Technologies

If You Don’t Want to Pay to Store Snapchat Memories, Here’s How to Download Them for Free

We’ve detailed two ways to export your Snapchat memories so you don’t have to add another fee to your pile of subscriptions.

Snapchat is capping the storage limit for its Memories feature, the company announced last month. The feature has gained tremendous popularity since its 2016 launch, and Snapchat will eventually require users exceeding the new 5GB cap to pay for additional storage.

Snapchat users exceeding the new limit aren’t required to start paying immediately. You have a full year to sort out your existing storage situation. This gives longtime users time to delete expendable memories or export them for free to avoid the fee. The year of temporary storage begins when you first exceed the 5GB cap.

If you do need the extra storage, you’ll need to pay $2 per month for 100GB when you exceed the limit. If you’re already signed up for the $4 per month Snapchat Plus or the $16 per month Snapchat Platinum plans, you’ll have 250GB and 5TB of Memories storage included, respectively. A Snapchat spokesperson said these prices are for the US and may vary depending on the market.

Option 1: Save Memories to your Photos in batches

If you’re looking for a way to save your Memories to your camera roll, it’s easy, but there’s a limit on how many you can save at a time.

Open Snapchat and tap the Memories icon (stacked photos) to the left of the camera button.
Tap Select at the top.
Select up to 100 Snaps from the carousel.
Tap the Export button (arrow up icon).
Select your save destination and then tap download.

Option 2: Request your Snapchat data

If downloading all of your Snapchat Memories in batches of 100 sounds like something you’d rather avoid, and don’t mind a wait, you can request to download data from your account. The result will be available in a ZIP file that you can download to your computer and use to view your Memories.

Open Snapchat and go to your profile.
Tap the settings icon (gear) at the top right.
Scroll to select My Data.
Choose the data you want to download.
Tap Next.
Choose a time frame (All Time is an option).
Tap Submit.

The amount of data in your account determines how long it takes to receive the file. When it arrives, download the zip file and access your data.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Smokes, informally
Answer: CIGS

5A clue: «Don’t have ___, man!» (Bart Simpson catchphrase)
Answer: ACOW

6A clue: What the vehicle in «lane one» of this crossword is winning?
Answer: RACE

7A clue: Pitt of Hollywood
Answer: BRAD

8A clue: «Yeah, whatever»
Answer: SURE

9A clue: Rd. crossers
Answer: STS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Things to «load» before a marathon
Answer: CARBS

2D clue: Mythical figure who inspired the idiom «fly too close to the sun»
Answer: ICARUS

3D clue: Zoomer around a small track
Answer: GOCART

4D clue: Neighbors of Norwegians
Answer: SWEDES

Technologies

Watch SpaceX’s Starship Flight Test 11

Technologies

New California Law Wants Companion Chatbots to Tell Kids to Take Breaks

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the new requirements on AI companions into law on Monday.

AI companion chatbots will have to remind users in California that they’re not human under a new law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The law, SB 243, also requires companion chatbot companies to maintain protocols for identifying and addressing cases in which users express suicidal ideation or self-harm. For users under 18, chatbots will have to provide a notification at least every three hours that reminds users to take a break and that the bot is not human.

It’s one of several bills Newsom has signed in recent weeks dealing with social media, artificial intelligence and other consumer technology issues. Another bill signed Monday, AB 56, requires warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those required for tobacco products. Last week, Newsom signed measures requiring internet browsers to make it easy for people to tell websites they don’t want them to sell their data and banning loud advertisements on streaming platforms.

AI companion chatbots have drawn particular scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators in recent months. The Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into several companies in response to complaints by consumer groups and parents that the bots were harming children’s mental health. OpenAI introduced new parental controls and other guardrails in its popular ChatGPT platform after the company was sued by parents who allege ChatGPT contributed to their teen son’s suicide.

«We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability,» Newsom said in a statement.

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One AI companion developer, Replika, told CNET that it already has protocols to detect self-harm as required by the new law, and that it is working with regulators and others to comply with requirements and protect consumers.

«As one of the pioneers in AI companionship, we recognize our profound responsibility to lead on safety,» Replika’s Minju Song said in an emailed statement. Song said Replika uses content-filtering systems, community guidelines and safety systems that refer users to crisis resources when needed.

A Character.ai spokesperson said the company «welcomes working with regulators and lawmakers as they develop regulations and legislation for this emerging space, and will comply with laws, including SB 243.» OpenAI spokesperson Jamie Radice called the bill a «meaningful move forward» for AI safety. «By setting clear guardrails, California is helping shape a more responsible approach to AI development and deployment across the country,» Radice said in an email.

One bill Newsom has yet to sign, AB 1064, would go further by prohibiting developers from making companion chatbots available to children unless the AI companion is «not foreseeably capable of» encouraging harmful activities or engaging in sexually explicit interactions, among other things.