To save Snapchat memories to your Samsung Galaxy phone, request your Snapchat data export and use the Memories Import app from Google Play to transfer everything to Samsung Gallery with original dates and locations preserved. Samsung Galaxy users make up a large portion of the 10,000+ people who have used this method, with a 99.7% success rate and an average import time of 8 minutes.
Samsung Galaxy phones are the most popular Android devices worldwide, and Samsung's One UI software adds features on top of stock Android that affect how photos are stored, organized, and backed up. This guide is written specifically for Galaxy owners -- whether you have a Galaxy S25, Galaxy A55, Galaxy Z Flip, or any other Samsung phone. Every instruction references One UI settings paths and Samsung-specific apps that you will not find in a generic Android tutorial.
Why Samsung Galaxy Owners Should Save Snapchat Memories
Samsung Galaxy devices come with a unique combination of hardware and software features that make them ideal for storing and managing large photo libraries:
- Samsung Gallery app -- Unlike stock Android's reliance on Google Photos, Samsung ships its own Gallery app with powerful organization features. It creates automatic albums based on dates, locations, and events, and your imported Snapchat memories will be sorted into these albums automatically.
- Samsung Cloud backup -- Galaxy phones can back up your gallery to Samsung Cloud, providing an additional layer of protection beyond Google Photos. Your imported Snapchat memories are included in this backup.
- microSD card support -- Many Galaxy models (particularly the A-series and older S-series) support microSD cards up to 1 TB. This gives you virtually unlimited local storage for even the largest Snapchat libraries.
- Samsung DeX -- If you use DeX to connect your Galaxy to a monitor, your imported Snapchat memories are accessible in the desktop-style file browser, making it easy to organize, view, and share them on a big screen.
- Smart Switch compatibility -- When you upgrade to a new Galaxy phone, Samsung Smart Switch transfers your entire gallery, including imported Snapchat memories, to the new device with all metadata preserved.
Before You Start: Samsung Galaxy Preparation
Samsung's One UI has some default settings that can interfere with large imports. Taking a few minutes to adjust them prevents the most common issues Galaxy users encounter.
Check Storage in Device Care
Open Settings > Battery and device care > Storage. One UI displays a detailed breakdown of how your storage is used, with categories for images, videos, apps, and system files. You need at least 3 to 5 GB free for a typical import of 1,000 memories, or 10 to 15 GB for larger libraries. If space is tight, tap the "Clean now" button -- Samsung's built-in cleaner identifies duplicate files, old installation packages, and cached data that can be safely removed.
Disable Sleeping Apps for Memories Import
One UI's battery optimization is more aggressive than stock Android. By default, Samsung puts apps to sleep after a few days of inactivity and restricts background activity. For the import to complete reliably, especially if you have thousands of memories, you need to prevent One UI from sleeping the app.
Go to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits. Under "Never sleeping apps," tap the plus button and add Memories Import. This ensures the app can run its background download and import process without interruption.
Set Battery Profile to Unrestricted
As an additional precaution, go to Settings > Apps > Memories Import > Battery and select Unrestricted. This tells One UI to allow the app full background activity regardless of the device's power-saving mode.
Choose Your Default Gallery App
Samsung Galaxy phones come with both Samsung Gallery and Google Photos preinstalled. Both will display your imported memories, but they work slightly differently:
- Samsung Gallery sorts photos into a timeline and creates location-based "Stories" automatically. It integrates with Samsung Cloud and offers advanced editing tools built into One UI.
- Google Photos provides AI-powered search, face recognition, and cloud backup with Google One storage. It works cross-platform if you also use non-Samsung devices.
You do not need to choose one or the other -- imported memories appear in both apps simultaneously. However, if you want Samsung Cloud backup, make sure Samsung Gallery sync is enabled.
Step-by-Step: Save Snapchat Memories to Samsung Galaxy
Step 1: Request Your Snapchat Data Export
Open Samsung Internet or Chrome on your Galaxy phone and navigate to accounts.snapchat.com. Log in with your Snapchat credentials. Tap My Data in the account menu, scroll to the bottom, and tap Submit Request. Snapchat will prepare your export over the next 24 to 48 hours and send you an email when it is ready.
Samsung Internet users: if you have Samsung Pass enabled, it may offer to auto-fill your Snapchat login credentials, making the sign-in process faster.
Step 2: Download the ZIP File Using Samsung Internet
When Snapchat's email arrives, tap the download link. If you are using Samsung Internet (the default browser on Galaxy phones), the file downloads to the path shown in your browser's download settings. You can check this in Samsung Internet > Menu > Settings > Download. By default, it saves to Internal storage > Download.
To find the file after downloading, open My Files (Samsung's built-in file manager) and navigate to Internal storage > Download. The Snapchat export will be a ZIP file, typically named something like "mydata~[timestamp].zip."
Step 3: Install Memories Import
Open the Galaxy Store or Google Play Store and search for "Memories Import." The app is available on both stores. Tap Install, then Open once the installation completes. You can also go directly to the Google Play listing. The app costs $4.99 as a one-time purchase with no recurring fees.
Step 4: Select Your Snapchat Export
Launch Memories Import and tap the button to choose your export file. Samsung's file picker (powered by One UI) will open. You should see your recent downloads at the top. If not, tap the hamburger menu (three lines) in the top left and select Downloads or Internal storage to browse manually. Select the ZIP file and the app will analyze its contents, showing you the total number of photos and videos found.
Step 5: Grant Permissions and Start Import
Tap Import to begin. On Galaxy phones running One UI 6 (based on Android 14) or One UI 5 (based on Android 13), the system will ask you to allow access to "Photos and videos." Tap Allow. On older Galaxy phones running One UI 4 or earlier, the permission is labeled "Storage" -- tap Allow as well.
The import begins immediately after you grant permission. Memories Import downloads each photo and video from Snapchat's servers and saves it to your Galaxy's media storage with the correct original date, timestamp, and GPS coordinates.
Step 6: Keep Your Galaxy Unlocked (First Few Minutes)
For the first two to three minutes of the import, keep your Galaxy's screen on. This allows the app to establish its background process and download pipeline. After the initial phase, you can lock the screen or switch to other apps -- the import continues via the persistent notification. If you set up the "Never sleeping apps" and "Unrestricted" battery settings as described above, the import will run reliably in the background.
Samsung Gallery: Managing Your Imported Memories
After the import completes, open Samsung Gallery and tap the Pictures tab at the bottom. You will see all your imported Snapchat memories sorted chronologically alongside your existing photos. Samsung Gallery's timeline view groups photos by date, so your 2018 Snapchat photos appear in the 2018 section, your 2020 photos in 2020, and so on.
Using Samsung Gallery's Stories Feature
One UI's Gallery app automatically creates "Stories" -- curated collections of photos grouped by location and date. If your imported Snapchat memories include location data (many do, especially those taken with location filters or geotagged), Samsung Gallery will incorporate them into existing Stories or create new ones. You might find that a trip you documented on Snapchat in 2019 now has a complete Story in Samsung Gallery combining your camera photos and Snapchat memories from the same dates and places.
Samsung Gallery Albums
You can create albums in Samsung Gallery to organize your imported memories. Tap the Albums tab, then tap the + button to create a new album. You can then select imported Snapchat photos and add them to the album. Samsung Gallery also shows a "Recents" album that will contain your freshly imported memories right after the import finishes.
Samsung Gallery Editing Tools
One UI includes a powerful built-in photo editor accessible directly from Samsung Gallery. You can enhance your old Snapchat memories with tools like Object Eraser (to remove unwanted objects from photos), Remaster (which uses AI to improve resolution and color), and standard adjustments for brightness, contrast, and saturation. These editing tools work on your imported JPEG files without any compatibility issues.
Samsung Cloud Integration
If you use Samsung Cloud for gallery backup, your imported Snapchat memories will be included in the sync. To verify this is enabled, go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud and check that Gallery sync is turned on.
Samsung Cloud provides 5 GB of free storage for most users. If your Snapchat import is large, you may need to upgrade your Samsung Cloud storage plan or rely on Google Photos backup instead. Samsung offers plans starting at $0.99/month for 50 GB through the Galaxy Store.
A useful feature of Samsung Cloud is that it preserves the complete folder structure and metadata when syncing. This means if you set up a new Galaxy phone and restore from Samsung Cloud, your imported Snapchat memories arrive with their original dates intact -- no re-importing needed.
Using My Files App for Direct Access
Samsung's My Files app (preinstalled on every Galaxy device) provides direct file system access to your imported photos. After the import, open My Files and navigate to Internal storage > DCIM or Internal storage > Pictures. Here you can:
- Move files to a microSD card if your Galaxy supports one (Galaxy A series, older Galaxy S models)
- Copy files to Samsung Secure Folder for additional privacy
- Share files directly via Samsung Quick Share to nearby Galaxy devices
- Transfer to a PC using Samsung Flow or a USB-C cable
Troubleshooting Samsung Galaxy Issues
One UI Kills the App During Import
This is the most common issue on Galaxy phones. Even with a persistent notification, Samsung's battery optimization may terminate background processes. If your import stops when you switch apps:
- Go to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits
- Under "Never sleeping apps," tap the + icon and add Memories Import
- Go to Settings > Apps > Memories Import > Battery and select Unrestricted
- Disable "Adaptive battery" temporarily in Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > More battery settings
After making these changes, reopen Memories Import and tap Resume. The import will pick up where it left off.
Photos Show Wrong Date in Samsung Gallery
Samsung Gallery reads EXIF metadata to determine photo dates. If a few imported photos show today's date instead of the original date, those specific files may not have had metadata in Snapchat's export. This sometimes affects very early memories (2013-2015 era) or photos that were originally received from other users rather than taken by you. The vast majority of memories will display their correct original dates.
Samsung Secure Folder Confusion
If you have Samsung Secure Folder enabled, be aware that it maintains a separate, isolated gallery. Photos imported to your regular gallery will not appear inside Secure Folder, and vice versa. If you want certain Snapchat memories in your Secure Folder for privacy, you will need to move them manually using My Files after the import completes.
Low Storage on Older Galaxy Phones
Budget Galaxy phones (Galaxy A14, A15, etc.) sometimes ship with only 32 or 64 GB of internal storage. If you are running low, insert a microSD card before starting the import. While Memories Import saves to internal storage by default, you can move the files to the SD card afterward using My Files. Select the imported photos, tap Move, and choose your SD card as the destination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will imported Snapchat memories show up in Samsung Gallery?
Yes. Memories Import saves photos and videos to your Samsung Galaxy's media library, which makes them visible in both Samsung Gallery and Google Photos. Samsung Gallery will display them at their original dates in the timeline view, and you can organize them into albums just like any other photo on your device.
Does Samsung Cloud back up imported Snapchat memories?
If you have Samsung Cloud Gallery Sync enabled, your imported Snapchat memories will be included in your Samsung Cloud backup. To check, go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud > Gallery. Note that Samsung Cloud provides limited free storage (5 GB for most users), so large imports may require a storage upgrade or using Google Photos backup instead.
Can I use Samsung Smart Switch to transfer imported Snapchat memories to a new Galaxy phone?
Yes. Once your Snapchat memories are in your Samsung Gallery, they are treated as regular photos and videos. When you use Smart Switch to set up a new Galaxy phone, all your gallery photos -- including imported Snapchat memories -- transfer to the new device with their original dates and metadata intact.
How do I prevent One UI from killing Memories Import in the background?
Samsung's One UI has aggressive battery optimization that may stop background imports. Go to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits, and add Memories Import to the "Never sleeping apps" list. Also, in the app's battery settings (Settings > Apps > Memories Import > Battery), select "Unrestricted" to ensure the import runs uninterrupted.
Get Your Snapchat Memories Into Samsung Gallery
Your Samsung Galaxy phone is built to handle large photo libraries, and importing your Snapchat memories takes full advantage of Samsung Gallery's timeline view, Story creation, Samsung Cloud backup, and Smart Switch portability. Over 10,000 users have made the switch from Snapchat's cloud storage to their own devices. The average import takes just 8 minutes of active time, and the one-time cost is far less than a single month of Snapchat+ storage fees.
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