Have you ever wondered what happens to your Instagram story after you post it and if someone screenshots it? We tested it to find out what happens if someone decides to save your Story post.
Stories are one of the most popular ways to post on Instagram, as users can share snapshots of their daily lives through videos and photos outside of their regular feed.
If you want to immortalize another user’s Instagram story, so that it doesn’t disappear after a day, you can always take a screenshot of it. However, you probably don’t want to let the other user know that you saved a copy of another user’s post.
So, will Instagram notify users if someone takes a screenshot of their Stories? We put this feature to the test to see what happens when a user takes a screenshot of an Instagram Story post.
Does Instagram notify you when you screenshot a story?
Instagram will not notify you if someone screenshots your story or post. This means that if you take a screenshot of another user’s post, they will not be notified.
This rule also applies to all “close friends” on the Instagram app. Anyone on your cultivated close friends list will also not be notified if you, or another user, screenshots their Story post.
It’s worth noting, however, that some Instagram features have different rules. For example, if you try to screenshot something sent via Vanish mode, the other person will be notified. So it’s best to be careful with what you choose to screenshot on the app.
While Instagram briefly tested a feature that allowed users to see who screenshotted their story in 2018, it’s unclear whether they plan to add it again in the future.
Screenshot of Instagram story tested
Even though Instagram claims not to notify people when you screenshot a story post, it can still be stressful to test if you don’t want the creator to know you took a screenshot.
To test this, we asked one of our authors to upload a photo to their Instagram story to see if the platform really hides when someone takes a screenshot. Here’s what we found out.
- One of our authors posted a photo on his Instagram story.
- Another writer went to look at the Instagram story and took a screenshot.
- We then analyzed the first writer’s Instagram page to see if there was any indication that someone had screenshotted their story.
- When looking at the stats for a specific story, there was no way to tell if anyone had taken a screenshot. Only the number of people who had viewed the story was visible.
- When entering the DMs between the two users, there was no indication that a screenshot had been taken.
And there you have it! There is no way to tell if someone took a screenshot of your Instagram story.
How to Tell if Someone Screenshot Your Instagram Story
The only way to know if someone screenshotted your Instagram story is if they tell you or show you the screenshot.
InstagramThere’s no way to tell if someone screenshots your Instagram story unless they tell you.
While this means you’re putting a lot of trust in your followers and the users who view your story if you don’t want the story to be shared outside of your story, it can also be useful information to have because it might make you think twice before posting something personal.
Does Instagram show screenshots?
As things stand, however, Instagram notifies users about screenshots only via DM. If someone sends you a disappearing video or photo in your DMs and you take a screenshot of it, the sender will be notified and a circle symbol will appear next to the hidden video or photo.
InstagramA special symbol appears if someone takes a screenshot of a hidden video or photo.
This only works with ephemeral messages and videos that are set to be viewed only once. If you send a photo, video, or regular message, you won’t be notified if someone takes a screenshot.
Can you see who is taking screenshots of your Instagram story?
Although you can’t see who screenshotted your Instagram Story, you can use the information Instagram gives you to figure it out.
While a personal Instagram account only shows you how many people have viewed your Instagram Story, if you have a business account, you can see how many people have replied to or shared your Story with other users.
InstagramYou can use Instagram analytics to try to determine if someone took a screenshot of your Instagram story.
While this may not be as effective as knowing who screenshotted your content, it can still be helpful to have an idea of what people do with your content after you publish it.
If you’d like to learn more about using Instagram, you can check out our other guides, including how to reshare a post to your Instagram Story and how to watch an Instagram Story anonymously.
