The short answer
- 1Normal chats, groups and channels send no screenshot alert at all.
- 2In secret chats Telegram tries to show 'took a screenshot!', but its FAQ says this can be bypassed.
- 3No setting stops someone photographing the screen with another device.
In this article
The short answer
| Where the screenshot is taken | Is the other person told? |
|---|---|
| A normal one-to-one chat | No |
| A group or a channel | No |
| A secret chat | Telegram tries to tell you: a line such as "Sam took a screenshot!" appears in the chat |
Telegram's FAQ describes this only for secret chats: "We will try to send a notification if a screenshot is taken." Ordinary cloud chats, groups and channels have no screenshot alert at all.
Why even the secret chat alert is not proof
The same FAQ is direct about the limits. On some systems, especially some Android devices, there is no bulletproof way to detect a screenshot; it may be possible to bypass the notification and take one silently; and nobody can stop a person from photographing the screen with a different device or a camera. Its advice is to share sensitive information only with people you trust.
So read the alert in one direction only. If you see "took a screenshot!", a screenshot was taken. If you see nothing, that does not mean nobody kept a copy.
Ways to make copying harder
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Secret chat | Tries to alert you to screenshots; on some devices screenshots are blocked; a self-destruct timer can remove messages. See starting a secret chat |
| No Screenshots in a private chat | "Disable screenshots and screen recordings in this chat." See turning off saving in a private chat |
| Content protection in groups and channels | Stops forwarding, saving and copying, and on some devices screenshots too |
| Photos and videos that open once | The media disappears after it is viewed |
| Allow Screenshots switched off on a story | "Downloading and taking screenshots will be disabled for this story." |
On iPhone, a protected story that someone tries to capture shows them "Screenshot Blocked". None of these tools stops a second phone pointed at the screen.
Your own screenshots
If you take a screenshot in a secret chat, you see "You took a screenshot!" in the chat, and your partner gets the alert. On Android, the passcode settings can also hide chat content in the task switcher; the app warns that you "won't be able to take screenshots in the app" while that is on. If screenshots suddenly fail in Telegram on your phone, that setting or a protected chat is the usual reason.
FAQ
Does Telegram notify when you screenshot a chat?
Not in normal chats, groups or channels. In secret chats Telegram tries to show a 'took a screenshot!' message.
Can someone screenshot a Telegram secret chat without me knowing?
Possibly. Telegram's FAQ says detection is not bulletproof on some devices, and a second camera cannot be stopped.
Is there an app that detects screenshots in Telegram chats?
No official one. Bots or apps that promise this and ask for a login or code are scams.
Sources
At a glance
- 1Normal chats
No alert, in chats, groups or channels.
- 2Secret chats
Telegram tries to alert you; not guaranteed.
- 3Real protection
Decide what to send, and to whom.
Updated
