As a frequent Instagram user, you may sometimes see a picture you like on and might want to save it. Naturally, people find it easiest to screenshot such pictures or screen record videos. However, when you screenshot Instagram story or feeds, you may be concerned about whether the owners of the pictures will get notified.
The good news is that they cannot. Instagram does not notify users when others screenshot Instagram stories on their page. Basically, they will not get an update, such as when someone tags or mentions you on the app.
In 2018, Instagram released a feature that allowed users to know when others screenshot their stories. The notification, then, came in the form of a small starburst in front of the user’s name on the “Seen By” list. However, there is more to know, and you’ll find out about it in the next section of this article.
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Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story?
Instagram does not notify others when you screenshot their stories. Previously, the app used to send screenshot notifications but the developers soon removed this feature from the platform and users can now screenshot or screen record stories without worrying about others finding out.
The feature only existed briefly in 2018 and has not been released since then. Back then, the app would display a small starburst icon in front of users that had taken a screenshot.
While it is currently not in use, there is no telling whether the parent company of Instagram, Meta, will bring it back again in a future update.
You have to remember that you also will not get notified when others screenshot your Instagram stories. Any photo or video you put on your story is open to whoever you permit to see it, and they can screenshot it to save for the future. You can limit who can see your Instagram story by setting your story to private.
Another way to protect your Instagram story from unwanted screenshots is to create a close friends list. You can upload pictures you don’t want everyone to see on this list, and be sure only your close friends can see them. Screenshotting Instagram stories is nothing to fret about, though. Everyone does it one or more times every day.
Can Someone See if I Screenshot their Direct Message (DM) on Instagram?
If you take a screenshot in Instagram Direct Messages (DM), a notification will not be sent to the other person. Whether you’re taking a screenshot of the chat, photo, or video sent by the other person, they will not be notified.
However, notifications will be sent if you screenshot a vanishing message, such as disappearing photos and videos which are set to remove automatically after some time. Even if you attempt to take a screenshot in Airplane mode when the internet is disconnected, Instagram is smart enough to know it and will notify the other user.
When it comes to notifications, the person gets notified in two ways for the pictures and videos.
The first is that a little starburst icon appears for the message which you have screenshotted. There’s nothing you can do about this icon other than hope that the person does not understand what the icon means.
The other method is less subtle, and that is when Instagram writes “Screenshot” beneath the message. With that, the user will know that you have screenshotted the picture they sent to you. The most practical way to bypass this is to send another message instantly to erase the notification.
To send a picture or video in disappearing mode, you must take such a picture directly using the camera icon in the DM. Pictures sent from the camera roll will not trigger the screenshot notification. If you want someone to see a picture but not have it for long, this is the method to use.
Wrapping Up
There’s little to know about taking screenshots on Instagram for someone tech-savvy. However, for anyone who is not, it can get slightly complicated. We hope that this guide explains the most common question that users have, and that is “Does Instagram notify screenshots for stories?”, for which the answer is No.
People cannot see when you screenshot their story. The same goes for screenshoting pictures or screen recording videos on your feed. However, if a message is in the DM and is set to disappear, then Instagram will notify others when a screenshot is taken of vanishing messages, photos, or videos.
