Snapchat Introduces Paid Storage, Users Must Pay to Save Memories

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): In a major blow to its users, the popular social media platform Snapchat has announced that it will make "Memories," one of its oldest and most beloved features, paid. The service, which has been completely free since 2016, will now require users to pay to store more than 5GB of data.

Snapchat's "Memories" feature allows users to store their temporary photos and videos (Snaps and Stories) within the app for a long time. It's a kind of personal gallery. Until now, it offered unlimited storage, but the company has changed its policy and now only offers up to 5GB of free storage.

According to a TechCrunch report, the company plans to roll out these new paid plans globally in a phased manner. The first plan will cost users $1.99 (approximately Rs. 176) per month for 100GB of storage, while the second plan offers 250GB of storage and costs $3.99 (approximately Rs. 354) per month.

Existing users who already have more than 5GB of data will be given temporary access for 12 months to download their data or switch to a subscription.

Snapchat's decision has been widely criticized on social media. Users are calling it an "unfair and greedy" move by the company. The company, meanwhile, says that converting a free service to a paid one is always a difficult process.

Tech experts believe this could become a new trend in the future, with other social media platforms also starting to charge their users for cloud storage. It will be interesting to see whether Snapchat's move proves successful or if users seek alternatives.