When using Instagram, you may come across content you wish to forward to your friends, which invariably means you need to screenshot that Story, post, or DM.
However, when you do that, does Instagram notify people? Here's everything you need to know about Instagram screenshot notifications...
Why You May Want to Screenshot an Instagram Story, Post, or DM
There are several reasons why you may want to take an Instagram screenshot.
These include wanting to download a meme which you’d like to share elsewhere. Maybe it's a picture of scenery you think will make a nice wallpaper. It's also possible you may want to download a recipe video in order to avoid scrolling through hundreds of posts later when you come to cook the dish.
Stories are the most common place where you may feel the need to take a screenshot. This is mainly because media shared via Stories is ephemeral and no longer available after 24 hours.
Irrespective of Instagram's notification policies, you should be mindful of people's privacy, especially when you screenshot their personal pictures and videos.
Can You Screenshot Instagram Chat?
You can screenshot an Instagram chat the same way you would typically take a screenshot of anything else, without the other user knowing you've taken a screenshot of your conversation with them.
That's because Instagram only notifies users when you take screenshots of disappearing photos or videos in private DM conversations.
A word of caution though: be sure to respect other users' privacy by not taking screenshots of sensitive or confidential content.
Can You Take an Instagram Video Call Screenshot?
Yes, and only you will know. Instagram will not notify the person you are chatting to via video call that you've taken a screenshot of the screen.
Just ensure you don't share the screenshot without their knowledge if their face appears in it, for legal reasons.
Remember, once you distribute content on the internet, there's no way of controlling how many times it is shared.
Does Instagram Notify People When You Screenshot a Post?
No, Instagram doesn't notify users when you take a screenshot of their post.
Posts are essentially all of the photos and videos you see on Instagram's home feed or in the Explore tab. Instagram also doesn't send an alert when you screengrab a post right from someone's profile page.
It's worth noting that Instagram has a bookmarking feature for posts if you don't want to download media locally. It lets you flag pictures and videos for later.
These are accessible from a special section inside the Instagram app and won't be downloaded to your phone's gallery.
Plus, you have the option to group your bookmarked posts into separate collections. So, for example, you can create one for recipes and another for your favorite posts about dogs.
You can save a post by tapping the Bookmark button present at the bottom right corner of any image or clip.
To view your bookmarked posts, head to the fifth Profile tab in the bottom-right corner of the screen on the Instagram app and touch the three-bar icon in the top-right. Select the Saved item.
Here, you can also build new collections by tapping the Plus button.
Does Instagram Notify Users When You Screenshot a Story?
At the time of writing, other people can't see when you screenshot their Story.
However, in 2018, Instagram experimented with notifying users when anyone took a screenshot of their Story. Instagram dropped the feature shortly after.
But you should keep an eye on the Instagram app's changelog in case the functionality returns in the future.
Alternatively, you can use one of these ways to screenshot Instagram stories without getting caught.
Instagram has an Archive feature for people who are capturing screenshots of the Stories they posted directly through the in-app camera. The social network, by default, retains a copy of all your stories.
To browse or delete them, open the Instagram app and go to your profile page. Tap the three-bar icon in the top-right and enter the Archive.
Does Instagram Show When You Screenshot a DM?
Yes, Instagram notifies recipients when you take a screenshot in private conversations (also known as Instagram DMs), but only for disappearing messages.
Similar to Stories, users can send expiring photos and videos personally to an individual or a group. When someone takes a screenshot of these, the delivery status---instead of Delivered or Opened---will read "Screenshot".
On the other hand, if you take a screenshot of the entire chat or regular texts and images, the person won't be notified.
Didn't know you can send disappearing messages in private conversations? Then check out these other useful Instagram features you should be using.
Does Instagram Notify People When You Screen Record?
No, Instagram doesn't notify users when you screen record videos in posts and Stories.
And what about private messages—can you screen record Instagram DMs? Yes.
Interestingly, this applies to disappearing DMs as well. Hence, it's sort of a loophole for secretly capturing personal stories on Instagram. You can simply capture a screen recording and then take a screenshot of the video file later on.
As we mentioned earlier, though, you should respect the sender's privacy if they've sent you a sensitive photo or video in private.
You should also keep in mind that Instagram may fix this loophole in a future update.
Can You See If Someone Screenshots Your Instagram Story?
As of now, Instagram doesn't offer any setting where you can switch on to get notified when someone takes a screenshot of your Story. Hopefully, screenshot notifications for Stories will make a comeback.
On Android, you can sign up for Instagram's beta channel to be the first one to get new updates.
If you're worried about strangers misusing your photos and videos, you can protect your account by switching to a private profile.
To turn your Instagram profile private, go into the Settings and switch on the Private Account option. Your existing followers won't be affected by this, which is why it's best to check your Followers list to ensure only the people you know have access to your gallery.
Alternatively, you can take advantage of Instagram's Close Friends feature. This lets you share your Stories to a specific set of users while keeping your profile publicly visible.
You can configure the list by tapping the Close Friends option located in your profile's hamburger menu. In the Your List tab, add or remove your close friends.
When you're done, you will have a new green option before publishing a new story. Enable it to share the story only with users in your Close Friends list.
Screenshots Are a Discreet Way to Save Content From Instagram Natively
Instagram is rich with various types of content. Unfortunately, taking a screenshot or screen recording is the only native way to save photos and videos from Instagram.
Therefore, it's important to have an understanding of how Instagram handles screenshot notifications.
Thankfully, Instagram does not notify people when you screenshot a story, post, or DM, so you can do so discreetly.