One of the most popular apps in social networking among the millennials is Snapchat. The most significant feature of Snapchat is its photo sharing, and that it disappears once the picture message sent. Apparently, the pictures are automatically deleted in 10 seconds once they have been viewed by the recipient. But do Snapchat pictures really disappear? Can they be removed entirely from the digital world? Read on to find out.
What is Snapchat and how does it work?
Snapchat is a messaging app in which pictures and videos are shared and they are meant to disappear after they are viewed. It’s also advertised as a new type of camera, which also adds filters and lenses to the snaps before sharing with the friends.
In Snapchat, the messaging is usually communicated not through text but snaps. There are many photo editing tools, as well as filters available that can adorn your images. Once the snap is customised, it can be sent to your friends or can be added to your story, which is a record of the day and can be viewed for 24 hours. Snapchat also offers group texting and group stories to which everyone can contribute to.
Do Snapchat pictures really disappear?
Once the snap message is sent and viewed by the recipient, the message gets deleted from the receiver’s phone and Snapchat server, as claimed by Snapchat. In short, the Snapchat doesn’t deliberately store the snap longer than the required time. If the recipient doesn’t open the snaps for a week, it remains in the server for a week. The maximum amount of time the snap is kept in the Snapchat server is 30 days. If it isn’t opened in the mentioned time, then it gets expired and deleted from the server also.
How can you save Snapchat snaps to your phone?
Even though Snapchat claims that photos sent through the app are deleted from the recipient and the sender’s phone after it’s opened. It also gets removed from the servers of Snapchat after 30 days if the recipient does not open the file. However, the snaps can be saved by following methods:
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Screenshots: You can take a screenshot of Snapchat so that the photo won’t disappear. You also will get a notification if someone takes a screenshot of your photo.
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Chat: You can save the message by pressing down and saving it.
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Memories: You can save particular snaps and stories in an archive. The content saved in the archive will not disappear.
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Stories: If you upload a photo or video to your Snapchat story, it will be visible only for 24 hours. However, if you submit a Snapchat to a “Live Story” or “Local Story,” the company might save it so that you can view it again.
Also, when you share photos or videos in Snapchat to your friend, it doesn’t travel directly between the phones, but it is passed through the Snapchat server. It’s also stated in the Terms & Conditions of the Snapchat that they have the right to retain the message if they want to.
Snapchat prides itself on privacy. They built their entire business on the idea that when you share a photo or video through Snapchat, the data disappears after it has been viewed. Importantly though, Snapchat doesn’t guarantee the third party can intercept end-to-end encryption of the snaps you capture and send to your friends. We hope from the above article, the myth “do Snapchat pictures really disappear” is helpful.