Snapchat gets a little less ephemeral thanks to “Memories”

Snapchat today introduced a new feature that allows users to save a copy of their Snaps or Stories in a private archive within the Snapchat app. Dubbed Memories, the functionality is ostensibly Snapchat's own take on the camera roll. After a Snap is saved, users will be able to reshare it with friends, or add it to a new Story, no matter how long ago it was taken.

Once a user's account has been enabled for Memories, it will be available by swiping up from the camera screen. From here, users will be able to browse, re-edit- and re-share old Snaps. Private Snaps can be locked behind a PIN-protected "My Eyes Only" section.

While Snapchat currently allows you to save a Snap to your smartphone camera roll, Snaps saved to Memories are uploaded to Snapchat's servers. This ensures that users have a backup in case their phone breaks or is stolen.

Memories will progressively roll out to Snapchat users over the next month or so. A chat notification will pop up when the feature is ready to go.