How to Transfer Snapchat Memories to Google Photos (Without Wrecking Your Timeline)

Here's the short version: you can't send Memories straight from Snapchat to Google Photos — you first request a "My Data" export from Snapchat, then upload the files to Google Photos yourself. The catch is that Snapchat's export strips the original dates from most files, so unless you fix that first, years of Memories will land in Google Photos as if they were all taken today.

This guide covers both parts: the transfer itself, and the date problem that almost every tutorial skips. It matters more than ever, because since September 26, 2025, Snapchat only stores 5GB of Memories for free. Anything above that gets 12 months of temporary storage before it can be deleted — an effective deadline expected around late September–October 2026, though Snapchat has never announced an exact date. If you're over the limit, moving your Memories somewhere you control is the sensible play. (More on the timing in our deadline explainer.)

Why Google Photos is a good home for your Memories

Google Photos gives you 15GB of free storage shared across your Google account, automatic backup, face and location search, and a timeline view that works the way your memory does — scroll back to summer 2019 and there it is. It's available on every device, and unlike Snapchat's own storage, nobody is threatening to delete anything.

The timeline is exactly why the date problem matters. Google Photos sorts everything by the date embedded in each file's metadata. Get that wrong and your 2018 prom photos sit next to yesterday's screenshots, forever.

Step 1: Export your Memories from Snapchat

Snapchat's official export is the only way to get everything out at once. Quick version below; the full walkthrough with screenshots lives in our guide to downloading all your Snapchat Memories.

Go to accounts.snapchat.com in a browser (or in the app: Settings → My Data).
Choose Request Only Memories — you don't need your chat logs and login history for this.
Select "all available data" as the date range, confirm your email address, and submit.

Snapchat emails you a download link, usually within about 7 days. Large accounts can take longer and may receive several ZIP files. Download every one — and if a download stalls or a link misbehaves, our export troubleshooting guide covers the common failures.

How long does the Snapchat data export take?

Typically a few hours to 7 days, depending on how much you've saved. Multi-gigabyte accounts sit at the slow end. The request can't be cancelled once submitted, so just let it run.

Step 2: The manual method — upload the export to Google Photos

Once the ZIP arrives, here's the direct route.

On a computer (recommended)

Unzip the export. You'll find a memories folder full of photos and videos, plus an index.html file you can open in a browser to preview everything. (Curious what else is in there? See what's inside your Snapchat export.)
Go to photos.google.com and sign in.
Click Upload → Computer, then select the contents of the memories folder. You can also drag and drop the files straight onto the page.
Wait for the upload to finish before closing the tab. For multi-gigabyte exports, upload in batches of a few hundred files so a dropped connection doesn't cost you the whole run.

If you haven't pulled the export onto your machine yet, our computer transfer guide walks through the Windows and Mac specifics.

On a phone

Doable, but clumsy with big exports. Unzip the archive using your phone's Files app (iOS and Android both handle ZIPs natively), save the media to your camera roll, and let the Google Photos app back it up. Phones struggle with multi-gigabyte archives, so for anything over ~2GB, use a computer.

The catch: your timeline will break

Upload the raw export and you'll immediately see the problem: everything appears under today's date. Snapchat's export doesn't preserve original capture dates in the files' metadata — the pain point users complain about most, confirmed by The Tab in July 2026. Location data is gone too, and any captions or filters arrive as separate overlay files rather than baked into the image.

Why do my Snapchat Memories show the wrong date in Google Photos?

Google Photos reads the EXIF "date taken" field inside each file. Snapchat's export files mostly don't carry one, so Google falls back to the file's creation date — which is the day you unzipped it. Result: five years of Memories stacked on one day in your timeline, unsearchable by date.

You have three ways out:

Fix dates by hand in Google Photos. Select a photo → Edit date & time. Fine for a dozen files; absurd for 3,000.
Script it. Free GitHub tools can rewrite EXIF data from Snapchat's metadata files, but they require a command line and some patience.
Use a tool that restores dates before upload. This is the gap Still Mine was built for.

The easier method: fix the dates first with Still Mine

Full disclosure: Still Mine is our tool — that's why you're reading this on our blog. Here's what it actually does, so you can judge for yourself.

You open your Snapchat export ZIP in the Still Mine app and, for free, get a chronological gallery on your phone — your Memories sorted by their real dates, plus a shareable all-time Long Story recap that goes beyond the official Snapchat Recap (which only covers the last 12 months). If you want your files out, a one-time unlock of about €4.99 — never a subscription — gets you an organized download with the original dates restored into each file's metadata, duplicate removal, and direct export to Google Photos, Google Drive, or OneDrive.

That last part is the point of this article: because the dates are written back into the files before they reach Google Photos, your timeline lands intact. Summer 2019 shows up in summer 2019. Your files never leave your phone: the app opens the export on your device, so there is nothing to upload and no copy of your memories on our side.

Alternatives exist and some are good: ExportSnaps ($14.99–19.99 one-time, desktop app), Memory Downloader ($1.99, desktop only), Snap Backup for iOS (€4.99), or the free GitHub script if you're comfortable with a terminal. We compare the whole landscape in how to save your Memories without paying Snapchat.

Does Google Photos have enough space?

Probably. Free Google accounts include 15GB shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos. Snapchat's free tier caps Memories at 5GB, so most people migrating fit comfortably. If your export is bigger, Google One starts at $1.99/month for 100GB — coincidentally the same price as Snapchat's 100GB plan, except Google's buys storage for everything you own, not just Snaps.

FAQ

Can I transfer Snapchat Memories directly to Google Photos?

No. There's no built-in connection between the two apps. You have to export your Memories through Snapchat's My Data tool, then upload the resulting files to Google Photos — either manually or through a transfer tool that handles the upload and metadata for you.

Why are all my Snapchat Memories showing today's date in Google Photos?

Snapchat's export strips the original capture dates from most files' metadata. Google Photos then falls back to the file creation date — the day you unzipped the archive. Fixing dates before upload, manually or with a tool like Still Mine, keeps your timeline chronological.

How long does it take to move Snapchat Memories to Google Photos?

Budget up to 7 days for Snapchat to prepare your export, then anywhere from minutes to a few hours to upload, depending on your export size and connection speed. The export wait is the long pole; start the request now even if you'll upload later.

Will my Snapchat captions and filters transfer?

Partially. Snapchat exports overlays (text, stickers, filters) as separate image files rather than merged into your photos. Upload the raw export and captions appear as odd transparent images. Some tools, including Still Mine, can merge overlays back onto the original media during processing.

Is Google Photos free enough for my whole export?

Free accounts get 15GB shared across Google services. Since Snapchat's free Memories tier caps at 5GB, most exports fit. Larger libraries can use Google One from $1.99/month for 100GB — or trim duplicates first, which deduplication tools handle automatically.

Do I need to do this before the Snapchat deadline?

If you're over 5GB, yes — Snapchat has said over-limit Memories get 12 months of temporary storage, which points to late September–October 2026, though no exact date has been announced. Under 5GB, there's no deletion risk, but an off-Snapchat backup is still smart.

Ready to move your Memories? Upload your Snapchat export to Still Mine and preview your full chronological gallery free. If you like what you see, one payment of €4.99 sends everything to Google Photos with the dates where they belong — no subscription, ever. Still Mine is our tool, so weigh this recommendation accordingly; the manual method above works too, and it's completely free.