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The graveyard of memory apps, and which ones let you leave

· 16 min read · The Memory Palace Team

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Short answer: services that keep photos, voices and stories do close, and when they do, users usually get a few weeks. We found 17 services since 2012 that closed or lost content. For the 13 with a known announcement and end date, the median notice was 33 days, and the shortest was 10. Most let users download their files, a few only on request, and one lost them outright. Then we scored 20 active services on how well you can take your memories out, using only their own help pages. 27 of the 100 answers are simply not stated there.

Who made this: The Memory Palace, a small team in Leuven, Belgium. We make one of the services in the index. We scored ourselves with the same five criteria, and we do not get 5 out of 5. Every fact links to its source at the end.

Five findings

  1. The warning is short. Of 13 closures with a known announcement and end date, 8 gave less than six weeks. The median was 33 days. Humane gave 10 days before it deleted photos, videos and notes.
  2. Four gave no usable deadline. Myspace made a loss public after it happened. Photobucket's new terms took effect six days before the blog post that announced them. Picturelife went offline with no notice we could find. HereAfter AI said it was shutting down, without a date.
  3. Early promises did not decide the ending. When Ancestry bought 1000memories in October 2012, TechCrunch reported the deal did not mean a shutdown; 10 months later, users had 33 days to export. HereAfter's FAQ promised every customer the opportunity to download their recordings; the notice asked them to email support.
  4. The format is rarely stated. Only 2 of the 17 closures named the format users would get (both ZIP files). In the index, 12 of the 20 services do not say whether exported photos come back at full quality.
  5. Voices are the weakest link. Of the 15 scored services that keep voice or audio recordings, 8 say clearly that you get them back as audio files. Six do not say.

Part 1: the graveyard

Services for photos, voices and stories that closed, or made users lose content, since 2012. "Notice" is the number of calendar days between the announcement and the closing or deletion date. "First seen" means the date of the first Internet Archive snapshot with the notice, so the real announcement may be a little earlier.

ServiceWhat it keptAnnouncedClosed or lostNoticeCould you export?Source
Kodak GalleryPhotos, photo books7 May 2012 (press)2 July 201256 daysYes: moved to Shutterfly, or download. Photo books and group albums were not movedKodak Gallery (Internet Archive), AP
1000memoriesOld photos, memorial pages, life stories13 Aug 201315 Sep 2013 (photos deleted after)33 daysYes: ZIP download or export to Ancestry1000memories blog (Internet Archive)
EverpixPhotos5 Nov 201315 Dec 201340 daysYes: download instructions by emailEverpix (Internet Archive)
PicasaPhotos, web albums12 Feb 201615 Mar 2016 (desktop app); web albums changed from 1 May 201632 days (desktop app)Yes: web albums stayed viewable and downloadable through GoogleGoogle Photos blog
PicturelifePhotos, videosNot found22 Aug 2016None foundPartly: SmugMug recovered files, to be claimed by 15 Nov 2016, without guaranteeSmugMug (Internet Archive)
VineSix-second videos27 Oct 201617 Jan 2017 (app)82 daysYes: download from the app or the websiteVine on Medium
Photobucket (embedding)Photos shown on forums and other sites26 Jun 201720 Jun 2017 (new terms took effect)None: the change took effect before the announcementYes: photos stayed in the account; only the embedded copies brokePhotobucket blog (Internet Archive)
PathPhotos, texts, videos17 Sep 201818 Oct 201831 daysYes, format not statedPath blog (Internet Archive)
Flickr free accounts (limit)Photos and videos above 1,0001 Nov 2018Deletion from 12 Mar 2019 (first planned 5 Feb)96 days to the first dateYes: download before the deadlineFlickr blog, TechCrunch
Google+Posts, photos8 Oct 2018 (brought forward 10 Dec 2018)2 Apr 2019176 days (113 after it was brought forward)Yes: Google Takeout, format not named on the help pageGoogle
Facebook MomentsPhotos, videos24 Jan 201925 Feb 2019 (export until May 2019)32 daysYes: to a private Facebook album or a downloadTechCrunch
MyspaceMusic, photos, videos uploaded more than three years earlier18 Mar 2019 (made public)Earlier, during a server migrationNoneNoThe Guardian
Lifecake (Canon)Photos and videos of childrenBetween 13 Apr and 13 May 2020 (first seen)30 Jun 202048 to 78 daysNot verifiedLifecake (Internet Archive)
Ever (Everalbum)Photos, videosBy 1 Aug 2020 (first seen)31 Aug 2020 (download extended to 30 Sep 2020)At least 30 daysYes: ZIP files through an email linkEveralbum (Internet Archive)
Humane Ai PinPhotos, videos, notes18 Feb 202528 Feb 2025 (data deleted)10 daysYes: download from the web dashboardHumane (Internet Archive)
Sora app (OpenAI)Generated videos and images24 Mar 202626 Apr 202633 daysYes: an export pageOpenAI Help Center, Engadget
HereAfter AIRecorded life stories (voices), photosNotice first seen 28 Jun 2026 (absent on 11 Jun)No date given; site offline (404) by 2 Sep 2026No closing date givenPartly: on request by email to support; format not statedhereafter.ai (Internet Archive)

Not on the list: StoryFile. StoryFile, which made conversational videos of people telling their story, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 5 May 2024 in the Southern District of New York. The case was dismissed on 30 April 2025. A spokesperson said in 2024 that the company would continue to operate, and the website was still online on 19 October 2026. We found no source saying the service closed.

Also left out: Lifelogger (the site went offline in 2018, but we found no announcement), and Yahoo Photos, which closed in 2007, before our range.

Part 2: the export index

Twenty services where people keep memories today, scored on five questions. Each answer comes from the service's own help, pricing or terms pages, read on 19 October 2026.

  1. Full export. Can you download all your content at once, not only one item at a time?
  2. Without a paid plan. Does the export work on a free plan, or after a paid subscription ends?
  3. Originals in full quality. Do photos and videos come back as the files you uploaded?
  4. Voice as audio. If the service keeps voice or audio recordings, do they come back as audio files, not only as a transcript or a book?
  5. Stories and structure. Does the export include captions, stories, dates, albums or entries in a form you can read without the service?

Scoring. Yes is 1 point, Partly is half a point, No is 0. Not stated is also 0: if a service's own pages do not say it, a user cannot count on it. n/a means the service does not keep voice recordings, so nothing can be lost there; it counts as 1. The table is sorted by score, then by name.

ServiceType1. Full export2. Without a paid plan3. Originals in full quality4. Voice as audio5. Stories and structureScore
Google PhotosPhotosYesYesPartlyn/aYes4.5 / 5
The Memory Palace (our service)Memory palaceYesYesPartlyYesYes4.5 / 5
Day OneJournalYesYesNot statedYesYes4 / 5
FlickrPhotosYesYesNot statedn/aYes4 / 5
Microsoft OneDrivePhotosYesYesYesn/aNot stated4 / 5
NotionNotesYesYesNot statedYesYes4 / 5
StoriiLife storiesYesYesNot statedYesYes4 / 5
FacebookSocial networkYesYesPartlyNot statedYes3.5 / 5
FOREVERPhotosYesNoYesYesPartly3.5 / 5
Apple JournalJournalYesYesNot statedNot statedYes3 / 5
iCloud PhotosPhotosYesNot statedYesn/aNot stated3 / 5
RementoLife storiesPartlyYesNoYesPartly3 / 5
FamilySearch MemoriesFamily treeNoYesNot statedYesPartly2.5 / 5
StoryworthLife storiesYesNot statedNot statedPartlyYes2.5 / 5
AncestryFamily treeNoYesNot statedNot statedYes2 / 5
InstagramSocial networkYesYesNoNot statedNot stated2 / 5
StoryCorpsLife storiesNoYesNot statedYesNo2 / 5
JourneyJournalYesNot statedNot statedNot statedPartly1.5 / 5
MyHeritageFamily treePartlyNot statedNot statedNot statedYes1.5 / 5
Amazon PhotosPhotosNoNot statedNot statedn/aNot stated1 / 5

Notes per service

  • Google Photos: Google Takeout exports everything, with details added after upload in a separate JSON file. With Storage saver, photos above 16 MP are resized, so originals come back only if you chose Original quality. Google One says you can still download when you are over quota.
  • The Memory Palace: one-click ZIP on every plan, including the free plan: every photo, voice recording, video and story in its own format, a data file, and a page that opens without internet and without an account. Photos above 4 MB are reduced in the browser before upload (longest side up to 4,096 pixels), so we score criterion 3 as Partly.
  • Day One: export to JSON with photos, videos and audio in folders, or to PDF, also on the free plan and after you cancel. Audio recording itself is a paid feature.
  • Flickr: Request my Flickr data works for free and Pro accounts and adds a JSON file with your details. The page does not say whether files come back at original size.
  • Microsoft OneDrive: photos upload at original size on Wi-Fi, and you can still download while over quota. Whole-folder downloads have size limits.
  • Notion: whole-workspace export to HTML, Markdown and CSV with uploaded files, on every plan including Free. Live meeting recordings are not kept as audio; uploaded audio files are.
  • Storii: a Life Story Audiobook of all answers, audio downloads, PDF and CSV, also after you cancel.
  • Facebook: Download your information in HTML or JSON, with a choice of media quality; a copy of the original media is offered when you transfer it to another service. Voice messages are not mentioned.
  • FOREVER: files are stored exactly as uploaded. A full export runs through the Valet desktop app, which needs a paid Valet subscription; on the web you download a selection or an album at a time.
  • iCloud Photos: Download Originals on a Mac gives full resolution; on iCloud.com up to 1,000 at a time. Captions and albums in the download are not described.
  • Apple Journal: Export All Journal Entries gives one ZIP file with the media you added. Audio is not named.
  • Remento: after the subscription the account becomes view-only, and downloading all content is still listed. The download holds audio and video only: photos and written stories are not included. Its pages disagree on whether a full backup is self-service or by request.
  • Storyworth: Download all your stories sends a ZIP with a PDF per story and the images. Recordings download one at a time, or as an audiobook file. There is no free plan; stories stay accessible after the subscription ends.
  • FamilySearch Memories: free. You download item by item, or all items of one ancestor in the app, including audio.
  • Instagram: Download your information exists, but photos are sized down to 1,080 pixels wide when you post them.
  • StoryCorps: free; interview audio downloads one interview at a time, and transcripts cannot be downloaded.
  • Ancestry: the GEDCOM file holds the tree but no photos or media. A free account can still download it.
  • Journey: bulk export to a ZIP through a cloud service; which features need membership is not stated.
  • MyHeritage: the GEDCOM file links to photos but does not contain them; photos download as ZIP files per selection or album.
  • Amazon Photos: entire albums cannot be downloaded; you select the photos yourself.

Not scored: MemoryWeb (its domain shows a parking page), Tellus and Meminto (their own pages say nothing about export). We will add them when there is something to read.

Method

  • Part 1 covers services for photos, voices and stories that closed, or made users lose content, since 2012. A fact is included only when we could read it on the company's own page, in an Internet Archive snapshot of that page, in a court record, or in a news article that quotes the company. Dates of first sighting come from Internet Archive snapshots.
  • Part 2 uses only each service's own help, pricing and terms pages. We did not sign up, test exports or ask the companies. That means a service can do more than its pages say; in that case it scores Not stated until the page says it.
  • Everything was read on 19 October 2026. Services change; we plan to check the index again every month.
  • Disclosure. The Memory Palace made this study and is one of the 20 scored services. Our row uses the same criteria; the facts come from our own code and our page What if we stop?. If a service shows us a page that changes an answer, we will correct it and note the date.

What to do now

  1. Export today from every service where you keep photos, recordings or stories, and keep the export on your own drive.
  2. Open the export. Check that the photos open, the recordings play and the stories are there, not only file names.
  3. Save the voices separately. If a service only offers a transcript or a book, download each recording on its own while you still can.
  4. Repeat it every few months, and always before you cancel a subscription or when a service changes owner.
  5. Before you choose a service, look up the five questions above on its help pages. If the answer is not there, ask before you put years of memories in.

For accounts of a parent who has died, see what happens to photos and accounts after death. For the order in which family photos get lost, see which family photos disappear first.

Where we stand

The Memory Palace is your own 3D memory palace: your photos, voice recordings and stories each get a room you can walk through. Private by default; invite family and friends when you choose.

  • Take everything with you. One click downloads the whole palace as a ZIP file, on every plan including the free one, with a page that opens without internet and without an account. Read what happens if we stop.
  • Real voices. Recordings come back as audio files, exactly as they were recorded.
  • Who sees what. A plain answer, including what is not end-to-end encrypted: who can see your memories.
  • Practical. A free plan with 1 GB; on iPhone, iPad, Android and in the browser, in five languages. Data is stored in the EU. Made by a small team in Leuven, Belgium.

Keep your own copy as well: that is the point of this whole article. Have a look at the app.

Use this table on your site

Journalists, libraries, genealogy societies and bloggers may copy the short version below. Please keep the source link with it.

<table>
<caption>Export index of memory apps (October 2026)</caption>
<tr><th>Service</th><th>Score</th></tr>
<tr><td>Google Photos</td><td>4.5 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>The Memory Palace</td><td>4.5 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Day One</td><td>4 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Flickr</td><td>4 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Microsoft OneDrive</td><td>4 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Notion</td><td>4 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Storii</td><td>4 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Facebook</td><td>3.5 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>FOREVER</td><td>3.5 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Apple Journal</td><td>3 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>iCloud Photos</td><td>3 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Remento</td><td>3 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>FamilySearch Memories</td><td>2.5 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Storyworth</td><td>2.5 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Ancestry</td><td>2 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Instagram</td><td>2 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>StoryCorps</td><td>2 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Journey</td><td>1.5 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>MyHeritage</td><td>1.5 / 5</td></tr>
<tr><td>Amazon Photos</td><td>1 / 5</td></tr>
</table>
<p>Five criteria from each service's own help pages, checked 19 October 2026. The Memory Palace made this index and is one of the scored services. Source: <a href="https://www.thememorypalace.ai/blog/memory-app-graveyard-export-index">The Memory Palace, Export index of memory apps (October 2026)</a></p>

Read on: the best apps for family memories, apps to record the stories and voices of grandparents, and all guides on choosing an app.

Sources

All sources were fetched and checked on 19 October 2026. Internet Archive links point to the snapshot we read.

Questions people ask

Which memory apps have shut down?

Among services for photos, voices and stories since 2012: Kodak Gallery (2012), 1000memories (2013), Everpix (2013), Picasa (2016), Picturelife (2016), Vine (2017), Path (2018), Google+ (2019), Facebook Moments (2019), Lifecake (2020), Ever (2020), Humane's Ai Pin (2025), the Sora app (2026) and HereAfter AI (2026). Myspace lost music, photos and videos in a server migration, and Flickr and Photobucket changed what free accounts could keep or show. Each case links to its source in the article.

How much notice do users get when a memory app closes?

Usually a few weeks. For the 13 closures with a known announcement and end date, the median notice was 33 days, and 8 of the 13 gave less than six weeks. The shortest was Humane: 10 days between the announcement on 18 February 2025 and the deletion of data on 28 February 2025. The longest was Google+: 176 days. Myspace, Picturelife, Photobucket and HereAfter AI gave no usable deadline.

What happened to HereAfter AI?

In snapshots of 28 June, 1 July and 21 July 2026, the Internet Archive shows a notice on hereafter.ai saying that HereAfter is shutting down, and asking account holders who want their life story recordings to email support. The notice gave no closing date and no file format. The site returned 404 in a snapshot of 2 September 2026, and still did on 19 October 2026. Earlier, its FAQ had promised that every customer would get the opportunity to download their recordings if the company had to shut down.

Did StoryFile shut down?

We found no source saying it did. StoryFile filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 5 May 2024 in the Southern District of New York, and the case was dismissed on 30 April 2025. At the time, a spokesperson said the company would continue to operate. Its website was still online on 19 October 2026.

Which services let you export everything, including voice recordings?

In our index, Day One, Notion, Storii, Remento, StoryCorps, FamilySearch Memories, FOREVER and The Memory Palace say on their own pages that voice or audio comes back as audio files. Of those, Day One, Notion, Storii, FOREVER and The Memory Palace also offer a full export. Check the details per service: some only export one recording at a time, and some leave photos or written stories out.

Why does The Memory Palace not score 5 out of 5?

Because photos larger than 4 MB are reduced in your browser before upload, to a longest side of up to 4,096 pixels, so a very large photo does not come back at its original size. Smaller photos, videos and voice recordings come back as they were uploaded. We score that as Partly, the same way we score Google Photos and Facebook.

What should I do now?

Export from every memory service you use, today, while it is easy, and keep the export on your own drive. Open it to check that the photos, recordings and stories are really there. Repeat it every few months, and before you cancel a subscription. When you choose a new service, check the five criteria in this article on its help pages first.

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