How to know if someone screenshots your Instagram story

Last Updated on July 15, 2025 by Marie Watkins

 

Can You See If Someone Screenshots Your Instagram Story?

Instagram does not let users see who has taken a screenshot of their story. If someone screenshots a story, the app does not send a notification or alert to the person who posted it.

Instagram did test a feature in the past to notify users when someone took a screenshot of their story, but this feature is not active now. As of July 2025, there are no plans announced by Instagram to bring this feature back.

The only information available to story owners is who viewed their story. This can be seen by swiping up on the story while it is still active.

Instagram shows a notification only if a disappearing photo or video in a direct message is screenshotted, not for regular stories.

Some apps or sites may claim to show who screenshotted a story, but these do not work and may risk account security. Instagram’s current privacy rules do not support this feature.

People can take screenshots without the other person ever knowing. Instagram keeps this information private and does not share it with anyone.

Does Instagram Notify When You Screenshot a Story or Post?

Instagram does not notify users when someone takes a screenshot of their story or post. People can view and screenshot these parts of Instagram privately.

Stories, posts, and highlights are not protected from screenshots. When someone takes a screenshot, Instagram does not show a notification or any alert.

Regular posts, feed updates, and stories are safe to screenshot without the other person knowing. The only exception is direct messages with disappearing photos or videos—Instagram will notify the sender if someone takes a screenshot here.

Users should remember that people can still copy or save content without the original poster being notified. There is no current tool or setting on Instagram to track who screenshots a story or post.

Stories are public to followers or everyone, depending on privacy settings. However, Instagram does not offer any tool or setting to check if a screenshot was taken of a story.

Instagram does notify users for screenshots in specific situations, such as disappearing photos or videos sent in direct messages. This does not apply to regular stories.

Anyone using Instagram today should know that story screenshots happen privately, with no way for the original poster to be notified by the app.

How to know if someone screenshots your Instagram story

Years ago, Instagram notified users if a screenshot of their story was taken. It appeared next to the timestamp, indicating who took the screenshot.

Due to complaints, Instagram took the feature away allowing users to take screenshots.

How to Protect Your Instagram Stories

1. Adjust Your Privacy Settings – Adjusting privacy settings on Instagram can serve as an effective measure to address concerns regarding screenshots.
2. Use the ‘Close Friends’ Feature – An effective method to safeguard Instagram stories is to utilize the ‘Close Friends’ feature, which permits users to share content exclusively with a select group of followers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Instagram users often wonder about privacy and notifications when it comes to screenshots. Understanding what the app does and does not alert users about can help people protect their content and respect others’ privacy.

Is there a notification when someone screenshots your Instagram story?

Instagram does not notify users when someone takes a screenshot of their story. This is true whether the story is shared with all followers or only certain people.

Will Instagram send an alert for a screenshot taken on a direct message?

Instagram does send alerts if someone takes a screenshot of a disappearing photo or video sent in a direct message. For regular text or shared posts in DMs, there is no screenshot notification.

How can users tell if their Instagram story has been screenshotted by someone?

There is no way for users to see if their story has been screenshotted. Instagram does not show any message, symbol, or list indicating who may have taken a screenshot.

Are screenshot notifications provided for Instagram ‘Close Friends’ stories?

Instagram treats ‘Close Friends’ stories the same way as regular stories. There are no notifications if someone screenshots a ‘Close Friends’ story.

Do screenshots of Instagram highlights get reported to the user?

Instagram does not report or show any sign when someone screenshots a highlight. Highlights are just collections of past stories, and screenshot activity is not tracked or reported.

What changes have been made in 2025 regarding Instagram’s screenshot notification feature?

As of 2025, Instagram has not made any updates to notify users about screenshots taken of their stories, ‘Close Friends’ stories, or highlights. The only exceptions are disappearing photos or videos sent by direct message, which still trigger notifications if screenshotted.