Does Facebook Messenger Notify Screenshots? Know More

Social Media Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have made significant changes to their privacy policies. These updates focus on strengthening the user’s trust by offering features that keep their conversations private. Instagram and Snapchat frequently roll out privacy-focused features and updates. But Facebook Messenger is always late in picking up cues about improving privacy. 

Does Facebook messenger notify screenshots

Do you ever wonder, “Does Facebook messenger notify screenshots?” or “how safe are your conversations from intentional sharing and duplication?” We will cover all the nitty-gritty details about chats privacy on Facebook Messenger. This will help you to understand the extent to which your conversations are safe on the platform.

How can you screenshot on Messenger?

Facebook doesn’t restrict the users from taking a screenshot on the messenger app. Whether it is a private chat, secret conversations chat, or group chats. You can use the inbuilt screenshot feature of your smartphone, to take screenshots.

How can you screenshot on Messenger for Android?

To take a screenshot on Messenger for Android, repeat the following steps:

  • Open the messenger app on your android device and log in.
  • Now, open the specific chat window in which you want to capture a screenshot.
  • Now, press the physical screenshot capture button combination of your device. Usually, it is the power button + volume down button combination.
  • Make sure to press them simultaneously, otherwise, the system won’t capture a screenshot. Instead, it will open the power options or decrease the volume.

Note: All smartphone brands include a screenshot gesture or screenshot tool, with their Android OS version. Like the MIUI offers a three-finger swipe-down gesture for screenshots.

Samsung OneUI has a palm-swipe across the display to capture a screenshot. You can find the screenshot gestures/button combinations on your device manufacturer’s website.

How can you screenshot on Messenger for iPhone?

To take a screenshot on Messenger for iPhone, retrace the following steps:

For iPhone with a Home button( iPhone 8 and older) models.

  • Open the messenger app on your iPhone and log in.
  • Now, find the group or private chat that you want to capture and open it.
  • Press the Home button and the side button at the same time.
  • Your display will flash for a second to inform you about a recent screenshot capture.
  • Also, your iPhone will display the captured screenshot in a tiny window. It will appear in the lower-left corner of the display.
  • You can tap to alter, share, or delete the screenshot.

Note: You may have a very old iPhone that has a top button instead of a side one. Then, you need to press it along with the home button to screenshot on messenger.

For iPhone without a Home button( iPhone X and newer) models.

iPhone with the new Face ID has a different button combination to capture a screenshot.

  • Open the messenger and navigate to the chats section.
  • Now, locate the preferred chat for screenshot and tap to open it.
  • Press the side button and the volume up button at the same down.
  • You will notice a tiny window that appears after the button press. It showcases the chat screenshot you just captured on your iPhone.
  • You can tap to alter, share, or delete the screenshot.

How to see if someone took a screenshot on Messenger?

It is not possible to see or know if someone took a screenshot of your chats on Messenger. Unlike Snapchat, Messenger doesn’t notify you when someone takes a screenshot of your chats. But, a recent update post by Mark Zuckerberg introduced a new feature.

Now, Messenger will roll out the screenshot notification feature with the new update. So, you can update the messenger app and enable the screenshot notification feature. The new will inform you about future screenshots in the chat window.

A peculiar thing about the screenshot notification feature is that it doesn’t apply to all chats. You can use it with the Facebook secret conversations feature only. Furthermore, there isn’t a method to enable screenshot notifications for normal chats. This option is unavailable in messenger as of now.

Can you prevent someone from screen shooting on Messenger?

Facebook only offers notifications services if someone captures a screenshot of your chat. It doesn’t have any feature to restrict screenshot capture by a user on their devices.

So, you can know about a recent screenshot attempt but cannot restrict it for any other user on messenger. Facebook released a profile picture lock to restrict the misuse of profile screenshots. But it didn’t extend it to messenger chats.

Ways to Handle Facebook Screenshot issues

Facebook rolled out a voluntary E2EE (end-to-end) encryption feature for Messenger users. This feature aimed to increase their privacy. End-to-end encryption makes it impossible for anyone except the two communicating parties to read the contents of the chats.

Each party has a pair of public and private keys, which are used to decrypt the incoming messages. But E2EE is useful for hiding data from meddlesome third parties only.

The chats can still be logged and shared by an untrustworthy recipient. It is doable using screenshots(scrolling screenshots) as a tool. Facebook offers three prominent security features for securing your chats/private conversations:

  1. Facebook Secret Conversations
  2. Disappearing messages
  3. Messenger’s Vanish Mode

Facebook Secret Conversations

Facebook Secret Conversations are the perfect place to safeguard your chats from others. This feature uses the E2EE technology, so it assures that it won’t be accessible to snooping eyes. You can create a new encrypted and secure chat using Facebook secret conversations.

This new chat window uses a black theme. In this chat window, all the elements use the duo-chromatic color scheme(black and white). Thus, it is easy for you to spot whether you are using a normal chat window or Facebook Secret Conversations.

How to enable Facebook Secret Conversations in Messenger on Android?

You can enable Facebook Secret Conversations in Messenger on Android via two methods. Retrace the steps below:

  • Open the Messenger app on your android phone and then log in.
  • Now, locate the new chat icon(denoted by a pencil) and tap on it.
enable Facebook Secret Conversations
  • You will see the option to create a group chat, a new video call, or search for a particular name or group.
  • Toggle the lock icon located to the left of the New Message label. It will enable the Facebook Secret Conversations in Messenger.
enable Secret Conversations
  • Now, scroll down the list of people available for chat and select any user to begin a secret conversation.
  • You can add another user to this new Facebook Secret Conversations chat. Add a new user by clicking on the plus(+) icon.
  • It will create a secret group conversation and other chat members will be aware of it.
  • Now, you can begin sending encrypted messages.

Alternatively, you can create a Facebook secret conversation within an active chat.  Repeat the following steps:

  • Open the normal chat window with a user.
  • Locate the ‘i‘ button and tap on it to reveal the complete settings window for the chat.
activate Facebook Secret Conversations
  • Now, scroll down to find the “Go to secret conversation” and click on it.
  • Your secret conversation chat window is active now. All the messages sent in this window will be under E2EE.

Note: Facebook Secret Conversations are useful if you crave utmost privacy on messenger. The chats and media shared here cannot be decrypted by a third party.

However, Facebook Secret Conversations doesn’t put restraints on message copying. Even forwarding, taking screenshots, and further sharing are doable.

Moreover, this feature is only available on the Messenger app for Android and iOS only. You cannot use it on FB or Messenger for desktop, Windows app, or macOS app.

How to enable Facebook Secret Conversations in Messenger on iPhone?

To enable Facebook secret conversations in Messenger, repeat the following steps:

  • Open the Messenger app on your iPhone and find the new chat icon(represented by a pencil), and click on it.
  • Now, you will see multiple options about creating a group chat. You can create a new video call, or search for a particular name or group.
  • Find the lock toggle which is located next to the New Message label and enable it.
  • Now, select a user name with whom you want to create a new secret conversations chat and tap on it.
  • You can send messages and media in this new secret conversation chat window. They will be encrypted by default.

Note: Facebook Secret Conversations are only available for iPhone and iPad devices now. You cannot use the encrypted chats feature on MacBook or iMac devices.

Disappearing messages

Disappearing messages try to curb the menace of leaked and shared chats contents by setting an auto-delete timer. You can enable disappearing messages and ensure that the conversations disappear after reading. The disappearing messages auto-delete after fourteen days.

If the recipient hasn’t read the messages, they cannot recover them. Therefore, you can leverage the disappearing messages feature to prevent rampant screenshots. You can also impede message sharing of private chats to some extent. To enable disappearing messages in messenger, do as follows:

  • Open the Messenger app on your Android device/iPhone and log in.
  • Now, locate the new chat icon(denoted by a pencil) and tap on it.
disappearing messages
  • You can create a group chat, a new video call, or search for a particular name or group.
  • Toggle the lock icon located to the left of the New Message label. It will enable Facebook Secret Conversations in Messenger.
enable disappearing messages
  • You will see a timer icon in the text typing box in the new secret conversations window.
set timer disappearing messages
  • Once you tap on it, a new timer settings window for disappearing messages will open.
  • You can set timers from 5 seconds -1 day(depending upon your use case), and then click OK.
adjust time disappearing messages
  • Any new message you send in this secret chat window will disappear once the time limit exhausts.
apply timer disappearing messages
  • Remember that the disappearing message timer activates after the recipient reads the message. It doesn’t delete messages before that.

Note: Disappearing messages is confined to the Android, iOS, and iPad Messenger app. You cannot use it for normal chats or use this feature on the desktop version of Messenger. Also, it is a precautionary feature that doesn’t disable screenshots and chats. They can be copied by users present in the conversation.

Messenger’s Vanish Mode

Messenger’s Vanish Mode adopts a stern approach towards screenshots and unauthorized chat sharing. Unlike Facebook Secret Conversations, the Vanish Mode restricts you from setting the timer.

All messages sent using Vanish Mode will be removed after the receiver reads them. Moreover, you cannot use the Vanish Mode for group chats. It only applies for one-on-one chats and disables copying, forwarding, and saving.

Earlier, if you took a screenshot of chats in Vanish Mode, the Messenger app wouldn’t notify others. So the other parties in the conversation couldn’t raise a concern.

But that changes now because Mark Zuckerberg teased a feature of screenshot notifications. These notifications are only available in Vanish Mode. If you take a screenshot, a message about the action appears in the Vanish Mode chat window.

How to use Messenger’s Vanish Mode?

To use the Vanish Mode in Messenger app, repeat the following steps:

  • Open an existing chat window with a user. Or, create a new chat by clicking on the “pencil” icon and selecting the user.
  • Once you enter the chat window, swipe up to enter Vanish Mode on messenger.
  • If the swiping action fails to open the Vanish Mode, you can tap the user name located on the top of the chat window.
  • Now, scroll down and find the Vanish Mode option. Click on it to enable the Vanish Mode.
  • The chat window will turn black to indicate that the Vanish Mode is active now.
  • If you need to turn off the Vanish Mode, tap the “Turn Off Vanish Mode” button. The button is present at the top of the chat window.
  • All the messages you send will auto-vanish after the recipient reads it and exits the chat. 
  • If they take a screenshot, you will receive a notification. It will show that “XYZ(username) took a screenshot.

Note: Vanish Mode is the only feature that forces the messenger app to notify screenshots. It won’t prevent the chat participant from taking a screenshot. Vanish Mode can only notify you about the action.

On top of that, Vanish Mode is only available for messenger users in select countries. So, you may not find the option in your Messenger app for Android/iOS.

Remember that vanish mode is confined to Android and iOS apps only. It is unavailable for Messenger desktop apps for macOS and Windows.

How to report a vanish mode conversation on Messenger?

If you receive a chat in the Vanish Mode that goes against community guidelines or is threatening/abusive. You can report it to Facebook. Vanish Mode lets you report the conversation even if it disappears from the chat.

However, you can report removed chats within one hour only. After that, it won’t be included in the report. So, spontaneity is the key to availing prompt grievance resolution on Messenger.

  • Open the chats section and find the person whom you want to report.
  • Open the chat and tap the user name to reveal additional settings.
  • Now, scroll down and locate the Something’s Wrong option.
  • Click on it and select an appropriate category from the options.
  • Now, click on Send Feedback button to submit your feedback for a recent chat in Vanish Mode.

What about the Facebook secret conversations?

Facebook secret conversations are a better approach to impede the unauthorized sharing of chats to some extent. But they don’t solve the “Does Facebook messenger notify screenshots?” problem.

They can only set timers for chats to auto-delete after the user reads it and have a major flaw. Secret conversations do not generate notifications when someone takes a screenshot of chats. So, you cannot find who took the screenshot and shared it.

With Vanish Mode, the Messenger app sends a notification every time a screenshot is taken. It also blocks the copying, forwarding, and archiving chats features.

Thus, if you want Facebook messenger to notify screenshots, using the Vanish mode is good. Still, it is not foolproof because it does not stop anyone from taking a screenshot. But at least you know who was behind it.

Steps to Download and Save Photos without Facebook Screenshot

The Facebook app lets you download and save photos without taking a screenshot of them. This is applicable only for photos that are set to public view.

  • Open the Facebook app and tap on the photo you want to download.
  • It will open the photo in full-screen mode. Locate the vertical three-dots(kebab menu) button and click on it.
download photos facebook
  • Alternatively, you can press and hold on to the image for a few seconds to reveal the context menu.
save facebook photos
  • Now, tap on the Save to Phone option to save the photo in your mobile storage.
  • You can access the saved photo via the gallery, file manager, or downloads app on your phone.

Steps to Share Pictures to friends without taking facebook screenshots

To share pictures with friends without taking facebook screenshots, repeat the following steps:

  • Open the Facebook app and tap on the photo you want to share.
  • Facebook app will open the photo in full-screen mode. Locate the vertical three-dots(kebab menu) button and click on it.
  • Alternatively, you can press and hold on to the image for a few seconds to reveal the context menu.
  • Now, tap on the Share external option to share photos using other social apps, mail, and nearby share apps.
share facebook photos
  • If you want to share the photo with a contact on the Messenger app, tap the Send in Messenger option.
  • Now, select the users with whom you want to share the picture and tap on share.

Conclusion

This concludes our comprehensive guide to finding whether the “Does the Facebook messenger notify screenshots?. Facebook Messenger still lacks a powerful screenshot-prevention feature.

But it can notify you about the recent screenshots taken by the other party. You can use Facebook’s secret conversations and disappearing messages feature to control screenshots.

However, screenshots notifications are only present in the Vanish Mode. This feature may or may not be available in your country yet.