Published 18 Jan 2026
Does IG Notify You When You Screenshot a Story?

Everyone loves Insta because it offers free, easy-to-find, entertaining content. It’s a great way to reconnect with people far away and has a popular feature that draws many in – stories, where you can share life’s moments in a quick, fun way.
However, because of IG’s rules, stories are only visible to the public within a 24-hour period. Therefore, it frequently happens when we want to share someone’s story with others or at least have them saved on our devices for later viewing. Screenshoting is the best way to do it. But what if you do not want a user to know about your actions?Does IG notify when you screenshot a story of the target person? Additionally, we will also discuss how a private story viewer can help you watch Instagram stories anonymously without notifying the original user.
Do Users Get Notifications About Social Media Screenshots?
Does IG show screenshots? In short, no, it doesn’t. If you screenshot IG story, a target person won’t get notifications about it. At some point, the Insta platform experimented with its features and launched the screenshot reporting feature in February 2018. For this test, a camera shutter icon popped up next to the user who took a screenshot of the story. Users whose stories were screenshotted could see this by checking the list of people who viewed them. However, it didn’t stick around long – by June of that year, they ditched it because too many users expressed dislike towards it. For instance, Snapchat is a different story. It’s always had screenshot notifications, and they’re a big part of the app’s focus on privacy. If you screenshot anything on Snapchat, the person will get a notification right away—it’s been like that for as long as anyone can remember!
How Can I Get an IG Screenshot Notification in 2024?
You cannot get an IG screenshot notification when someone screenshots your story. As of now, there is no app available on the internet to assist you and provide notifications each time a user decides to screenshot a story you post. So, unless the person who took the screenshot tells you, you won’t know about it.
Why Don’t You Get Screenshot IG Story Notifications?
As mentioned earlier, the only possible way for a user to find out that someone screenshot IG story of their story is when the person who did or the one who saw it tells them about it. So why is it so? What were the grounds for disabling the social media screenshot reporting feature? Here are the top 3 reasons why IG doesn’t notify you about story screenshots.
Reason 1: Negative user response
As said above, users did not like Insta’s 2018 feature, which provided notifications about users who took stories screenshots. Users have already gotten used to the fact that they can freely screenshot a story and won’t be caught for doing it, similar to Snapchat, where users know that screenshot warnings are a normal part of this IM app.
After five months of testing, they figured out how people felt about the feature and decided to give their users what they wanted – absolute anonymity when taking screenshots.
Reason 2: User engagement
Every business takes care of its target audience’s needs. The same is true for social media like IG. Because Meta’s Insta has over 1.4 billion monthly active users, the platform aims to increase their auditory engagement. For this reason, Meta regularly updates the app, adding new features and possibilities for people to engage with each other. The screenshot IG storywas an unsuccessful attempt, and to save their auditory base, Insta removed it.
Reason 3: Lack of control
Insta can’t fully control how people use third-party apps, so it might not know when someone screenshots IG story with those apps. This means notifications about screenshots wouldn’t always be accurate, which could lead to privacy lawsuits.
For example, the company could face legal issues if someone sued Insta for not telling them their story was screenshotted. Insta probably chose not to notify users about story screenshots to avoid this risk.
How to Keep Privacy on Social Media Like Instagram
Well, if you are a popular blogger, content creator, or other individual who does not want others to screenshot IG story they share online, what can you do to stop people from taking screenshots and using them for their benefit? Here are some useful tips to help you with it.
- Keep your account private
The first option may not be ideal for content creators, nutriologists, and bloggers who want to reach a larger audience, but keeping your account private is a great way to protect your IG content. It allows you to control who sees your posts by approving followers, limiting your audience to those you trust, and not screenshot your stories.
- Use “Closest Friends” list
Another option is to use the “Close Friends” list. It lets you share specific stories with only those you trust while keeping your account public. For example, you had a special event and do not want other people in your friends list to know about it.
- Hide stories from certain users
If you want to share your story with a broader audience but worry about certain users taking screenshots, you can hide it from them. It is useful if you’ve had privacy issues with users reposting your story without permission.
- Don’t share your information publicly
Be attentive and careful when you share sensitive information publicly. Before posting stories, ensure they don’t reveal sensitive information that could risk your privacy or safety, like your home address, credit card details, etc. If you need to share sensitive info, use DMs instead, as it gives you better control over who sees it.
- Search for problematic followers
Insta is a public platform, so anyone can use it, including those who might harass others or threaten safety. Watch for undesirable followers, and don’t hesitate to remove or block them if they make you uncomfortable.
Peekviewer: Best Insta Viewer App to Screenshot IG Story Anonymously

Are you restricted or blocked but still want to view other people’s IG stories without them knowing? Peekviewer is a great solution. This tool lets you see any public or private account’s Stories in real time without leaving a trace.
Does IG notify when you screenshot a story with Peekviewer? No. This anonymous Instagram profile viewer works in stealth mode and can store user’s stories for up to three months in your user space.
How to Use Peekviewer
- Go to the official Peekviewer website.
- Choose whether the Instagram profile you want to view is public or private.
- Enter the username or paste the profile URL.
- Pick a subscription plan and start exploring Instagram content instantly.
Peekviewer Features
- View private Instagram accounts without following
- Watch Stories, posts, and Reels in one place
- Browse Instagram content anonymously with no notifications
- Download photos, Stories, and Reels in high quality
- Track likes and comments, including older posts
- Monitor multiple Instagram profiles with one subscription
- View followers and following lists with the Instagram followers viewer feature
- No Instagram login required for secure and private browsing
- Simple, user-friendly interface with no app installation needed
FAQ
How can I protect my Insta photos from being screenshoted?
There are a few ways to prevent a user from screenshotting your IG story. You can keep your account private, share stories with selected users (“Closest Friends”), hide stories from specific users, or simply not share your private info online.
Is there a way to know if someone screenshot my IG story?
There is no way to detect if someone screenshots your IG story until a user decides to tell it themselves. You won’t get any notifications that your stories are screenshotted, so be cautious about what you post online.
Does Insta notify you when someone screenshots a photo in direct messages?
No. Insta does not notify you when someone screenshots a photo sent in DM. While there are alerts for disappearing photos and videos, regular images and messages don’t trigger any notifications.
Does Insta notify users when you screen record?
No, Insta doesn’t notify users when you screen record. You can record videos or browse posts without alerting anyone. However, the sender will be notified if you take a screenshot of disappearing photos or videos sent in DMs.
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