How to save messages on Snapchat — It's simple

Snapchat's trademark feature is the fleeting nature of its content — stories, private snaps and messages disappear from the platform after a certain period of time. Snapchat Stories, for example, last for 24 hours and private snaps can last anywhere from one to 10 seconds depending on the sender's settings. Messages, on the other hand, only appear as long as the window is open, and self-destruct after the recipient switches out of the page. That said, when it comes to messages on Snapchat, know there are ways to save your thread.

How to save private text messages

When you're having a text conversation with someone — or a group — on Snapchat, the default setting is for the message to disappear after the recipient exits the window. This can be problematic when someone replies to a message you sent, as you may not remember what you said in the first place.

How to save Snapchat messages

If someone has sent you a message in an actual snap, then your options are limited. Taking a screenshot is the only way to save the message. If the message appears for a longer amount of time, then grabbing a screenshot is relatively easy. But for shorter snaps, you may run out of seconds.

In this scenario, opt for replaying the snap and getting your fingers positioned to take grab a screenshot. Know that you can only replay a snap immediately after watching the snap by pressing on snap in your feed until it loads back up again.

Who knows you've saved a message?

The recipient always knows if you've saved a snap. When screenshotting — whether it be a snap or of the message thread — Snapchat will notify the sender. As for swiping to save messages, the sender can also tell if you're saving messages there as well.