Instagram Looks to Add Screenshot Blocking for Temporary DMs

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The update would add more assurance for those using direct messaging on the app.

Instagram’s looking to provide more assurance for temporary message senders, with a new feature that would block screenshots of temporary DMs.

As you can see in this screenshot, pulled from the back-end code of the app by researcher Alessandro Paluzzi, Instagram’s looking to implement screenshot blocking for all DMs exchanged in “Vanish Mode,” or when “View Once” is active for content.

Originally added back in 2020, Vanish Mode is essentially IG’s version of Snapchat messages, with users able to set their messages to self-destruct as soon as the recipient leaves the chat.

Users can also set their images and video to “View Once” in IG DMs, through which you can also allow replays or not, if you choose.

Instagram has long had a feature that alerts the creator when a recipient has taken a screenshot in these modes, which acts as some form of disincentive and transparency. But disallowing it completely is a much more definitive measure, which could be particularly beneficial for younger users.

The age of social media has led to all new forms of digital bullying, often based around tricking people into saying things that might get them into trouble with others, or getting them to share intimate images. Screenshots of these can then be reshared in other forums, provoking broader issues for victims.

As such, blocking screenshots completely is a safer option, though there is always the risk that users could still take a screenshot with another device.

Which is why the safest route is to never share anything online that you wouldn’t stand behind in public. But of course, no matter how many times that advice is shared, it’s a lot easier to say than to keep front of mind in practice, especially for teens who are still learning relevant social dynamics.

So while it won’t solve the problem entirely, blocking screenshots is a better option.

Both iOS and Android now enable apps to block screenshots in certain elements of apps.