Here’s How to Download Saved Photos or Videos on Snapchat

Photos or videos stored on your mobile device can be uploaded to Snapchat with using the Memories feature. You can share it on Snapchat or as a message, or as a story .

This makes it very handy for sharing photos and videos after a lot of time has passed. It also means you don’t have to take everything through the Snapchat app if you want to share it.

Follow the instructions below to find out where to access photos and video on your device on snapchat, and choose one of them to send.

These instructions apply to iOS and Android devices. Any differences are called below.

How to Access Snapchat Snapchat

The person who chose the Camera Roll to upload photos to Snapchat — Lifewire / Teresa Chiechi

Snapchat Snapchat Memories allows you to save the pictures you take through the Snapchat app and upload existing photos/videos from your device. Here’s how to easily access Snapchat’s Memories feature:

Open the Snapchat app and navigate to the camera tab (if you’re not already using it) by swiping left or right across the tabs.
Click on small double Image Icon, displayed directly below button cameras .

A new tab labeled Memories will slide out from the bottom of the screen, showing a grid of snaps if you’ve saved them. If you haven’t saved yet, this tab will be empty.

How to start uploading your photos and videos

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To download something from your device, you must use the memory function. You can make changes to images in the Snapchat app. If you’re sending a video, you can trim it on Snapchat, mute it, add text, and draw on it before sending it.

AT Memories you should see three tabs: Snaps, Camera Roll and My Eyes Only. (If you haven’t set it up, you won’t see just My Eyes.) Click » Camera roll», to jump to the desired tab.

The items in the Camera Roll are the images and videos that are on your phone. To back up items in Snapchat, set «My Eyes Only». Select the pictures you want to make private, click lock icon at the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions on the screen.

You may need to allow Snapchat to access your device’s photos in the first place. If you haven’t already done so, a pop-up window should appear asking for your permission. Click OK, to continue.
Select a photo or video to send as a message to friends or post as a story.
Click on the menu in the top right corner, represented by three dots.
Select » Edit photo» (iOS) or » Edit photo» (Android).
Contribute additional changes into your photo or video using the tools that appear for text, emoticons pictures, filters or edit cut and paste.

You won’t be able to apply filters with Bitmoji or animation since the photo or video was taken outside of the Snapchat app. However, you should be able to use at least one of the many tinted filters.
When you’re done making changes, click » Ready», and then, if necessary, save the image using the prompts that appear.
You don’t need to save your edited image to send it. If you want to send without saving, click the » Send», to send the uploaded picture to your friends as a message or post it as a story.

Formatting Downloaded Photos and Videos in Snapchat

You may notice that some of the photos and videos you choose to upload to Snapchat look different than those you take directly through the app. For example, some may appear cropped with black edges around them, while others may be enlarged with their outer edges cut off. Snapchat will do its best to make your photo or video look good enough to send, but since it wasn’t received directly through the app, it won’t necessarily look perfect.

Third party apps blocked

Before the introduction of the Memories feature, there were several applications from third party developers who claimed to help Snapchat users upload photos or videos to Snapchat. Snapchat has since banned third-party apps, claiming it is violation of the company’s terms of use .