Storage Retention & the 45/90 Photo Lifecycle
Event materials stored on MagnetFrame's platform storage follow a predictable rhythm: 45 days after delivery they move to low-cost cold storage, and at 90 days you choose what happens next — delete, back up to your own storage, or keep-and-pay. Customers and guests have about three months to download before shared access ends, which protects the privacy of the people in the photos. Files in your own cloud or on your own computer are never touched, and nothing is ever deleted silently.
How to
- Deliver the event as usual — the retention clock starts when the photos are shared.
- 45 days after delivery, platform-stored materials automatically move to cheaper cold storage; your own viewing and downloads keep working.
- Remind customers to download everything within 3 months — a countdown appears on their event page before access ends at day 90.
- At the 90-day mark, choose one of three actions from the event's retention prompt: Delete, Back up / offload to your own storage, or Keep and pay (materials stay in cold storage and keep counting against your quota).
- Pin an event as 'keep forever' to exempt it from the mandatory action.
- If you backed up and freed the space, you can reconnect the files later, re-attach them, and share them again like a normal share.
Common questions
What happens to my photos if I miss a payment or a storage pack expires?
They are never deleted silently. Over-quota content first gets a goodwill window where everything keeps working, then moves to an archive-only cold state (fully restorable the moment your account is covered again). Permanent deletion only happens about a year after the lapse, and only after a complete series of advance notices — each with a download-everything option.
If I choose keep-and-pay, can my customers still open the gallery after 3 months?
No. Keep-and-pay keeps the materials for you — in cold storage, against your quota. Customer and guest access always ends 90 days after delivery, regardless of your choice. That fixed window protects the privacy of the people in the photographs: after three months, shared galleries go offline.
Does this policy apply to files in my own cloud or on my computer?
No. Files in your own connected cloud storage or local folders stay entirely yours — MagnetFrame never copies, backs up, or deletes them. The retention lifecycle applies only to content on MagnetFrame's platform storage, so keep your own backups of files stored in your own homes.
Can I get materials back after deleting or offloading them?
If you backed up / offloaded, yes: plug the drive back in or reconnect the cloud source, re-attach the folder, and the materials are shareable again. A deletion you explicitly confirm on the platform is permanent, so always back up first if you might need the files later.
Troubleshooting
A customer says their gallery shows 'photos not available'.
The event has passed the 90-day access window, so shared access has ended. If you still have the materials (keep-and-pay or a backup), you can re-deliver them — for example re-attach the backed-up files and share again — or send the files directly to the customer.
I keep getting reminders that I'm still paying for an old event.
The event passed its 90-day mark without a resolution, so its materials remain in paid cold storage. Open the event's retention prompt and pick an action: Delete, Back up / offload, or Keep and pay to acknowledge the ongoing storage. Pin 'keep forever' if the event should be exempt.