Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story in 2025?

Does Instagram notify when you screenshot a story in 2025?

We will discuss this topic in-depth.

In today’s internet-driven era, social media platforms have become more prevalent than ever before.

They have become an integral part of our lives and it would be hard to imagine our lives without scrolling on social media sites.

Talking about social media platforms, well, you can’t just leave Instagram behind.

Owned by Facebook, Instagram is one of the most widely used social media apps on the internet.

Although it didn’t get much recognition in the earlier years, it has staked its claim on the hearts of millions of social media users in every continent.

From sports persons to actors, it has become a go-to social media platform for millions of users and gained a prominent spot in the list of dozens of platforms.

Without an iota of doubt, Instagram has managed to connect people from all over the world and gave them the luxury of easy and seamless communication at the palm of their hands.

Seriously, interacting with others was never this easy. Whether you want to have a conversation with a friend or simply watch their Instagram stories, everything is an absolute cinch at Instagram.

With that out of the way, at times, you may want to take a screenshot of a story to save it on your phone before it disappears.

Perhaps your friend posted lovely pictures of their wedding, or you see a recipe in a story that you may want to try out later.

Instagram users often wonder as to does Instagram notify when you screenshot a story?

If you want to take a screenshot of a story on Instagram, but are sitting on a fence because you don’t know whether the other person gets notified or not, this article will debunk all your myths, once and for all.

What Are Instagram Stories? 

“Instagram stories” is a feature that allows users to share their day-to-day moments on Instagram temporarily.

An Instagram story hangs out for 24 hours, just like Whatsapp status, and then it automatically disappears.

It lets you share moments of your day with your followers without sharing them on your profile. It could be a photo or a video of up to 15 seconds.

Why Do You Need to Screenshot an Instagram Story?

Screenshotting others’ stories is not always about stalking them. There are times when you don’t want to miss out on something important.

What if your school released the date sheet of exams and you want to save it? What if you see a lesser-known recipe of your favorite food and want to save it to make it later?

Taking a screenshot has always been associated with stalking, which is not the case. But does instagram notify when you screenshot a story? How do we know?

Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story in 2025? 

Screenshotting on Instagram is fun, right?

However, if you want to screenshot someone else’s story, you may be left scratching your head since different social media platforms have different policies regarding screenshots of stories.

Facebook, for example, lets you take a screenshot of someone’s story without notifying them about it.

On the other hand, Snapchat lets people know whenever their chat, profiles, and stories are being screenshotted.

So, does instagram notify when you screenshot a story in 2025?

Well, the plain and simple answer to this question is “No, Instagram does not notify you when you screenshot a story”.

In other words, you won’t know if a person has taken a screenshot of your story. Similarly, if you take a screenshot of someone’s story, they won’t know it either.

However, Instagram does show you the list of people who view your story. So, it’s easy for you to figure out who may take a screenshot of your stories.

In 2018, Instagram introduced a feature, where users did get notified if someone screenshotted their stories.

With this feature, a star-shaped icon was seen next to your handle every time a screenshot was taken of your story.

However, Instagram phased it out after a few months only. It indicates that Instagram does have the potential of introducing such a robust system and we may see such features in the future.

Can You Screenshot Instagram Stories? 

So, if you have no idea whether you can screenshot stories on Instagram, the good news for you is that yes, Instagram allows you to take screenshots of stories.

You can screenshot a story, both on iPhone and Android devices.

To screenshot a story, open the Instagram app and search for the account that has posted the story that you intend to screenshot.

Then click on the profile picture of that certain account to see the story and take its screenshot.

Can You Screen Record Instagram Stories?

As far as screen recording is concerned, Instagram lets you screen record the stories of other people too. Usually, you won’t want to screen-record a story unless it is a video.

Of course, taking screenshots of a video story would be a mambo-jumbo. So, instead of screenshotting the whole video story, recording the story is a viable option.

Most apps have the same policy for screenshots and screen recording, and the same goes for Instagram.

For example, Snapchat notifies the user if the chats, snaps, or stories are being screenshotted or screen recorded.

As opposed to Snapchat, Instagram does not let others know when they are being screenshotted or recorded.

However, like Snapchat, it has the same policy for both screenshotting and recording. Not only does Instagram allow you to take screenshots and record videos of stories of other people, but it doesn’t notify them either.

To screen record a story, use a screen recorder. Most phones nowadays come with an in-built screen recorder.

The screen record icon is usually found in the “Control Centre” of your phone. If you don’t see it there, you can also install it from the App Store or Play Store.

There are hundreds of such apps available on the Play Store, and most of them are free to install and use.

Once you have installed the screen recorder, open Instagram and keep recording the screen. Now find the profile that has the story that you want to record.

Click on the profile picture of that account and the story will appear. Once you have successfully recorded the story, don’t forget to save it.

Can You Take a Screenshot of Instagram User Profile Without Them Knowing? 

Yes, just like the profile posts, you can take screenshots of someone else’s profile and rest assured that they won’t be notified.

This is particularly helpful for those who want to screenshot the other person’s bio, such as their contact number.

If you value your privacy and are gravely concerned about others taking screenshots of your profile posts and stories all the time, you may want to make your account private.

This way, your stories, and posts will be shown to your followers only. This will certainly help you prevent strangers from screenshotting your profile posts.

Can You See When Someone Screenshots Your Instagram Story? 

No, you won’t get to know when someone takes screenshots of your stories.

Even after the advent of so many apps, there is no way you can find out when a person takes a screenshot or records your stories.

However, you can guess by having a look at the list of viewers. But be mindful that the list of viewers will also disappear as the status disappears.

So, if you want to check the viewers’ list of your Instagram story, make sure to check it within 24 hours after the story was posted.

Beware of Third-Party Apps

As mentioned earlier, there is no way you can find out who took screenshots of your stories.

So, any app that claims to provide you with the names of those accounts that took screenshots of your disappearing messages is a scam.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that Instagram has allowed it. If it’s a non-malicious app, it will only cost your time.

But if it is malicious, it may impose a threat on your Instagram account. As a result, you may start seeing error messages saying that your actions have been restricted on Instagram.

However, in the event that you already installed the third-party app and entered the details of your Instagram account, make sure to delete that app right off the bat.

Now, change your Instagram account password as well, this will put you on the safe side.

Instagram Screenshot Story Notification Example

Since there is no feature as of now that notifies you about the screenshot of your story, there is no example of the feature.

However, the closest thing to the screenshot story notification is the star icon. This star icon shows up when someone takes a screenshot of a video or photo in DMs.

If someone takes a screenshot in DMs, Instagram will surely notify you with this star icon.

When Does Instagram Notify Users When You Take a Screenshot? 

Instagram only notifies its users that a screenshot has been taken when you take a screenshot of a disappearing photo or video in DMs (Direct Message).

In other words, the other person will know whenever you take a screenshot of the disappearing message.

It doesn’t notify the user when the screenshot is taken of a story or posts on the profile.

If you screenshot a disappearing picture or video in your chat, a small hatched circle will show up right next to it.

Apart from this icon, you can also find out whether someone has taken a screenshot of your disappearing message on the main messages page.

In case you take a screenshot, you’d see the text “Screenshot” on the main messages page right under the name of that person.

As far as the chat messages and other pictures and videos are concerned, you can screenshot them without the other person knowing it.

A disappearing picture or video is the picture or video that you take using the camera within the app. It is called “Disappearing Message” because it disappears right after you see it.

If you choose “Replay”, the other party will be able to view it twice. And if they screenshot it while seeing your picture or video, Instagram will let you know.

If you don’t capture the picture or video from the camera in the message window of Instagram, it will not be a disappearing message.

Predictably then, you can screenshot such messages without the other person being notified about it.

Instagram also allows you to take screenshots of the regular chat (text messages), conversation history, and the posts sent, without letting the other person know.

All in all, if you take a screenshot of someone’s story, reels, Instagram profile posts, and messages, Instagram will not reveal that.

However, the other person will be notified if you screenshot or record a disappearing message (photo or video).

How to Avoid Being Detected After Taking a Screenshot on Instagram?

It’s no secret that being detected for taking a screenshot is not a good feeling.

If you are friends with that person and they won’t mind, great! But what if you don’t have a friendly relationship with that person?

Won’t it be embarrassing for you if they find out that you screenshotted their story?

Well, the good news for you is that you can take a screenshot of the disappearing messages in DMs and still get away with it.

If you want to screenshot or screen record someone else’s story while keeping it a secret, there are plenty of ways to do that!

While it doesn’t get the other person to know about the screenshot, you should always respect others’ privacy and never take screenshots of their pictures without their consent.

Turn On the Airplane Mode

The most effective workaround to avoid being detected after taking a screenshot on Instagram is by setting your phone on airplane mode.

For this purpose, open your Instagram conversation where you have that particular photo or video. Wait for it to load and then turn on airplane mode.

When the airplane mode is on, click on that picture or video that you want to screenshot and take as many screenshots as you want.

However, when you are done with taking screenshots, don’t turn off the airplane mode just yet.

Go to the main screen and uninstall the Instagram app. Now that the app is uninstalled, you can turn on airplane mode and install it again from Google Playstore or App Store.

The whole procedure may consume some time, but it works fine most of the time, which means that the cake is certainly worth the candle.

Disconnect the Internet

Another way of taking a screenshot of a disappearing photo or video is by disconnecting the internet.

Once you have received a disappearing message, wait for a few seconds so it loads and then disconnect the phone’s internet.

Now open the chat and click on the photo or video that you want to screenshot.

Once you have taken the screenshot, go back to your profile and log out from your Instagram account.

To log out from your account, click on the triple-lined icon at the top right of the screen and that will take you to a new page where you’d see the “Settings” option.

Click on the “Settings” option and click on the last option of the list, which is “Log Out”.

Open Instagram in a Web Browser

If the aforementioned ways don’t sound feasible, another method of taking a screenshot without letting the other party know is by opening Instagram in a web browser.

All you need to do is search “Instagram Login” in a web browser on your computer. There, you can log in to your Instagram account and go to your DMs.

Now open that certain disappearing photo or video that you want to take a screenshot of, and take a screenshot.

This is an effective way of taking a screenshot without notifying the other person as Instagram doesn’t notify the other person about the screenshots taken in a web browser.

Capture a Picture Using Another Device

If you are skeptical about using other methods and want to be on the safe side, you can capture the picture or video using another smartphone or other devices.

This makes sure that the other person doesn’t get notified. However, bear in mind that it may be a trade-off with the quality of the picture.

If low quality doesn’t bother you, you can’t go wrong with this method.

FAQs

Conclusion

Does Instagram notify when you screenshot a story in 2025? The answer is no, it doesn’t.