Does Instagram notify the user about screenshots? Sometimes

Instagram started as an app for sharing photos with the whole world and has since expanded to enable all kinds of other content. Whether you have a private or public account, you can share photos and videos in the main feed or in accounts. You can even share content privately via direct message.

As one of the most popular apps in the world, you can lose control of the content you want to return to. Many people take screenshots to share or reference later. However, you probably don't want to take screenshots of someone's content if that person receives a notification that you've done so; they may think you're spying on them, when in fact you'll just find their content worth preserving or sharing.

Keep reading to find out if Instagram notifies you of screenshots.

How Instagram handles screenshots

Does Instagram notify the user about screenshots?

The answer is: sometimes yes and sometimes no. It depends on what content you are taking a screenshot of and where that content is located in the application.

Instagram screenshots that don't notify you

For most content on Instagram, you can safely take a screenshot without notifying the user that you are doing so. The general rule of thumb is that if Instagram determines that the content can be shared, you can take a screenshot.

Examples of this type of content are as follows.

• Any post in a user's feed
• Any post in User Reel
• Any post in User Stories
• Any fixed content in a direct message, including text, images and videos

Content published in these areas will not generate a notification if a screenshot is taken. This applies to both private and public accounts on Instagram. This applies to both personal and corporate accounts.

Instagram screenshots that notify you

Very select content on Instagram will generate a notification if you take a screenshot. If you take a screenshot of a disappearing photo or video in a direct message thread, the user will receive a notification that you did so.

This is done because of privacy concerns. Instagram considers disappearing content in a direct message as content that should remain private. By taking a screenshot of the content, you have saved something that was not meant to be kept. In response, Instagram notifies the user who sent the content.

Most people use disappearing content in DM to send funny stuff to their friends. They let the content disappear so as not to litter DM. Instagram protects its users by making all disappearing content private, since the app can't see the content.

How to see a screenshot notification on Instagram

Instagram will not send a push notification to your phone or email if someone takes a screenshot of something you sent in a private message. You will have to go and see if you think they took a screenshot of something you wanted to disappear.

To check if a screenshot has been taken, do the following.

1. Open your Instagram app And go to your direct messages.
   
2. Scroll down to the direct message thread you want to check.
   
3. A "Screenshot" notification and a timestamp of the last screenshot taken will appear under the message preview.

You can also see what has been screenshotted if you have sent multiple pieces of content in a thread. Follow the steps below to see which pieces of content have been screenshotted.

1. Open the Instagram app and go to your direct messages.
   
2. Scroll down to the direct message thread and tap it.
   
3. Look for the disappearing content you sent. If there is a small dashed circle next to it, a screenshot has been taken.
   

There is no way to force the removal of a screenshot via the Instagram app. If a piece of content in the DM had a screenshot, you will have to ask that person to remove it.

How to avoid screenshot notifications

There are ways to avoid notifying the user about the screenshot. Below are three ways to avoid detection.

1. Take a screenshot in airplane mode.
   
2. Take a screenshot of the post in a web browser instead of in the app.
   
3. Take a picture of your screen.
   

These methods will provide you with a permanent record of disappearing content without generating a screenshot notification.

Instagramming in the age of screenshots

The rules for screenshots on Instagram have gone through many versions over the past few years. For example, when Stories first became a feature, users could receive notifications about who was taking screenshots. This feature quickly disappeared, and some users asked for it to be reinstated.

Since Instagram tends to change its screenshot policy without warning, always check the current policy before taking a screenshot. This will tell you which screenshots generate a notification and which do not.

Do you often take screenshots on Instagram? Have you ever taken a screenshot of a disappearing message in DM? Let us know about your experience in the comments below.