Deleting photos from Snapchat works differently depending on where they are stored: in Memories, in a chat, as a profile picture, or in the My Eyes Only section. Each option has its own steps and, in some cases, its own limitations. Here is how to handle each one.
Snaps you send disappear on their own once viewed, but photos you save to Memories or chats have to be deleted manually. This guide covers every scenario. At the end, you will also find what to do if someone else already has your image. If you want to go further, check out our guide on how to protect your privacy online.
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How to Delete Photos from Memories in Snapchat
Memories is the section where Snapchat stores the snaps you have manually saved. To access it, swipe up from the camera screen.
To delete a specific photo:
- Open Memories by swiping up from the camera screen.
- Press and hold the photo you want to delete until the options menu appears.
- Tap the three-dot icon (or the contextual menu) in the corner of the image.
- Select Delete Snap and confirm the action.
How to Delete Multiple Photos or All Memories at Once
If you want to do a more thorough clean-up, you can select multiple photos at the same time without having to delete them one by one.
- Press and hold a photo until it enters multi-select mode.
- Tap the other photos you want to include in the selection.
- Use the delete option in the bottom menu to remove them all at once.
To delete all your Memories in one go: go to your profile, open Settings (gear icon), scroll to the Privacy section and look for Clear Data. From there you can remove all Memories stored in your account.
How to Delete Your Snapchat Profile Picture
Your profile picture and Bitmoji are visible to your contacts and, depending on your privacy settings, to other users too. To change or remove it:
- Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon (top left).
- Tap the photo or Bitmoji shown on your profile.
- Choose the option to change or remove the current image.
- If you use a Bitmoji as your avatar, you can unlink it by going to Settings > Bitmoji.
To limit who can see your profile picture, review your privacy settings under Settings > Who Can… From there you control who can contact you and which parts of your profile are public.
How to Delete Photos Sent in a Snapchat Chat
Snapchat lets you delete messages and photos you have already sent in a conversation. That said, there are limitations worth knowing before you act.
- Open the chat where you sent the photo.
- Press and hold the photo or message you want to remove.
- Tap Delete in the menu that appears and confirm.
What Snapchat cannot prevent:
- If the recipient already saw the photo, it will have appeared on their screen, even if only briefly.
- If they took a screenshot, Snapchat will notify you, but you cannot prevent it or retrieve that image.
- In group chats, all members may receive a notification that you deleted something.
Deleting a photo from a chat removes it from that conversation, but it does not guarantee the other person has not saved it by some other means.
My Eyes Only: How to Delete Photos from This Section
My Eyes Only is a private folder inside Memories, protected by a passcode, where you can store photos and videos so they do not appear in the app’s main roll. To delete content from this section:
- Access Memories by swiping up from the camera screen.
- Swipe to the My Eyes Only tab and enter your passcode or PIN.
- Press and hold the photo you want to delete and select Delete.
If you forget this section’s passcode, Snapchat does not allow recovery without deleting all content stored in it. Keep that code somewhere safe.
If Someone Already Has Your Snapchat Photo
Deleting a photo from your account does not solve the problem if someone has already saved it or posted it elsewhere. In that case you have two options.
Report to Snapchat: You can report content directly from the app or through the safety and privacy form in Snapchat’s Help Center (support.snapchat.com). The platform will review the case and, if the content violates its policies, take the appropriate action.
If the photo is already circulating outside Snapchat: When an image has spread to other social networks, forums, or websites, there are ways to have it removed from the internet. You can request removal directly on each platform, or use a specialist image removal service that handles the process for you, with over 100,000 pieces of content removed and a 96 % success rate.
If intimate images of you have been published without your consent, you can also file a complaint with the data protection authority in your country. In the UK, that is the ICO (ico.org.uk); in other countries, contact your local Data Protection Authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a Snapchat photo remove it from the other person’s device too?
Not necessarily. If the recipient already saw or saved the photo to their gallery before you deleted it, they will still have it. Deleting a message from a chat only removes the content from that conversation, not from other devices.
Does Snapchat notify the other user when I delete a photo I already sent?
Yes. When you delete a message or photo from a chat, the other person may receive a notification that you deleted something. There is no way to do it silently.
Can I recover deleted photos from Memories?
No. Once you delete a photo from Memories or My Eyes Only, Snapchat does not offer any recovery option within the app. Make sure you no longer need the image before deleting it.
How do I know if someone has taken a screenshot of my snap?
Snapchat sends a notification when someone screenshots a snap or a chat. However, it cannot detect if someone uses another device to photograph the screen, so the protection is only partial.
What should I do if someone posts my Snapchat photos without my permission?
Start by reporting the content directly on the platform where it has been posted. If it has spread to multiple sites or you cannot get it taken down, you can seek help to remove your personal data from the internet. If intimate images are involved, you can also contact the data protection authority in your country.
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