If you are a photophilic or social media maniac, then no doubt, you would have heard about Snapchat. It is a platform to chat with your friends, smartly share your moments, and much more. This platform provides free services and is available for both Android as well as iOS devices. This application is very popular among youngsters.
Snapchat has a unique feature that differentiates it from other social media platforms. The snaps sent on this platform disappear once you have viewed them, automatically. And if you try to take a screenshot, it will notify your friend about the same. Snapchat is a bit strict for security, isn’t it?
Now, the fact that you are here, reading this article proves that you are searching for a way to view old Snapchat pictures, videos, or stories. Sometimes you wish to see the moment or the memories that you shared on Snapchat. Well, don’t you ever worry! You can revisit those snaps because we are here to help you recover them for you.
In this article, we will be showing you the steps to recover your snaps. Some methods are for a specific operating system (i.e., Android or IOS), while some are compatible with all operating systems.
Snapchat deletes snaps permanently
The Snapchat team says that after the snaps expire or are viewed, the snaps are deleted permanently. But who are they trying to fool? When you share snaps with your friends, it first goes to the Snapchat server and then to the receiver. Also, your snaps are stored in the cache of your system and are not deleted permanently.
All the more, you can go for the methods below to know how snaps are saved on your device:
- Screenshot: If your friend sends you a snap, you can save it on your device by merely taking a screenshot. But Snapchat will notify your friend that you have taken a screenshot. Features like this are included in Snapchat because of the fraudulent circulation of photos and videos over the web.
- Story: While uploading a story, you can submit it to a Live Story or Local Store. In this way, you will allow Snapchat to save your story, which you can watch later whenever you want.
- Memories: Try saving your snaps in the memories section (archive). It will help you to access your snaps according to your needs.
How to View Old Snaps in Snapchat?
Option 1: How to Recover Snaps on your Android phone
We have slightly different methods to recover snaps on Android and iOS. This section will be about Android devices. You can easily recover the snaps on your android device by following the steps given below:
1. By using Computer
1. First of all, connect your phone with the computer by using a USB cable. Allow the computer to access the files on your phone.
2. Now, search for the android system folder, enter the folder and select data.
3. In the data folder, click on the com.Snapchat.android folder.
4. Inside the com.Snapchat.android folder, look for the file having .nomediaextension, files having this extension are hidden in the phones.
5. After getting the file, rename it by removing the .nomedia extension. Now, you will be able to view your deleted or old snaps.
The .noname extension files are hidden from the user on Android devices. Hence, you need this method to extract the hidden files.
2. Using Cache Files
Android devices have a cache folder for every application installed on the device, which stores the data on your phone. You can recover your snaps from the cache files using the given steps.
1. First, open the file manager of your device and search for the Android folder.
2. In the Android folder, search for the data folder.
3. Inside the data folder, look for the Snapchat cache folder com.Snapchat.android and open it.
4. Now, search for the cache folder. Inside the cache folder, navigate to received -> image -> snaps folder.
5. The received -> image -> snaps folder contains all your deleted or old snaps. Here, you can retrieve every snap there is, whatsoever.
3. Using Third-Party Application
If the above methods do not work for you, try installing Dumpster. It is like a recycle bin for Android devices. This application is highly rated and is available on the play store with millions of users worldwide.
1. In the first step, download the application Dumpster and install it on your device.
2. Once you have installed it, launch this application, and go for the refresh button provided on the top. Now it will start scanning your device to find out the deleted files. After the completion of this process, Dumpster will show you the thumbnails of recovered files.
3. When the thumbnails are visible, find your deleted or old snaps and click on the Restore button to retrieve them. Once you click on the Restore button, the snap will be saved on your device, not to mention it will be removed from the Dumpster bin.
Option 2: How to View Deleted or Old Snaps on iOS device
If you want to see your deleted snaps on iOS, here is the simplest way to retrieve them:
1. Using iCloud
If you are using iPhone and have a backup of your Snapchat messages on your iCloud or opt for automatic iCloud sync on your phone, you can easily retrieve your snaps. Follow the given steps carefully:
1. First of all, open the Settings app of your iOS device and then click on General.
2. After completing the above steps, click on Reset and then go for the Erase All Content and Settings option.
3. Now, restart your iPhone and click on Restore from iCloud backup in the Apps & Data menu.
4. At last, select your Snapchat folder to retrieve the snaps to back up the data on your iPhone.
2. Using UltData
1. First, open the application UltData and connect your device to your laptop or computer using a USB cable.
2. Select the type of data you want to recover (Select Photos, Apps Photos, and Snapchat) and click on the Start button.
3. Click on the Recover Data from iOS Device option on the top left corner.
4. After the completion of the scanning process, a list of recovered files will appear on the screen having thumbnails. You can preview them and search for the snaps you are looking for.
5. Now you can select the files and start the process of retrieving your snaps by clicking the recover button, and files will be saved to your desired location.
Option 3: Download Snapchat “My Data”
Using this method, you can watch the data of your snaps from the servers of Snapchat directly. You can get all the data from Snapchat stored on their servers. Your snaps, search history, chats, and other data all are stored safely by Snapchat.
To get that data, open the Snapchat application and go to your Profile section. Now click on the Settings icon to open the Settings menu. Now, please search for the My Data option and click on it.
After submitting the request, you will get an email from the Snapchat Team having the link. You can download your data from the link provided in the email.
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There is always a loophole in the system, you only need to identify it. If you don’t want to go for the above methods, then you can always use inbuilt screen recording apps or other third-party apps to save your snaps regularly. It will be a better option to store your snaps on your device or cloud. It will lower the risk of losing data.
We hope this article was helpful and you were able to retrieve or view deleted or old Snaps in Snapchat. If you still have any queries or suggestions then feel free to ask them in the comment section.