Forget Creepily Screenshotting Your Friend’s Stories: Instagram Is Testing a New Alert

Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara is Apartment Therapy's News & Culture Director. When not scrolling through Instagram double-tapping pet pics and astrology memes, you'll find her thrift shopping around Boston, kayaking on the Charles, and trying not to buy more plants.
updated May 3, 2019
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Hand holding a smartphone with Instagram login screen next to a cup of coffee on a wooden table.
(Image credit: karn684)

Sorry, creepers: Instagram is once again “borrowing” a feature from Snapchat. The photo app is reportedly testing a screenshot alert notification for Stories, so you can no longer save photos undetected.

The feature was reported yesterday by TechCrunch when people took to social media to share the new feature.

Good bye freedom to screenshot IG stories. ? Thank you, Instagram for the warning. pic.twitter.com/y0pEaVR0Jq

— mulan (@__cajb) February 8, 2018

PSA: How you get notified on Instagram when someone took a screenshot of your Stories pic.twitter.com/Iua2QeyskF

— iz reading On the Edge of Scandal ? (@readbyher) February 11, 2018

Pre-test, Instagram only alerted users of screenshots when it was of a private direct message, while watchers of Stories could screenshot or rewatch Stories multiple times without it notifying the poster. If Instagram decides to roll out the alert feature to everybody, it would be one step closer to functioning like Snapchat, which tells users who rewatches or screenshots their Snaps.

Instagram confirmed the test to TechCrunch, saying “we are always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram and make it easier to share any moment with the people who matter to you.”

Improved experience isn’t what everyone thinks of the test:

Instagram is a snitch

— stefano_onafets (@StefanoLeon14) February 13, 2018
What do you think?

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