Privacy has become one of the most sought-after terms in the digital world. As social media has opened doors to unprecedented, large-scale global exposure, more and more people are trying to strike a balance between socialization and privacy. This need of users has prompted social media and messaging platforms to introduce several ingenious features to keep users’ activities private and secure from potential privacy threats. WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, you name it, every leading online platform has special privacy measures to keep chats private.
As such, it’s no wonder that Telegram- an emerging leader in the instant messaging space- provides the Secret Chats feature that allows users to chat privately in an end-to-end encrypted interface that blocks chat participants from taking screenshots of the chat.
Whenever there is a discussion on such privacy features, a question often pops up in our mind- Is it possible to bypass these privacy restrictions? If this question has popped up in your mind in the context of Telegram’s Secret Chats and Self-Destructing messages, you have made the right decision to come here.
Stick with us in this blog as we discuss some interesting topics about Self-Destructive photos, messages, and other things related to Secret Chats on Telegram, and discuss whether you can take screenshots of self-destructing photos on Telegram.
What are Self-Destruct messages on Telegram?
Before digging into the question we asked above, let’s familiarize ourselves with the concept of self-destructing messages on Telegram.
Like any other responsible platform, Telegram respects the privacy of its users and understands that they might want their conversations to be more secure than they already are.
In light of such requirements, the platform allows users to chat more privately with the Secret Chat option, which provides some additional security features such as end-to-end encryption- which prevents messages from being read by a third party (including Telegram)- and Self-Destruct messages.
Self-Destructing messages on Telegram Secret Chats are those messages that disappear after a pre-specified interval has passed since the message was viewed. Each chat participant can set the self-destruct timer that applies to the text messages in the chat.
For example, if you set the self-destruct timer in a Secret Chat to 10 seconds, any messages you send or receive will get deleted exactly 10 seconds after the receiver views them. The timer starts the instant the receiver sees the message for the first time, and once the slated time passes, the message disappears from both sides.
Note that the self-destruct timer applies to each message, not just photos or other media. Whatever you send or receive after enabling the timer gets deleted after viewing.
Can You Take Screenshots of Telegram Self-Destruct Photos?
There is a fundamental property of self-destructing photos and messages we haven’t discussed directly- they are part of Secret Chat.
Secret Chat is the root from which the feature of self-destructive messages grows. And since self-destruct messages are part of the secret chat interface, it becomes impossible to take screenshots because Telegram doesn’t allow screenshots to be taken inside a secret chat.
Due to the above situation, we started looking for ways to bypass the screenshot ban and somehow take screenshots of messages in secret Chats. After going through tens of secret tips and articles on the web, fidgeting with Telegram settings, and toggling our phone settings, we came to a conclusion- a sad one.
There is NO method that works and is reliable enough that can help you take screenshots in a Secret chat on Telegram. This is because Telegram uses in-built security features to prevent the device from capturing screen content.
The security feature is enabled whenever you open a secret chat and blocks you from recording your screen. Trust us; there is no way to take screenshots of a secret chat and self-destruct photos and messages.
The only way to capture a photo of Telegram self-destruct photos:
You cannot take a screenshot of a secret chat message on Telegram. However, if you are hell-bent on capturing the screen contents of a secret chat, you can do that by taking a photo of your screen using another device. This might sound too obvious, but that’s the simplest way.
Here’s what you can do instead:
If you want to save the photos in a Secret chat, there is not much you can do. However, you can change the countdown interval and even turn off the timer. You can also delete the secret chat altogether. Let’s see how you can do these things:
1. Modify or turn off the self-destruct timer:
You can change the timer’s time period or turn off the timer right from the secret chat screen. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Telegram app.
Step 2: Tap on the secret chat to open it.
Step 3: From the chat screen, tap on the vertical ellipsis in the top-right corner.
Step 4: Select the option Set self-destruct timer, and increase the period of the messages by swiping up. Or you can also disable the timer by setting it to the Off position.
Step 5: Tap on Done.
2. Delete the secret chat
Follow these steps to delete the secret chat:
Step 1: Open Telegram.
Step 2: Tap and hold on the secret chat in the list of All Chats. Some icons will appear on the screen.
Step 3: Tap on the Bin icon to delete the secret chat.
Step 4: Tick the box next to Also delete for and tap on Delete. The secret chat will be deleted.
In the end
Telegram Secret Chats prevent screen capture by the device, due to which it is not possible to take screenshots of self-destruct photos and messages in a secret chat.
While you cannot do anything to bypass the screenshot restriction, you can extend the time frame after which the photos disappear. You can also turn off the self-destruct timer for the chat. Each change applies to both chat participants.
If you cannot screenshot or share photos in a secret chat, you can easily share this blog with anyone you like; we won’t restrict you.
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