waitedCan you stop someone from taking a screenshot?
Updated
In short Only partly. On Android, an app can block screenshots and screen recordings of its photos; on iPhone, it’s only told after the fact, unless it hides the photo from the screenshot with a workaround Apple doesn’t guarantee. Some apps block, others notify the sender, many do nothing. And none can stop someone from photographing the screen with another device: the real protection is choosing who you send to.
What an app can do, depending on the phone
- On Android, an app can mark its screen as “secure”: screenshots and screen recordings then come out black. Since Android 14, it can also be told when a screenshot has just been taken, and since Android 15, when a screen recording captures it.
- On iPhone, Apple gives apps no official way to block a screenshot: they’re told after the fact, once the screenshot is already saved. Some, like Telegram or waited, still hide their content from screenshots with a workaround that Apple doesn’t guarantee from one iOS version to the next.
- Screen recording and mirroring: on iPhone, an app knows when the screen is being recorded or mirrored, and can hide the photo meanwhile; on Android, a secure screen blacks those out too.
What the most popular apps do
| App | Screenshot | Is the sender told? |
|---|---|---|
| Snapchat (Snaps and chats) | Possible | Yes |
| Instagram (view once photo in a direct message) | Blocked, according to Meta | Not applicable: the screenshot is blocked |
| WhatsApp (view once photo) | Blocked | Not applicable: the screenshot is blocked |
| Signal | Possible, except on Android with the “Screen security” setting, off by default | No |
| Telegram (secret chat, view once photo) | Blocked on Android; hidden on iPhone | Yes, in secret chats, when the phone detects it |
| waited (default setting) | Blocked on Android; hidden on iPhone | Yes, if the phone still reports a screenshot |
From each app’s help center, as of October 4, 2026; these behaviors change with versions and across phones. Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram are trademarks of their respective owners; waited is not affiliated with them.
What no app can prevent
- A photo of the screen taken with another device: no blocking can detect it, on any phone.
- A modified or hacked phone can get around an app’s protections.
- Being told erases nothing: a screenshot notification doesn’t delete the screenshot.
How do you protect a photo from screenshots?
- Only send it to people you trust.
- Pick an app that end-to-end encrypts the photo and blocks screenshots, or at least tells you about them.
- Turn on view once and automatic deletion, and don’t allow saving to the gallery.
- A photo you really wouldn’t want passed around: don’t send it.
What if someone already took a screenshot?
Talk to them first, and ask them to delete it. If the photo is shared without your consent, keep the evidence, report it to the site or app showing it and talk to someone you trust. In the UK, Childline’s Report Remove helps under-18s get a nude image taken down; in the US, the NCMEC CyberTipline takes reports. Take It Down (under 18) and StopNCII.org (18 and over) stop an intimate image from spreading on participating platforms. More advice in the guide sharing a private photo.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tell if someone screenshotted your photo?
Only in apps that report it: Snapchat, Instagram in vanish mode, Telegram in secret chats, waited when the phone reports a screenshot. Elsewhere, nobody is told.
Why does a screenshot come out black?
Because the app protected its screen. On Android, an app can keep its content out of screenshots and screen recordings, which then come out black: that’s what WhatsApp’s view once photos, Telegram’s secret chats and waited photos do, for example.
Does WhatsApp notify you of screenshots?
WhatsApp blocks screenshots and screen recordings of view once photos and videos, rather than notifying. A photo sent the normal way can be screenshotted, saved and forwarded, and WhatsApp offers no notification for it.
How does waited protect against screenshots?
By default, a photo can’t be captured while it’s shown: on Android, screenshots and screen recordings are blocked; on iPhone, the photo is hidden from the screenshot and during a recording. It’s also hidden in the app switcher. If the phone still reports a screenshot, the sender gets a notification. Details in the security guide.
Sources
- Android Developers: Secure sensitive activities (FLAG_SECURE)
- Android Developers: Screenshot detection (Android 14)
- Android Developers: Android 15 features (screen recording detection)
- Apple Developer: userDidTakeScreenshotNotification
- Apple Developer: sceneCaptureState
- WhatsApp Help Center: About view once
- Signal Support: Screen Security
- Telegram FAQ
- Meta: protecting teens from sextortion scams (October 2024)
Want to try it?
waited is free, on iPhone and Android.