Instagram might stop you from taking screenshots in certain situations soon

Update 18/10/24 04:30 pm (IST): Just a few hours after we reported that Instagram might be adding a privacy measure to prevent screenshots, the company made a formal announcement regarding the same. Dubbed as ‘Teen Accounts,’ they are designed to provide a safer online experience for teenagers. These accounts come with built-in protections that limit who can contact teens and the content they see. Parents can also monitor their teen’s activity and approve changes to the safety settings.

Teen Accounts will automatically place teens under 16 into a more restrictive mode, requiring parental permission to adjust settings. Features like private accounts by default, limited messaging, sensitive content restrictions, and screenshot blocking aim to address parents’ concerns about their teen’s online safety. Instagram is also working on technology to proactively identify teen accounts, even if an adult birthday is listed.

Original article published on October 17, 2024, follows:

Looks like Instagram is about to join the “no screenshots allowed” club. Great, just what we all needed – another app telling us what we can and can’t do with our own phones.

A MacRumors contributor recently spotted a new icon in Instagram’s code labeled “illo-screenshot-block-refresh.” Doesn’t take a genius to figure out what that means. It seems Instagram is gearing up to block screenshots in certain parts of the app. Likely to enhance the privacy of its user base. We all might be guilty of taking screenshots, but at the same time, we’ll probably not feel too good about someone taking screenshots of stuff we don’t want to be screenshotted.

This isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff. Instagram’s parent company, Meta, has already pulled this stunt with WhatsApp. Earlier this year, they started blocking screenshots of profile pictures to “enhance user privacy.” Sure, it might make life harder for scammers, but it also makes life harder for the rest of us who just want to save a cute pic of our friend’s new haircut.

It’s possible that Instagram might block us from taking screenshots of conversations in Vanish mode, 1-time view images, or even profile pictures of private accounts. Of course, this is just speculation so take it with a grain of salt.

But hey, Instagram isn’t alone in this screenshot-blocking party. Snapchat’s been doing it for years, alerting users when someone takes a screenshot of their disappearing messages. In fact, Instagram now does it too when you’re chatting in ‘Vanish mode’ or when you screenshot a 1-time view image. Netflix also blocks screenshots in its mobile app to protect its precious content. Even banking apps like PayPal and Venmo won’t let you capture certain screens. It’s like they’re all in a competition to see who can frustrate users the most.

So, what’s next? Will Instagram start sending us cease and desist letters for using the print screen button on PCs? In all seriousness, while this move might have some benefits for privacy, it’s also a bit of a pain for users who are used to freely saving and sharing content. It’s a classic case of tech companies trying to solve one problem while potentially creating another.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see how Instagram implements this feature. That said, in most cases, you can simply start recording your phone’s screen to get past those annoying screenshot alerts. We’ll have to check if the same trick would work here too.