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Does Facebook notify when you screenshot?

Can you know who captures your content?
By
November 9, 2023
Facebook Messenger on phone stock phoro 3
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Social media platforms have increasingly adopted privacy measures, such as alert notifications for screenshots. Instagram, for instance, alerts users when someone screenshots a disappearing photo, WhatsApp signals when a message is screenshotted, and TikTok informs creators of video recordings. In this article, we’ll show you how to set up a Messenger conversation so that you get notified when the recipient screenshots your messages or images. But keep in mind that while these features aim to protect privacy, there are methods to circumvent such notifications, which we’ll demonstrate. And remember that Facebook has a history of collecting all your data. In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission was concerned about how Facebook collected data on users, and there’s no notification when the tech giant saves a record of your activities.

THE SHORT ANSWER

You can activate encrypted chats and disappearing messages in Messenger to receive notifications if someone screenshots your message or image. To do this, tap on the pen icon in Messenger, toggle on the lock icon, and select the people you wish to include in this encrypted discussion. Afterwards, you will have to tap on the information icon and set the discussion to Disappearing messages. However, be aware that Facebook does not notify you if someone takes a screenshot of your posts.

Does Messenger notify you when you screenshot?

If you’re concerned about privacy on Facebook, the platform does not notify users when someone takes a screenshot of content on their profile, including posts or images. Therefore, it’s wise to avoid sharing anything you might regret later. However, you have the option to remove or hide posts from your profile at any time without deleting your account.

Regarding Facebook Messenger, a recent update to end-to-end encrypted chats now provides notifications when it detects someone taking a screenshot of a disappearing message. These messages will automatically disappear within 24 hours of being sent. Here’s how it works:

  • When you send an image, it will disappear after 24 hours.
  • The recipient won’t be able to download or save the image. If they take a screenshot, you will receive a notification.

How to receive notifications for screenshots in Messenger chats

To receive notifications for screenshots in Messenger chats, you need to activate the encrypted discussion and disappearing messages. Here is how to do so:

  • In Messenger, tap the pen icon at the top right corner.
  • Select the people you wish to include in the chat.
  • Toggle on the lock icon at the top right corner to start an encrypted conversation.
  • Send a message, then tap the information icon at the top right corner.
  • Choose Disappearing messages.
  • Set the timer to 1 day.

How to take a screenshot on Messenger without notifying the sender

Facebook has introduced robust features to discourage screenshots and enhance user privacy. However, there is a loophole we found that allows you to take a screenshot of a message or image without alerting the sender, even if the Disappearing message feature is active.

Here’s how to do it:

  • When you receive the image, activate airplane mode on your device.
  • Take the screenshot with your phone.
  • Deactivate airplane mode.

When we used this method, the recipient’s Messenger (the phone we used to take the screenshot) received a notification, but the sender did not. We turned cellular data back on and cleared the cache on the sender’s phone, but still no notification was received.


FAQs

Not on Facebook, but you will be notified if someone takes a screenshot of a disappearing message on Facebook Messenger.

Unfortunately, you cannot control whether someone else can take a screenshot of your Facebook profile or posts with their device. You can, however, adjust your privacy settings for who can view your profile.

No, it is not illegal to take a screenshot of a picture on Facebook. However, asking the person first if you plan on sharing images from their profile is polite.

No, Facebook does not notify you if someone screenshots your story. Therefore, it’s best to post things to your story that you feel comfortable sharing publicly.

Sometimes apps like Facebook will prevent you from taking screenshots of copywritten material. Alternatively, the storage on your device might be full. If Facebook isn’t working correctly, see our guide on common problems and how to fix them.