Instagram Screenshot Notifications Explained: Stories, DMs, & More

Learn how Instagram's screenshot notifications work with this easy-to-follow guide

Last Updated: March 3, 2023

Does Instagram send notifications for screenshots?

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See If Someone Screenshotted Your Disappearing DM

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How to Screenshot Disappearing DMs Secretly

Do you want to take a screenshot of somebody's Instagram Story without them knowing? Or maybe you're curious about whether somebody screenshotted your Story? For now, Instagram does not send notifications when somebody screenshots a Story, so you can take all of the secret Story screenshots you want! However, Instagram does send a notification if you (or the other person) screenshots a disappearing DM. This wikiHow article will explain when Instagram does and doesn't notify you about screenshots, plus give you tips on taking screenshots of disappearing messages without the other person knowing.

Things You Should Know

Instagram will not notify you if someone screenshots your Story, reel, or post.
You'll only get a notification if someone screenshots your disappearing DM.
Instagram's screenshotting rules can change again, so be careful.

Section 1 of 3:

Does Instagram send notifications for screenshots?

1
Instagram will not notify the poster that you've screenshotted their Story. You can view see who viewed your story, but not whether somebody took a screenshot.
- In the past, Instagram used to alert the poster that someone took a screenshot of their Story. This isn't the case right now, but IG could change its notifications in the future.
- Since this could change without notice, do an internet search before taking a screenshot to see if Instagram's policies have changed.
2
Instagram will send a notification if somebody screenshots a disappearing DM. If you (or the other person) turns on vanish mode before sending a message, you'll always see a notification if somebody takes a screenshot. You'll also see a notification if somebody screenshots a photo or video that was taken using Instagram's built-in camera instead of the camera roll. By default, these photos and videos can only be viewed once, although you can change it to be viewed twice with Replay.
- You will also not be notified if the other person screenshots a chat, including individual messages, conversation history, and posts sent back and forth, unless in vanish mode.

Section 2 of 3:

See If Someone Screenshotted Your Disappearing DM

If someone took a screenshot of your disappearing direct message, you'll see a screenshot icon next to the message. This icon looks like a circle made up of lines pointing out like a starburst and will appear next to any kind of message sent in vanish mode, including pictures and videos. You'll also see Screenshot next to the conversation where your disappearing message was screenshotted.^{[1]
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Section 3 of 3:

How to Screenshot Disappearing DMs Secretly

1
Use Instagram in a web browser instead. If you want to screenshot a disappearing DM without the other person knowing, you can open your Instagram inbox in a web browser instead of using the Instagram app. For now, Instagram does not notify the poster when someone takes a screenshot from a web browser. That rule may change, so be careful.
- Considering trying a VPN? Check out our coupon site for ExpressVPN or our coupon site for Surfshark.
2
Put your phone in airplane mode before taking the screenshot. If the internet signal is turned off in airplane mode on your Android or iPhone, your phone won't send a signal that it screenshotted a disappearing DM.
3
Use another phone or camera. If you have another camera around, you can use it to take a photo of your screen. Although the screenshot may not be the best quality, Instagram won't notify the other person that you took a screenshot.