How Long Do Messages Last on Snapchat?

Snapchat has built its entire brand by deleting chats and snaps after twenty-four hours.

That’s what its users cherish the most about it.

You don’t have to worry about your messages staying on the servers forever.

Snapchat encourages you to Snap without having any concerns.

But how long do these chats last on Snapchat servers before disappearing forever?

Even though it completely goes against the essence of Snapchat to save messages for longer, it’s good to know there are ways to change when the messages disappear. There is also a way to save some messages that are too valuable to disappear. All in a couple of easy steps we’ll explain in this article! 

When Do Snapchat Messages Disappear?

“Deleting is our default,” says Snapchat, and, indeed, that is what they are good at. Most messages on Snapchat are automatically deleted once viewed or expired.

However, your messages won’t delete straight away if someone saves, replies, or reacts to your message. For messages you have not viewed, Snapchat will automatically delete them after thirty days. 

For group chats, Snapchat default is a bit different.

Snapchat servers are set to delete texts sent in Group Chats one day after all the participants in the group have viewed them or one week after the message was sent, whichever comes sooner!

However, Snapchat has recently rolled out updates that include changing the time your messages get deleted, making them stay on the servers for a little longer.

How To Change When Your Messages Expire?

Do you ever get annoyed when you are in the middle of a conversation on Snapchat, and suddenly you can’t remember the last thing the other person said because there’s absolutely no history of it in the chat? Yep! We’ve all been there!

Thanks to Snapchat for listening to our woes and delivering an update from the gods- the ’24 hours after viewing’ option.

If you don’t want your messages to disappear immediately, you can choose this option and have your chats stay visible for twenty-four hours. 

Here’s how you can do that:

1. Open Snapchat on your mobile device.
2. Swipe right from the Camera screen to go to the chats screen. 
3. Press and hold on to your friend’s name.
4. Select ‘Chat Settings.’
5. Tap on ‘Delete Chats …‘
6. Choose the ‘24 Hours after Viewing‘ option from the two that appear, and you’re all set!

It’s important to note that you must manually choose the message expiration time for every conversation. This way, you can select what chats stay for 24 hours and which disappear immediately after viewing them. 

If you wish to change the settings to delete immediately “After Viewing,” Snapchat will delete all your previous unsaved messages, so be careful! 

Learn more about Snapchat chatting features.

How To Save Snapchat Messages?

If you want the messages in your chats to remain even after the 24-hour limit, Snapchat allows you to save them!

The save-in-chat feature on Snapchat allows users to save individual messages in a conversation. This way, you can save important information you do not want to lose to Snapchats default delete feature. 

Here’s how you can save your messages on Snapchat:

1. Open Snapchat and log in.
2. Tap the chat icon at the bottom or swipe right on your screen.
3. Open the conversation you want to save.
4. Tap on the message to save it. It is as simple as that.

If you change your mind and wish to unsave the message, repeat the same steps and unsave the message! It’s that quick and easy! 

Conclusion

Snapchat mimics real-life conversations by going poof as soon as they are finished.

But that is not to say that its users are not given the convenient option to save and cherish important messages that are too valuable to be forgotten in the long string of deleted Snapchat content.

All you need to do is follow a few simple steps in this article! 

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