Snapchat export missing Memories: how many, and why
Pick your ZIPs and the tool sorts your Memories into a folder on this phone.
No export yet? The 4-step guide
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.
The 3 usual causes
- A ZIP you didn't download. A big export comes in several ZIPs, and the Memories can start in a later one.
- A date filter left on. You only get the Memories from the range you picked.
- Memories not selected. Without Export your Memories, the export has no photos or videos.
Drop your ZIPs into GetMemoriesOut for a free count, year by year. Nothing leaves your computer.
The signs
- The number of files in the memories/ folder doesn't match the number of Memories in the app.
- Whole months are empty, even though you remember saving snaps back then.
- A tool says it can't find the list of your Memories.
Counting files gives you a number that's too high. A long video comes as several 10-second clips, and a decorated Memory has a second file, its overlay.
Why one missing ZIP costs whole months
Snapchat splits a big export into several ZIPs. In the export we looked at, the first ones held almost nothing but chat media, and the Memories only came after. Miss one ZIP and whole months are gone.
Count them yourself
- Open the list of your Memories (the file in the json folder of the first ZIP whose name starts with memories) in a text editor and search for "Date". The number of matches is the number of Memories listed.
- In each ZIP, count the files in memories/ with -main in their name. The search box in Windows File Explorer or Finder does it for you.
- Compare the two numbers.
The gap gives you a rough idea. A big gap usually comes from a forgotten ZIP or a date filter.
More detail
memories_history.json lists every Memory Snapchat saved for you, one line per Memory, under “Saved Media”.
Request the export again
If ZIPs are missing, go back to Snapchat's download page and grab the missing ones, if they're still there. If not, send a new request with the export guide, with Memories on and the date filter off.
FAQ
- Why doesn't my Snapchat export have all my Memories?
- Usually a ZIP wasn't downloaded, a date filter was left on, or Memories weren't selected.
- How do I know if I'm missing Memories?
- Count the “Date” lines in the list of your Memories, then the -main files in the memories folder. A big gap often means a ZIP is missing.
- Why can't a tool find the list of your Memories?
- The ZIP that holds it wasn't dropped, usually the export's first one. Drop all the ZIPs together.
- Will a new export bring back my missing Memories?
- Yes, if the cause is a forgotten ZIP, a date filter or Memories left unselected.
- Why is my Snapchat export empty, with no photos?
- Most often “Export your Memories” was off when you sent the request. Request it again with Memories on and every date.