How to Screenshot Without Someone Knowing in Instagram

Stories are an excellent feature on Instagram. The platform intrigues users by displaying Stories that entice them. Imagine seeing a Story that you want to watch later, and you quickly grab a screenshot of it, only for Instagram to notify the poster of your action immediately.

This might make someone feel as if you invaded their privacy.

Fortunately, this doesn’t happen anymore because Instagram retired the feature. That said, you never know when this might change. And if you’re already inclined to keep your activities private, this article will show you some methods of staying truly anonymous.

Why Take an Anonymous Screenshot?

There are many reasons people take a screenshot of a person’s Story.

And contrary to what most people think, some are for legitimate purposes. For example:

• You may admire apparel worn by the user and want to take a photo along on your next shopping trip.
• You can use it as wallpaper.
• You like the photo and wish to add it to your gallery.
• You want to share it in a group chat and discuss it with your friends.

Many users will frown at a notification that tells them someone just took a screenshot of their Story. Of course, it doesn’t matter if your reason for taking the screenshot is entirely innocent.

Fortunately, there are many ways to ensure they can’t find out.

The Different Ways to Screenshot Without Them Knowing 

There are many ways to stay anonymous while taking screenshots on Instagram, regardless of the company’s policies moving forward.

The good news is that they aren’t limited to phone users only.

Use the Instagram Website

Aside from the mobile app, Instagram has a fully functional website that enables users to access the platform on a desktop.

The best part is that their website is not restricted to use only on a PC. You can also use it on your smartphone, even though the app is installed.

The website has similar functionality to the app, and you can view Instagram Stories with it. 

This is the easiest and safest way to screenshot an Instagram Story without alerting users and will also work for screenshotting DMs. Here is how to do it:

1. Go to the Instagram website on your browser and sign in.
   
2. Navigate to “Instagram Stories” in the right corner.
   
3. Open a Story you want to screenshot.
   
4. Take a screenshot using your favorite screenshot medium.
   

The best way to screenshot is to use the built-in screenshot keyboard shortcut for your operating system.

If you’re a Windows user, you can press “Ctrl + Shift + Print Screen” to snap a screenshot of a Story. This will save the image to your clipboard, and you can paste it into Paint, Photoshop, and other image editing apps to modify and save it.

If you’re a Mac user, you can press “Shift + Command + 3” to take a screenshot of your screen. Furthermore, you can click the thumbnail that will pop up on your screen and proceed to edit the screenshot.

Use Airplane Mode

This is an old method that is still useful for mobile device users. It will help to screenshot Stories without people knowing. Follow these steps to do it.

1. Go to the Instagram Story you want to screenshot (you may wait for a few seconds for it to load).
   
2. Turn on Airplane mode on your phone. Pull up the control center from the bottom and select the Airplane Mode icon on an iPhone. On Android, you will find it in Settings or the notifications tray.
   
3. Go back to the Story you want to screenshot.
   
4. Hold the Home and the Side buttons simultaneously if you are using iPhone. Or press the Volume Down and the Power buttons simultaneously using an Android phone.
   
5. You will find a preview at the bottom of the screen or the top (depending on your device).
6. Select the preview to edit the screenshot.
   
7. Tap “Save” to send the photo to your image gallery when done.
   
8. Turn off Airplane mode.
   

However, note that people will still know that you watched their Story.

Use a Screen Recorder

Here is one of the easiest methods of taking a screenshot of Stories on Instagram. There are several free screen recorders you can download and use without any permission from Instagram. 

Here are the steps:

1. Launch the screen recorder and commence recording.
   
2. Open the Story you want to screenshot and record a copy of it.
   

Loom is great for hassle-free screen recording on a desktop. You can either record the entire screen or a current tab. The best part is that you can record a selfie alongside and even include a voice note.

There are many screen recorders available for iOS and Android devices. You could download AZ Screen Recorder for Android and Record It  for iPhone. Both apps can be downloaded for free in the PlayStore and App Store.

Use Story Saver

Story Saver helps you download a Story directly to your phone’s gallery. It’s available on iOS (Instant Story Saver) and Android (Story Saver for Android).

Story Saver for iOS 

1. Go to the “Stories” section of the app.
2. Find a Story you want to download.
   
3. Click on the three dots at the bottom right corner of the screen.
   
4. Choose “Save”, “Save to Camera Roll” or “Save to Downloads.”
   
   

If you choose the latter, go to the bottom of the app to access all your downloaded Instagram Stories.

Story Saver for Android

You must log in to your Instagram account to use this app on your phone. Once you log in, you will find all the Stories from your Instagram account. 

1. Tap on a thumbnail to view a Story.
   
2. Select the vertical three dots then click “save” to save the image or video.
   

If you download this app on your phone, it will automatically display all your saved collections in a folder in your gallery.

A Last Resort Method

If you’re wary of using third-party software, you’re terrified of getting caught, or you don’t care much about the image quality, there’s another option.

You can always use another device to take a picture of your screen. While it won’t technically be a screenshot, and the quality will clearly suffer, it’s an easy way to save something you want to rewatch in your gallery – without anyone ever finding out.

Avoid Notifying Instagram Yourself 

Even though these methods help you screenshot without an Instagram user knowing, you should never use the screenshots for illegitimate purposes. Doing so may trigger Instagram bots, and they may begin to track your activities unknown to you. 

Additional FAQs

Does Instagram ever notify users when someone takes a screenshot?

Although the social media sharing platform won’t notify users of someone taking a quick snap of their Stories, they alert this type of activity when it occurs in the DM. If you screenshot a disappearing video or picture in the DM, it will alert the user by displaying a tiny hatched circle icon.

Grab a Screenshot on Instagram Anonymously

These methods could help if you want to stay anonymous while taking a screenshot on Instagram. Although you could take multiple screenshots within a few seconds, it’s best to do it responsibly. What’s even better is that these methods will help you save screenshots of your DMs, which for the time being, is an action that triggers Instagram notifications.

Have you tried to take a screenshot of a story in the past? Did you experience any challenges? Which of these methods will you try going forward? Tell us in the comment section below.