One of Snapchat’s standout features is that photos and videos normally disappear after being viewed. However, the app includes a Memories section where you can choose to back up your camera roll, so your Snaps aren’t lost forever.
Unfortunately, sometimes users run into the error “Your Camera Roll Isn’t Backed Up by Snapchat.” This essentially means your camera roll photos and videos aren’t being properly saved within Snapchat Memories. If you’re an Android or iPhone user seeing this error, it can be frustrating not having your Snaps backed up.
There are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to fix it. In this post, we’ll go through the steps to get your Snapchat to back up your camera roll again on both Android and iOS devices.
How to Fix “Camera Roll Not Backed Up” Error on Android
If the “Your Camera Roll Isn’t Backed Up” message pops up on an Android phone, here are systematic troubleshooting steps to resolve it:
Fix 1: Check If You’re Logged Into Snapchat
This may seem obvious, but double check you’re properly logged into your Snapchat account in the app:
- Open the Snapchat app.
- Tap your profile icon in the top left corner.
- Confirm your username is shown, indicating you’re logged in.
- If you’re logged out, enter your credentials to log back in.
Fix 2: Retry Saving Snaps to Camera Roll
- Launch the Snapchat app and make sure you’re logged into your account. Tap your profile icon in the top left.
- Tap on the Memories icon located to the left of the main Capture button. This houses your backed up Snaps.
- Select the Snaps tab, then tap on a specific Snap you want to save to your camera roll.
- Tap the downward arrow Save button at the bottom of the screen.
- From the menu, choose “Save to Camera Roll”.
- Open your Photos app and confirm the Snap is now saved in your camera roll.
- Following these steps should get the backup working again in most cases.
Fix 3: Navigate to Snapchat Memories
Now that you’re logged in, the next step is to go to your Memories tab:
- Tap the Memories icon on the left side of the capture button. It looks like a white speech bubble.
- This is where your backed up camera roll Snaps are stored.
- If the Memories tab is empty, your camera roll likely isn’t being backed up.
Fix 4: Try Saving a Snap to Memories
Let’s try manually saving a Snap to Memories:
- Take a new Snap or select one already in Snapchat.
- Tap the downward arrow button at the bottom to save it.
- Choose “Save to Memories” in the popup menu.
- Go back to the Memories tab to see if it saved.
If the Snap doesn’t save, the issue lies with Snapchat not having proper permissions or another technical problem.
Fix 5: Check App Permissions
Snapchat needs access to your phone’s storage and photos to back up your camera roll:
- Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions.
- Select Storage and Photos.
- Ensure Snapchat has “Allow” toggled on for both these permission categories.
If permissions were disabled, toggling them on should allow Snapchat to again back up your camera roll.
Fix 6: Clear Cache and Data
Corrupted app cache/data files may also prevent Snapchat from backing up your camera roll properly:
- Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps.
- Select Snapchat.
- Tap Storage & cache > Clear cache and Clear storage.
- This removes old Snapchat files that may be causing issues.
Be aware clearing data will sign you out, so you’ll have to log back in.
Fix 7: Update the Snapchat App
An outdated version of Snapchat can also disrupt the camera roll backup feature:
- Open the Google Play Store on your Android.
- Search for Snapchat.
- If an Update button is shown, tap it to update to the latest version.
Fix 8: Restart Your Phone
A simple device restart can help flush out any software glitches causing the Snapchat backup error:
- Hold down the Power button on your Android for a few seconds.
- Tap Restart when prompted to reboot your phone.
- Once it restarts, open Snapchat again and check if your camera roll now saves.
Fix 9: Update Your Android OS
If your Android OS is very outdated, that may hinder Snapchat’s ability to properly back up your camera roll:
- Go to Settings > About phone > Android version to check your version.
- Open Settings > System > System update to check for any available OS updates.
- Install the latest Android OS update and security patches.
- Outdated OS issues are more likely to cause Snapchat problems.
Fix 10: Uninstall and Reinstall Snapchat
If all else fails, a clean reinstallation of Snapchat may be needed:
- Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps.
- Find Snapchat and tap Uninstall.
- Confirm uninstalling when prompted.
- Open the Play Store and reinstall Snapchat fresh.
- Log back into Snapchat and see if your camera roll now saves in Memories.
This should wipe out any stubborn glitches in the Snapchat app preventing your camera roll backup.
Following this step-by-step Android troubleshooting guide should resolve the “Your Camera Roll Isn’t Backed Up” error in the Snapchat app. The key fixes are ensuring proper app permissions, updating software, clearing app cache/data, and reinstalling Snapchat as needed.
How to Fix “Camera Roll Not Backed Up” on iPhone
Now let’s go through the troubleshooting process to fix the Snapchat camera roll backup error on iPhones and iOS devices:
1. Check You’re Logged Into Snapchat
As on Android, first confirm you’re logged into the Snapchat app on your iPhone:
- Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top left.
- Make sure your username is displayed, which verifies you’re logged in properly.
- If logged out for some reason, enter your Snapchat login credentials.
2. Go to Snapchat Memories
Next, navigate to the Memories section of the app:
- Tap the Memories icon on the left of the capture button. It appears as a white speech bubble.
- This is where backed up camera roll Snaps are saved within Snapchat.
- If Memories is empty, your camera roll likely isn’t being backed up currently.
3. Try Saving a Snap to Memories
Attempt manually saving a Snap to Memories:
- Open the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Locate a photo in your Camera Roll that you want to back up to Snapchat Memories.
- Tap the Share icon (square with arrow pointing up) and select Snapchat.
- In Snapchat, choose the “Save to Memories” option.
- Go back to Snapchat Memories to confirm it saved.
If your Snap doesn’t save, there’s an issue with Snapchat’s access to your photos.
4. Confirm App Privacy Settings
For an iPhone camera roll backup, you need to allow Snapchat access to your photos:
- Go to Settings > Snapchat > Photos.
- Make sure Read and Write access is enabled with the toggle switched on.
- This permits Snapchat to backup your camera roll.
5. Update the Snapchat App
Having an outdated version of Snapchat can prevent your camera roll from saving properly:
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Select your profile icon in the top right.
- Pull down to refresh and check for any Snapchat updates.
- If an Update button displays, tap it to install the latest version.
6. Force Quit and Relaunch Snapchat
Trying force quitting Snapchat may clear out any bugs stopping your camera roll from backing up:
- Double tap the Home button to open the multitasking view.
- Find Snapchat and swipe up to force quit it.
- Open Snapchat again from your Home screen and check if backups are fixed.
7. Restart Your iPhone
If force quitting Snapchat didn’t work, try restarting your iPhone:
- Hold down the Power and Volume down buttons simultaneously until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to turn off your phone completely.
- After 30 seconds, hold down the Power button again to restart your iPhone.
8. Update iOS
An outdated iOS version can also prevent Snapchat’s camera roll backup from working properly:
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Install any iOS updates available, including minor bug fixes.
- Keeping iOS updated helps ensure app compatibility.
9. Reset Network Settings
Resetting your network settings may fix connection issues stopping Snapchat from backing up:
- Go to Settings > General > Reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings.
- This will wipe saved WiFi networks and other network settings.
- Make sure to rejoin your WiFi afterwards.
10. Uninstall and Reinstall Snapchat
If you still can’t get your iPhone camera roll to backup on Snapchat, a clean reinstall may be needed:
- Find Snapchat in the App Library/Home screen and touch & hold the icon.
- Tap Remove App when it jiggles.
- Confirm removing Snapchat.
- Open the App Store, search for Snapchat, and reinstall it fresh.
- Log back in and hopefully your camera roll now saves properly!
By methodically following these iPhone troubleshooting steps, you should be able to overcome the “Your Camera Roll Isn’t Backed Up” error plaguing Snapchat.
The key fixes involve double checking app permissions, updating software, resetting network settings, and reinstalling Snapchat as a last resort.
Conclusion
To summarize, if Snapchat suddenly stops backing up your camera roll, there are concrete troubleshooting techniques you can follow on both Android and iPhone to resolve it.
The problem typically boils down to outdated software, incorrect app permissions, needing to clear app cache/data, or reinstalling Snapchat entirely.
Hopefully by diligently working through the step-by-step guides above, you’re able to get Snapchat properly backing up your camera roll again.
Saving your Snaps to Memories is a valuable feature that helps you retain special moments, even if just for nostalgia’s sake.
Please let me know in the comments below if you have any lingering issues getting your Snapchat Memories/camera roll backup functioning again!
