sorts them by year and puts the captions back on the photos.