There has been a lot of recent buzz on social media concerning Instagram’s decision to notify users when someone takes a screen shot of their photos. This has been the general reaction to the news:
But lets set the story straight. Instagram is NOT notifying users every time you screen shot a photo. They are only notifying users if you screen shot a disappearing photo in Instagram Direct.
If your anything like me, you likely were unaware that changes were even made to Instagram Direct (or, if you are really behind, that Instagram Direct existed). This lack of awareness is partly why so many users were panicking upon hearing the news. So, here’s a little summary of what Instagram Direct is and some of its new updates:
- It allows you to send a photo to 1-15 people privately, rather than being seen by your entire following
- You are able to delete the message after you send it
- The new update introduced photos that disappear after a set time
- If someone screen shots your disappearing photo, you will be notified
Hmm.. disappearing photos… notifications for screenshots… sound like any other photo sharing app???
This little Ghost is not happy.
Anyway…if you’re interested, here’s how to use it
In Instagram’s own words, “Swipe right into the camera to take a photo or video, then tap the arrow to send it privately. You can choose a group or create one in just a few taps — and you can also send to individual friends at the same time. Send anything you want, from inside jokes to your worst selfies. Unlike other messages in Direct, these photos and videos disappear from your friends’ inboxes after they have seen them. And you’ll see if they replayed it or took a screenshot.”
So, what does this mean?
You can continue to screen shot pictures of cute boys and send them to your friends to gawk AND have peace of mind when you screen shot that girl from high schools birthing announcement to ask your friends how you got so old that people are having kids on purpose.
If your still not ready to fully commit to a screen shot, read Instagram’s blog for peace of mind:
You can also learn more about Instagram Direct in the Instagram Help Center.
Moral of the story: don’t panic, you can still creep in peace.