Instagram, has been called out for blatantly copying rival Snapchat’s features on several occasions, but that doesn’t seem to affect the company at all. From Stories to Face Filters, Instagram has copied a number of Snapchat’s features and there seems to be no stopping.
Since its inception, Snapchat has had a feature which alerts users if someone screenshots their snaps. Now, Instagram has also implemented a similar feature which will tell you if someone takes a screenshot of your story.
Earlier, Instagram had no such feature and users could easily take screenshots or screen recordings of someone else’s stories without them being notified. However, if someone takes a screenshot of your stories now, Instagram places a starburst icon next to their handle in the viewers list. The company is also warning users about the new implementation via a message which reads: “Next time you take a screenshot or screen recording, the person who posted the story will be able to see.”
Despite Instagram’s efforts, there are still ways to take screenshots without being detected. As pointed out by a user on Twitter, setting your phone to flight mode seems to bypass this measure and allows users to take screenshots without the original poster being notified. Another workaround involves downloading the stories directly from Instagram’s website, which also doesn’t trigger the alert.
The new feature is being rolled out in phases and it might be a while before it reaches all Instagram users. Other than the alert feature, Instagram has been making other changes to the platform to allow users to follow other users’ activities on the platform. Early last month, the company enabled an activity status within direct messages, allowing users to see when was the last time someone else used the app.
