Instagram is testing a new feature that will send an alert whenever you take a screenshot of a story, effectively putting an end to the practice of covertly taking screenshots of the temporary story posts on the social network.

News of the new feature was shared on Twitter by a user who posted an image of a screenshot warning message. Instagram plans to offer a one-time warning letting screenshotters know that subsequent screenshots or screen recordings will be visible to the person who posted the story.

instagramscreenshotwarning

Image via Twitter user Mulan

The feature is being tested with a small number of users. Participants can see who took a screenshot of their story by going to the list of story viewers and checking to see if there are camera icons next to any of the names. A flash icon denotes a user who took a screenshot.

Instagram does not plan to send out notifications when a screenshot of a story is captured, but it will be visible in the list of people who viewed the story.


Instagram confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature is in testing right now: "We are always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram and make it easier to share any moment with the people who matter to you."

It's not yet clear if and when Instagram will officially introduce this feature.

Top Rated Comments

Starship67 Avatar
104 months ago
Don’t want someone to screenshot your photos don’t post em on social media.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jgelin Avatar
104 months ago
I don’t think that an application should know when I am taking a screenshot, it is happening at the OS level and it shouldn’t be able to be caught and alerted on by an application.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
104 months ago
I don’t think that an application should know when I am taking a screenshot, it is happening at the OS level and it shouldn’t be able to be caught and alerted on by an application.
I know, right? What business does an app have knowing I took a screenshot?

Also, what's with this new idiotic concept of it being creepy or stalkery to save a screenshot? If you don't want people saving your content, don't post it. We really don't need people depending on psuedo-DRM in apps like Instagram and thinking they are safe from having people copy their precious content, when they are actually not. The Internet and social media should be about sharing content anyway, not restricting it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fairuz Avatar
104 months ago
For what reason, other than to copy Snapchat even more?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kahkityoong Avatar
104 months ago
Interested to know how it’s beneficial to know who took a screenshot?
So girls can keep tabs on creepy stalkery guys.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
expiredyogurt Avatar
104 months ago
next level reward for attention whore womens.
in this age, likes and thumbs up are no longer the hot thing, it's how many people can you get to screenshot your **** is the next hot thing.
likes can be bought and most of them are fake and people might accidentally double tap to like so they dont care about it anymore.
screenshot on the other hand requires more effort and it gives them pleasure to see people saving their photos.
sucks for the small time girls where they will be able to see which one of their guy friends are creeping them but for social media celeb its just another way to satisfy their ego
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Verizon New

Verizon is Down: iPhones Show 'SOS' Mode Due to Network Outage [Resolved]

Wednesday January 14, 2026 10:18 am PST by
Verizon is experiencing a major outage across the U.S. today, with hundreds of thousands of customers reporting issues with the network on the website Downdetector. There are also complaints across Reddit and other social media platforms. iPhone users and others with Verizon service are generally unable to make phone calls, send text messages, or use data over 5G or LTE due to the outage....
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
maxresdefault

Google Gemini-Powered Siri Will Reportedly Have These 7 New Features

Tuesday January 13, 2026 7:52 pm PST by
Apple and Google this week announced that Gemini will help power a more personalized Siri, and The Information has provided more details. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. As soon as this spring, the report said the revamped version of Siri will be able to… Answer more factual/world knowledge questions in a conversational manner Tell more stories Provide...