Instagram is a brilliant service for seeing some of the best images available around the web. Whether it’s pro photographers sharing their latest creations or friends posting snaps of their holidays, you can lose yourself for hours in the app.
Should you want to keep some of these images for yourself, there’s always the option to take a screenshot, but will Instagram alert the creator that you’ve made a copy of their post?
Can I take a screenshot on Instagram without the person who posted it knowing?
Yes. There are no restrictions on the Instagram app for taking screenshots of anything you can see in your feed. If you have screen-capture software for video, then you can also record Stories without the person who posted them ever knowing you even looked at it. Of course, the same is true for your own content, so be sure that whatever you share you’re happy for other people to own.
If you want to try the same approach on another popular photo-messaging service, read our guide on how to screenshot Snapchat without being seen.
There is one notable exception on Instagram though, and that is when it comes to disappearing photos or video. These are particular images or videos that you send via direct messages to other Instagram users. The principle is that the person opens them, is able to see them once, then they are automatically deleted by the app.
Checking through the Instagram help pages, reveals the following details about using disappearing photos and videos, ‘After you send a disappearing photo or video to someone, you’ll see the status of the message (example: Delivered, Opened, Replayed, Screenshot) as part of your conversation in Direct.’ This indicates that should you take a screenshot, then the sender will be alerted.
How can I save Instagram posts without using screenshots?
There’s no need to resort to taking screenshots if all you want to do is be able to view posts at a later date. Instagram has an option to save posts, which can then be sorted into various collections that makes them easier to find.
To do this, open Instagram then find an image you want to save. Underneath it you’ll see a row of icons, but the one you want is the bookmark on the far right. Tap and hold this and you’ll see the Save to menu appear. To create a new collection, tap the + icon or if you already have folders set up, then tap one of those and the image will be deposited in that folder.
You’ll then be returned to your main feed, but this time you’ll notice that the image in question now has the bookmark icon filled in to show that it’s saved in your collections.
To view the collections, open Instagram, tap your profile icon then select three lines at the top of the page. From the menu that appears, choose Saved then all of your collections or images will appear.
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Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.