How to Screenshot on Snapchat Without Them Knowing (8 Methods)

Most social media apps allow you to take a screenshot of memorable photos without the sender knowing. Snapchat is not as simple as this popular social media app provides a ten-second view of snippets or messages. If you take private screenshots, Snapchat gives the sender a notification to let them know you did so.

Snapchat gained a following based on people’s love for its disappearing messages. Once a picture or message was sent and opened, it was gone forever. As more and more people joined the platform, Snapchat chose to build a feature to notify users when someone took a screenshot of their Snap to prevent people from doing so.

However, some clever ways exist to beat the system and capture screenshots without the sender knowing. In this article, we will discuss eight methods to screenshot someone’s Snapchat story without them knowing. Read more…

Method 1: Use Parental Control App/mSpy to screenshot a snap

Our first way to screenshot snaps without the sender knowing is to use monitoring apps, such as mSpy. It is one of the best mobile spy apps which helps parents as a way for them to keep an eye on their child’s internet activity. It can be used to retrieve information without the owner of the phone knowing. With mSpy, you can remotely access Snaps and other user data at any time of the day.

Even though mSpy is not a part of Snapchat, it still allows you to access the device activity of other users. This convenient parental control app allows you to take Snapchat screenshots and monitor Snapchat activity and posts without the sender knowing.

Here are steps for how to take screenshots of Snapchat without knowing:

Step 1) Goto www.mspy.com. Enter your email address and purchase a suitable plan. Login credentials are sent to your email.

Step 2) Choose the kind of mobile phone you wish to monitor (Android or iOS devices). For this example, we have opted for an Android device.

Step 3) Download the app on the mobile phone of your target. Follow on-screen instructions and configure mSpy.

Important Note: There is a catch: you’ll need to have access to the opposite person’s phone to set up mSpy. Though you need the phone only once for approximately 10 minutes during the setup.

Step 4) Once installation is done, go to the online mSpy dashboard. Allow (2-3 hours) for mSpy to capture the activities from the phone and transmit them to the server. The duration may also vary based on the internet speed of the target device.

Step 5) Next

Click on Snapchat
Select the person whose snap you want to capture
Take screenshot of the Snap. The other person will NOT be notified.

Visit mSpy >>

Method 2: Use Airplane Mode

Just like other social media apps, Snapchat needs internet service to work. However, you can screenshot a downloaded Snap without the sender getting a screenshot notification from Snapchat.

You can access downloaded snaps offline without being detected by the sender by putting your phone in airplane mode.

Here are the steps needed to access Snapchat in airplane mode:

Step 1) Open Snapchat

Open Snapchat to ensure your snaps download, but do not open Snaps yet.

Step 2) Turn on Airplane Mode

Turn off WiFi and data and put your phone in airplane mode.

Step 3) Access your downloaded snaps

Once your phone is in airplane mode, you can access your snaps.

Step 4) Take screenshots.

In airplane mode, it is safe to take screenshots without anyone knowing. Wait at least 30 seconds after taking screenshots to turn airplane mode off.

Method 3: Use Google Assistant to screenshot a story without them knowing

Google Assist is another method to screenshot Snapchat without them knowing. Snapchat notifies its users about a screenshot being taken when a screenshot is taken manually- for example, on the iPhone, you must press the home and power buttons simultaneously to take a screenshot, and it’s that motion that triggers Snapchat to know you’ve done so.

However, Google Assistant is voice-activated, and if you tell it to take a screenshot, the button tapping Snapchat was made to recognize will not be triggered.

Follow these three simple steps to find out how to use Google Assistant to take screenshots of Snapchats.

Step 1) Open Snapchat

First, open your Snapchat application and access your Snaps.

Step 2) Command Google Assist

When you come to a Snap you want to screenshot, summon your Google Assistant to take a screenshot through either a verbal or typed command.

Step 3) Save the Screenshot

Save your screenshot. The only downfall with this method of secretly taking screenshots is that Google Assistant cannot save your Snapchat screenshots to your phone. Instead, you must send them to your email, Bluetooth, or messages, then download them to your phone.

Method 4: Take a Screenshot on Snapchat Using the Built-in Screen Recorder on iPhone

Built-In screen recorders are another reliable tool for capturing mobile screen activities, such as videos and Snapchat screenshots. Many cell phones on the market today have exceptional capabilities for taking high-resolution screenshots.

Other attractive features of built-in screen recorders include editing, cropping, trimming screenshots and videos, and removing unwanted parts.

Here are steps to use screen recording on an iPhone:

Step 1) Go to your control center and select screen recording

Step 2) Click the + icon to add it to your control center

Step 3) Open the Snap you want to screenshot and tap the recorder icon.

Step 4) The screen recorder will save the Snap in your device photos.

Method 5: Use an Apple Mac

If you have a MacBook, you can screenshot Snapchat to the QuickTime Player app by synching your iPhone and MacBook.

QuickTime player is a screen recording software. Rather than a picture, you’ll be able to capture the Snap you want to keep in a video.

Step 1) Open the QuickTime player

Launch the application. Once in QuickTime player, click “file”, then “new movie recording.”

Step 2) Select and Record

To capture video of your Snap, select your iPhone from the dropdown menu and then hit the record button in QuickTime.

Step 3) Open Snap

Open Snapchat and pick your desired Snaps. QuickTime will take a recording as you go through your messages.

Step 4) Take Screenshots on your Mac

Press the command, shift, and the number 4 buttons on your Mac keyboard to screenshot the Snap.

Method 6: Mirror Your Phone to Other Devices

Screen mirroring is a built-in app to mirror devices on a laptop or television. This application allows you to take screenshots without alerting the poster by connecting your device to laptops or televisions via an HDMI cord or using the mirroring feature on your cell phone.

To screenshot a Snapchat photo using screen mirroring, open Snapchat and tap screen mirroring. Snapchat photos and videos will appear on your laptop or television screen. If on your TV, you can take a picture of the screen with your phone camera. In case, if their phone is connected to your laptop, follow the manufacturer’s steps to take a screenshot.

This method isn’t fully reliable as it depends on your target not realizing your phone is connected to an HDMI cord. Moreover, you’ll need access to their phone in order to enable screen mirroring on their end.

Method 7: Clear Cache & Storage (Android & iOS)

Clear Cache & Storage is another method that takes discrete Snapshot screenshots, turns your phone to airplane mode, and clears the cache for the Snapchat app.

When your phone is in airplane mode, snap a screenshot and then clear your cache. This method will leave no records of your activity.

However, this method only works on Android and iOS devices. To clear the cache, go to your profile setting, and press “clear cache.”

Method 8: Recording the phone on PC

Our last method for taking a Snapchat screenshot with no one knowing is by using your PC to record your Snaps captured on your phone.

This easy-to-use method is perfect for people who are not very tech-savvy but still want to save Snapchat images or videos. Your laptop won’t be able to do this independently, and you will need to download additional apps. Some of the apps you can try are:

Snagit
Adobe Captivate – Here is a complete list of best screen capture apps.

FAQ

Even though it is regarded as unethical, it’s not illegal to take a screenshot of a Snapchat you are sent. The sender knows you will be viewing the content. However, they have a right to know if you save and store the content for later use.

Yes. Snapchat will notify users whenever a screenshot of their Snaps is taken, whether it be a private Snap, on their Story, or in a Highlight.

A screenshot notification lasts for twenty-four hours within the app. It will remain in the chat box as a message until the chat disappears per Snapchat guidelines. The notification that a screenshot was taken on the phone will stay until the user dismisses it.

No. Screenshot notification is a built-in privacy feature Snapchat has created to build trust between itself and its users. While you can turn off notifications of receiving Snaps, you won’t be able to disable screenshot notifications.

Conclusion

There are a few ways to take a screenshot of someone’s Snapchat without them knowing. Some methods are relatively simple, and others are more complex, involving additional equipment like laptops or TVs. It is not illegal to take a screenshot of someone else’s chat, but it may be illegal to share it with others depending on your jurisdiction and the content in the screenshot message.