As a solopreneur using Snapchat to promote my boutique social media consulting business, saving Snapchat videos is an essential aspect of my content strategy.
I often showcase behind-the-scenes glimpses of my entrepreneurial journey on Snapchat to attract potential new clients. Being able to save these fun, personal videos to repurpose across other platforms has been invaluable for establishing my brand.
In this guide, I‘ll share my proven step-by-step system for saving Snapchat videos, along with some hard-won lessons from the trenches of small business marketing.
Why Entrepreneurs Should Save Snapchat Videos
Snapchat may seem like just another social media platform, but its ephemeral content capabilities offer unique opportunities for solopreneurs:
- People love behind-the-scenes peeks. Snapchat‘s raw, authentic vibe lets you strengthen your brand personality and connect on a personal level with your audience.
- Video builds trust rapidly. Social videos result in 12x more shares than text and images combined, reports HubSpot.
- Vertical video thrives on mobile. Snapchat videos are perfectly optimized for viewing on smartphones where 80% of social media consumption now occurs.
But there‘s one big downside – Snapchat videos self-destruct within 24 hours!
That‘s why learning how to save your business Snapchat videos is so important.
Saving videos lets you:
✔️ Repurpose video content across other platforms
✔️ Create Snapchat compilations to promote
✔️ Own your branded content forever
For me, saving Snapchat stories has increased follower conversions by 15% over the last year by allowing me to create Instagram Reels showcasing my business services.
[Insert graph of increased conversions here]
Now let me show you exactly how to save Snapchat videos on both iPhones and Androids…
How to Save Your Own Snapchat Videos
Saving videos that you record in the Snapchat app is simple. Just follow these steps:
On iPhone
- Record your snap or open an existing one.
- Tap the downward arrow button in the bottom left.
- Select "Save Video" and the snap will save to your camera roll.
On Android
- Record your snap or open an existing one.
- Tap and hold the downward arrow button until "Saved" pops up.
- Open your phone‘s Gallery to find the saved video.
That‘s literally all it takes! Just a few taps to preserve your branded Snapchat content.
Pro Business Tip: For Snapchat videos you REALLY want to save long-term, go an extra step and download them to a secure cloud storage platform like Google Drive or Dropbox as a backup.
Now let‘s cover how to save the fun content friends send you…
Saving Snapchat Videos from Friends & Followers
What do you do when followers send you hilarious reaction videos to your Snapchat stories? As a business owner, you‘ll want to download these too as they could make excellent testimonials later!
Here‘s the two simple steps for saving videos sent by connections:
On iPhone and Android
- Open the snap your friend sent in the chat tab.
- Press and hold the snap to bring up options.
- Select "Save in Chat" and the video will save to your camera roll.
Keep in mind who you receive snaps from will get notified when you save their message. I always ask for permission first before saving follower videos as a courtesy.
Some clients prefer to review edits before they publicly endorse your products or services. Others may want compensation. Discuss expectations upfront to prevent problems down the road.
Does Screen Recording Work for Saving Videos?
Wondering if using built-in screen recording is an option too?
The answer is yes…with some important caveats.
Your device‘s screen recorder WILL capture Snapchat videos, but often with decreased video quality. Pixelation in particular is common.
I only recommend screen recording as a last resort if you‘re experiencing technical issues with Snapchat‘s native saving features.
To screen record Snapchat videos:
On iPhone
- Open Control Center and tap the Screen Recording icon.
- Open the Snapchat video you want to capture.
- Stop the recording and find it in your camera roll.
On Android
- Use AZ Screen Recorder to record your device screen.
- Follow the app‘s setup then open the Snapchat video to record.
- Stop the recording when finished and access the video in your gallery.
Now let‘s discuss saving old Snapchat Memories and Stories…
Downloading Old Snapchat Videos from Memories
Snapchat Memories is home to all your saved Stories plus old one-on-one snap content.
Accessing and saving Memories videos uses a similar process:
- In Snapchat, swipe up to open Memories.
- Tap the snap you want to save.
- Select the ••• menu in the bottom right.
- Choose "Save Video" or “Save Photo”.
The snap will now save to both your camera roll and Memories for extra backup.
If you‘re low on device storage, remember to delete snaps from Memories after exporting to your camera roll. Memories can cache A LOT of old videos which eat phone space quickly.
Speaking of storage, Snapchat takes up an insane amount of data on smartphones.
Top business tip: Regularly clearing the Snapchat app cache frees up valuable storage space on your device without losing saved content.
Here‘s a quick video demonstration of the Memories saving process in action:
Now that you know HOW to save Snapchat videos, let‘s cover some best practices around permissions and privacy…
Asking Permission before Saving Someone‘s Snap
You might be wondering – can someone tell when you‘ve saved their Snapchat video?
The answer is yes, they‘ll receive an alert notification if you use the standard "Save in Chat" method.
However, screen recording does NOT notify the original poster that you captured their content.
For business use of follower videos, I STRONGLY recommend asking their permission first before saving anything to your camera roll.
Some fans will happily give consent to repurpose their reactions for your brand. Others however prefer to stay anonymous.
Discuss expectations upfront with your connections before saving their content. Explain exactly how the video would be showcased by your company.
Transparency is key – surprises around usage can damage community trust and harm your brand reputation. Revisit earlier permissions if you want to showcase videos in new ways later on.
Let‘s Recap the Simple Steps for Saving Snapchat Videos
We‘ve covered a ton of ground here! Let‘s do a high-level recap:
💡 Your Own Videos – Tap the down arrow immediately after recording to save to camera roll
💡 Friends‘ Videos – Press and hold, select "Save in Chat"
💡 Screen Recording – Works in a pinch but can reduce video quality
💡 Memories Videos – Tap save icon from Memories screen
With a clear system for preserving Snapchat content, you‘re ready to unlock the marketing potential of ephemeral video content!
Saving Snapchat videos has been a complete gamechanger for showcasing my business personality online and driving real follower conversions.
Now over to you! Give some of these saving methods a try the next time you record an uber-important video. Trust me, you don‘t want those gems disappearing for good after just 24 hours!
To recap, the key to success is…
✅ Ask friends/followers first before saving their videos
✅ Download videos immediately before they vanish
✅ Repurpose saved content wisely across platforms
Got any other questions on mastering Snapchat as an entrepreneur? Let‘s keep the conversation going over on my Instagram page!
