Snapchat Memories lets users save, back up and repost previous snaps

Snapchat’s latest update is decidedly, well, unlike Snapchat.

The ephemeral messaging app, which has made a name for itself as such, today announced that its users can soon save snaps to their device. Dubbed Memories, Snapchat’s calling the system “a personal collection of your favorite moments that lives below the Camera screen.”

It’s effectively a reservoir into which users can save snaps and, more importantly, repost those same snaps to Snapchat.

This update marks a huge change for the platform

This update marks a huge change for the platform, which previously allowed users to only share live content to their ephemeral snap collection, or Story.

“You can use Memories to create new Stories from Snaps you’ve taken, or even combine different Stories into a longer narrative,” Snapchat adds.

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This is also an interesting way to appeal to those arriving from other image-heavy social networks like Instagram, that often celebrates nostalgia with the likes of #TBT.

Snapchat notes that the system can also be used to save private snaps with its Your Eyes Only personal vault. The social network also claims that it will back up the stored snaps in Memories to its servers.

“We won’t backup any photos or videos from your Camera Roll, unless you use one to make a new Story or add it to My Eyes Only. In that case, we’ll back up only the photo or video that you used,” the company explains.

You’ll have to wait for this feature though. Snapchat explains that the “big change” to its service will roll out within the “next month.”