Roundup
Ways to view your Snapchat data export (2026 roundup)
There are four broad ways to view a Snapchat data export: Snapchat's own index.html, which needs no extra software; Memories fixers such as FixMyExport, SnapEasy and MemoriesExport, which repair dates, locations and captions so Memories import cleanly into a photo library; SC Memories Importer, an iPhone app that saves exported Memories to your device; and chat viewers that rebuild conversations, such as Snap Data Explorer on desktop and Lidly on iPhone. Which is right depends on whether you want your Memories in a photo library or want to read back through your conversations, and on which device you're using.
We make Lidly, so read this with that in mind. Everything said here about other tools is what their own websites or App Store listings said when we checked in October 2026, with links. We haven't tested their apps, and features change, so check their pages before deciding.
At a glance
| Tool | Runs on | Main job | Chats by person | Upload needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Snapchat's index.html | A web browser | Browse and download your data | Not described by Snapchat | No |
| FixMyExport | Mac, Windows, iPhone/iPad, Android | Fix Memories files | Not mentioned on its site | No, per its site |
| SnapEasy | Web, plus Mac and Windows apps | Fix Memories files | Not mentioned on its site | Web version: yes. Desktop: no |
| MemoriesExport | Web, in-browser, Mac and Windows apps | Fix Memories files | Not mentioned on its site | Online version: yes. Browser and desktop: no |
| SC Memories Importer | iPhone, iPad | Save Memories to your device | No, Memories only | No, per its listing |
| Snap Data Explorer | Mac, Windows, Linux | Explore the whole export | Rebuilds chat threads | No, per its README |
| Lidly | iPhone | Read chats and Memories | Yes, with sender names | No |
Snapchat's own viewer
Snapchat's help page says to extract the ZIP, open index.html in a browser and use Memories in the left navigation to download Memories individually or all at once. It suggests using a computer.
Good for: a quick look, free, nothing to install. Less good for: reading saved chat snaps in context. Snapchat's page describes the viewer mainly for downloading Memories, and doesn't describe showing saved chat snaps inside the conversations they came from.
Memories fixers
These take the export and produce Memories files with dates, GPS and captions written back in, ready for Apple Photos or Google Photos. As of October 2026:
- FixMyExport (formerly ExportSnaps) says it runs on macOS, Windows, iPhone and iPad, and Android; that it embeds GPS, restores dates, merges overlays onto photos and videos, and stitches split videos; that media is processed on your device and never uploaded to its servers; and that it can send fixed files to your own Google Drive or Dropbox. It is free for up to 200 files, then a one-time payment. Lidly vs FixMyExport.
- SnapEasy describes uploading your ZIP on a computer and getting back an archive with dates, GPS and overlays restored and clips combined, as a ZIP or straight into Google Drive. It also offers Mac and Windows desktop apps that it says run entirely on your computer with nothing uploaded. Lidly vs SnapEasy.
- MemoriesExport offers an online version, an in-browser version and Mac and Windows apps. Its site says it fixes dates and GPS, burns captions and stickers into photos (and videos, in the Mac app), and deletes uploaded files one hour after your download is ready. It is free for the first 100 Memories, then a one-time purchase. Lidly vs MemoriesExport.
Good for: getting Memories into Google Photos or Apple Photos in bulk, on a computer, with captions burned into videos too. Less good for: chats. None of the three mentions chat history or sender names on its homepage.
SC Memories Importer
An iPhone and iPad app. As of October 2026, its App Store listing says it saves your exported Snapchat Memories to your device with their original dates and locations, into an album, after you select the memories_history.json file or the full ZIP. Its privacy label reads "Data Not Collected", and it's free with an in-app purchase. It says it handles Memories, not chats. Lidly vs SC Memories Importer.
Snap Data Explorer
A free, source-available desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux. As of October 2026, its README says it rebuilds chat threads from the export's HTML and JSON, matches media to chat events by media ID, has full-text search, a gallery and a Memories view, and can export chats as text or JSON. It says it has zero network access and no telemetry. Lidly vs Snap Data Explorer.
Good for: searching your whole history on a computer. Less good for: using on a phone.
Lidly
Our app, for iPhone (iOS 18 or later). It reads the export in place, one ZIP or all parts at once, without unzipping. Saved chat snaps appear in conversations by person, in order, with who sent each one, and captions shown on photos and videos. Anything it can't place confidently goes to an Unsorted view by date rather than being guessed. Memories appear by date. You can save to your camera roll with the original date and recorded location; photos keep their captions, videos are saved without the caption burned in. Throwbacks bring back snaps from past years with on-device notifications.
No account, no login, no network requests; the privacy label reads "Data Not Collected". Free to import and read, with the most recent twelve months of media and the first ten saves free; a one-time purchase unlocks the rest. No subscription.
Good for: reading back through conversations on your phone. Less good for: Android or desktop users, full-text search, burning captions into videos, or sending files to Google Drive.
How to choose
- You want Memories in Google Photos, or you're on Android or a computer: a Memories fixer.
- You want to search everything on a computer: Snap Data Explorer.
- You want Memories saved into your iPhone's Photos and nothing else: SC Memories Importer or Lidly.
- You want to look back through your conversations on iPhone, with who sent what: Lidly.
Whichever you pick, check what it does with your data first. Are memories downloaders safe? lists the questions to ask.