Instagram, which Facebook owns, is one of the world’s most popular and frequently used image- and video-sharing social media networks.
It is an excellent platform for staying up-to-date on the lives of individuals you like, as well as a source of engaging and innovative visual content. If you’ve ever screenshotted a story on Instagram, you’re probably worried about the other person finding out.
There might have been a legitimate reason why you took the screenshot in the first place. Maybe someone posted a humorous meme, and you wanted to share it with someone else.
Perhaps someone included a memorable picture in their story that you wanted to save as a memory. Or it was an aesthetic story that you wanted to use somewhere.
On the other side, you could be wondering whether individuals are screenshotting your posts, photographs, and chats. So, does Instagram provide notifications to users when someone screenshots a story on Instagram or anything else?
You would naturally ask the question, “Does Instagram notify you when you screenshot a story?”. To answer your question, Instagram does not notify the user when you screenshot a story.
Instagram Stories Explained
Instagram Stories is a dynamic content format on Instagram that lets you combine elements to tell a cohesive story in a few seconds. These elements include videos, images, captions, emojis, hashtags, stickers, and music, among other elements. A unique aspect of this feature is that the stories disappear within 24 hours.
However, you can save your most memorable stories as highlights on your Instagram page. Despite this feature, many Instagram users love to screenshot Instagram stories, as they might just disappear any minute.
This trend leaves many Instagrammers asking a common question: does Instagram send a notification of screenshots for a story?
Benefits Of Telling Instagram Stories
Instagram stories come with multiple benefits. Here is a snapshot:
Tell Engaging Stories In Seconds
Access to easy-to-use design tools allows you to create a new story within seconds. Using this feature, you can keep adding any number of new stories several times a day.
Expand Reach
You can tag other Instagram handles to spotlight collaborators, brands, and people featured in the story to build more visibility and reach.
Boost Organic Discoverability
By using hashtags, you can boost the discoverability of your story and profile page, which is especially useful for brands and social influencers.
Boost Engagement
The smart design of Instagram stories allows audiences to engage with your story through the simple click of displayed emojis. They can also send more detailed direct messages.
Archive Stories
Even though Instagram Stories disappear in 24 hours, you can save your favorite stories in a section known as highlight, which rests at the top of your profile page. Audiences can visit your highlights collection to view saved stories any number of times.
High Visibility
Instagram stories are displayed at the top of the Instagram feed. So your followers are immediately aware when you launch a new story.
Why Use Instagram Stories?
Using Instagram Stories can be impactful, especially for brands, social media influencers, and other entities seeking visibility. Some of the reasons why you should use Instagram stories are:
- Your Instagram feed looks fresh and dynamic when you tell powerful stories frequently.
- Your followers can engage with your page and get familiar with your work, products, and identity through Instagram stories.
- Posting Instagram stories is a great way to increase reach, impressions, and engagement on your account, especially if you are a brand looking to capture more market share.
- You can showcase products and services through stories and audiences to paying customers, especially for brands in the lifestyle, fashion, and travel space.
- Instagram stories are also a great vehicle to showcase live events and activities because you can amplify multiple narratives to the world quickly and creatively with no design skill.
Different Ways To Take Screenshots
For smartphones
- For iPhones with Face ID, click on the story and quickly press and release the side button and the volume up button simultaneously. For iPhones with Touch ID, click on the story and quickly press and release the side button and Home button simultaneously.
- Android users can click on the story, tap the screenshot icon, and take a screenshot.
For laptops
If you are on a laptop, then click on Ctrl, alt, and Prt Sc simultaneously, paste the image into any photo editing software, and save it to your laptop.
So, can Instagram notify you when you screenshot a story? Not yet.
Why Take Screenshots of Instagram Stories?
Instagram Stories
There are several reasons to screenshot an Instagram Story; some of them are valid, while others are not. Perhaps you’d want to purchase anything featured in it. Or you’d want to save a lovely image to use as your background. Maybe you just like a photograph of a friend or family member and want to retain it.
Or you’d want to screenshot a Story so you can share it in your group chat with your closest friends and discuss the picture. Even if your motive for capturing a snapshot is absolutely harmless, you’ll still appear like a creep.
Does Instagram Notify You When You Screenshot a Story?
Source: Social Media Examiner
The attractiveness of stories nudges many consumers to take screenshots. Unfortunately, Instagram cannot notify you when someone takes a screenshot of your story.
Even when you screen-record someone’s Instagram story, Instagram does not notify them. You can also screenshot Instagram posts and Reels without worrying about notifying the other user.
So, if you want to screenshot a story on Instagram without the user knowing, this is great news. However, this is terrible news if you publish anything to your story and want to know when someone screenshots it.
However, this has not always been the case. Instagram temporarily tried a feature in 2018 that would inform users when someone screenshotted their story, but it was quickly abandoned and hasn’t been revived since.
Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Photo or Video Post?
Source: BBC
Regular photo or video posts from your friends or other influencers that you see on your feed or explore page are not subject to screenshot alerts.
That implies you can screenshot anyone’s picture or video post without their knowledge. Screen recording videos, in addition to screenshots, can be done with video posts. They have no idea you can make a screen recorder of their video.
Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a DM?
Source: Remote Tools
Yes, but there is a stipulation. Not every picture or video screenshot you capture from inside an Instagram DM (direct message) chat gets notified. Instagram only tells users when a ‘disappearing’ picture or video message is screenshotted.
A vanishing message is one that is captured by the camera and then deleted from the DM chat. They are only visible for a short period, and once the other person sees them, they vanish quickly.
If you capture a screenshot of a picture or video that someone has uploaded from their gallery or camera roll, Instagram does not notify them. Additionally, screenshots of non-disappearing information in DMs (such as posts from feeds and text messages) will not be informed to the user.
How does Instagram notify users of DM screenshots?
When a user’s photographs in a DM are screenshotted, Instagram will send a popup notice to their phone. The username of the person who took the screenshot will also be stated in the message.
If the picture has been screenshotted, they will also notice a little indication next to it in the conversation. For example, if a screenshot of a vanishing picture is taken, a little starburst symbol will display next to the photo:
Source: Android Authority
Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a User’s Profile?
You may wish to take a snapshot of a user’s profile or bio to quickly remember their website or contact information. Similarly to screenshots of picture and video posts, Instagram does not notify users when screenshots of their user profile are taken.
How Can You Prevent People from Taking Screenshots of Your Stories?
If you are concerned about your privacy but still want to reveal more about your life in the stories, you have two alternatives to prevent outsiders from viewing the information and screenshotting it.
You can make your Instagram profile private so that people can send you a friend request and follow you in order to see your stories and feed posts.
Another option is to utilize the close friend’s function, which allows you to choose a group of individuals who will have access to certain posts that you don’t want everyone to view.
What’s the Other Alternative to Screenshoting Somebody’s Instagram Posts?
Source: TechCrunch
Instagram allows you to save photographs and videos you like for future reference and simple access. Here’s how you bookmark Instagram posts:
- Go to the post you wish to bookmark and click the bookmark symbol, as shown.
- The post has been saved. If you wish to save it to a collection, either choose an existing collection or create a new one.
That’s all. All of your stored photographs and videos may be accessed by tapping on your profile picture, then the three horizontal bars (menu icon) in the top-right corner > ‘Saved.’
You will, however, be able to view your saved posts only if you are connected to the internet. If you want to see your bookmarked photos and videos while you’re not connected to the internet, it’s better to capture a quick screenshot of them.
Furthermore, bookmarking a post takes time, as previously said. If you share it with someone, they can only see it if they have the Instagram app downloaded on their device as well.
However, you can snap a screenshot of an Instagram post in a matter of seconds and share it like you would any other picture – through other messaging apps or sites. The recipient does not need to have the Instagram app installed.
You also won’t have to worry about the actual Instagram post being removed or retracted if you snap a screenshot.
Wrapping It Up
Instagram’s basic rule is that you will not get alerts of any form of screenshot captured by another user. The sole exception is when photographs or videos vanish. So, with the exception of vanishing photographs or movies, you can snap screenshots of nearly everything.
Instagram’s screenshot policy has gone through many revisions throughout the years. When Stories initially became available, users could get alerts about who was capturing screenshots. This functionality rapidly vanished, and several users have requested its return.
There are several reasons to take a screenshot of an Instagram story or reel. Maybe there’s a movie suggestion you’d want to remember or a dish you’d like to try. But don’t capture anything that may be private or accidentally shared.
We’ve also covered all you need to know about screenshotting Instagram direct messages. The regulations remain the same. Don’t be a jerk. It’s literally that easy.
If you need support to build powerful content for Instagram, check out Predis.ai for content creation and ideas that help boost engagement on your page. Follow our blog for more tips and strategies on how to build an effective Instagram marketing strategy and accelerate business growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Instagram notify you when you screenshot a story?
No, Instagram does not notify you when you screenshot a story.
Does Instagram notify you when you screenshot a user’s profile?
No, it does not notify the user.
Does Instagram notify you when you screenshot a photo or video post?
Instagram does not notify you when you screenshot a photo or video post.
Does Instagram notify you when you screenshot a DM?
Not every picture or video screenshot you capture from an Instagram DM gets notified. Instagram only tells users when a ‘disappearing’ picture or video message is screenshotted.
