Can u see if someone screenshots your instagram post

The defining feature of Instagram Stories is that they disappear after 24 hours. But what happens if you love a story so much you want to save it to view later?

You take a screenshot, of course. We’ve all been there before: screenshotting an Instagram story and hoping that the person who posted it won’t know. (Thankfully there are ways to view an IG story without the person knowing).

But you may not want the user to know that you’ve taken a screenshot of their Instagram Story. Will they know about it?

Can u see if someone screenshots your instagram post

The short answer in 2021 is: no, they won’t know if you took a screenshot. 

And there don’t seem to be any indications or rumors that this will change in 2022 either.

Here’s the longer answer regarding IG’s story screenshot history:

Instagram’s Defunct Screenshot Alert Feature

The concept of disappearing posts was first introduced by Snapchat, and people used that feature to send private messages or post information they didn’t want preserved. So when other users screenshotted their posts, this could violate their privacy.

Because of this issue, in February 2018, Instagram introduced a feature that would alert a user when a follower had taken a screenshot of their story.

When a user took a screenshot, a little starburst icon would appear next to their username in your Story stats.

What Instagram didn’t anticipate was that IG users didn’t actually mind people screenshotting their Stories. To most users, the advantage of disappearing Stories wasn’t privacy, it was the dynamic nature of the feature: that they could upload fresh content without creating a cluttered, cumbersome feed.

So IG users protested the feature, and in June of 2018, Instagram removed it.

So no one will know if you screenshot an Instagram Story in 2021 and 2022?

As of October 2021, no one will know. Screenshot anything on Instagram to your heart’s content! Your Instagram story screenshot will be kept a complete secret!

Warning! Instagram does indeed notify about certain screenshots:

  • Instagram screenshots can indeed trigger notifications within a private DM for any disappearing photos or videos. So, be aware that if you screenshot a disappearing photo in a DM, your sender may be well aware.
  • Instagram is known it change their rules and procedures at various junctures, so be sure to check back for more information in case of an update.


Taking a screenshot allows you to save an image of something, but on Instagram, this can sometimes be seen as a breach of privacy, especially if the user wants to delete the content later. So, are there any measures that allow you to see when someone has taken a screenshot of your content? Does Instagram notify the image owner when you screenshot a story?

Does Instagram notify when you screenshot a story?

Can u see if someone screenshots your instagram post

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Instagram is chock full of visual content, and it can be a bit unsettling to think that other users could be saving screenshots of your pictures and videos without you knowing.

When does Instagram notify about a screenshot?

The only time Instagram will notify you that someone has taken a screenshot is in a direct message conversation. You can screenshot most direct messages without notification. However, you will be notified if you take a photo with the camera button within the chat and the other person takes a screenshot of it.

This is because those “fleeting” images are meant to be seen once or twice, and never again. Instagram notifies you when screenshots have been made.

How does it work?

Go to your chat with another Instagram user and press the blue camera button to the left of the Message… field at the bottom. Take a photo, then select either ALLOW REPLAY or VIEW ONCE from the options below.

Can u see if someone screenshots your instagram post

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When they take a screenshot, you will see a notification appear on your device.

Can u see if someone screenshots your instagram post

Curtis Joe / Android Authority

Additionally, you will see a little spiral icon next to the photos that have been screenshotted. This icon looks sort of like a loading circle, and it is permanent.

Can u see if someone screenshots your instagram post

Curtis Joe / Android Authority

In this image, the top two DM images have been screenshotted. The bottom one has not.

This does not apply to images attached to your conversation from your gallery. If you add an image like this, it is treated like a normal message, and you will not be notified if they screenshot it.


READ MORE: How to delete and manage comments on Instagram

FAQs

If you’ve applied for a ‘verified’ badge on Instagram, you will receive a notification in your Activity section after your application has been reviewed.

No. If you’re using a screen recording application or function on your device, Instagram will not notify the other user if you’ve screen recorded their story.

You may have disabled or muted notifications on your device. Instagram can also be a little bit finicky after updates, and, in the app, your notifications may have been disabled after updating the app. Go to Settings, then change them from there.