Anyone just hates how some apps can disable screenshots?

Not sure if this is the correct place to post, but I just wanna kinda rant a bit.

I'm not the only one that hates this, right?

An app can just do a "This App Does Not Allow Screenshots"? Like... wtf?

Like, its my phone, and some app can just decide to disable a fuction of my phone. It's my phone and if I wanna take a screenshot, I'm taking a screenshot. I don't care about whatever "security" the app developer wants.

Imagine if every online shopping app whether fast food or amazon, just used this to block you from taking a screenshot so you can't save the records in case of a dispute.

Which android developer thought it was a good idea to let an app disable a function on your phone. Even iPhone doesn't have this stupid concept.

Sorry for the rant.

Anyone wanna share your stories?

(P.S. I have a cheap secondary phone to take photos of the screen. "This App Does Not Allow Screenshots" my ass lmao, I'm taking the screenshot whether the app wants it or not.

203 comments

The point of many of android's "protection" features isn't to protect the user from apps, but to protect apps from the user. I hate it.
- In this case, I think it's protecting apps from other apps. No secret screen recording going on while you're looking at bank statements, etc. I find that annoying, too, but I'm less annoyed by the reasoning in this case.
  Now if Google could explain why toggling wifi through Tasker requires root, I would LOVE to hear the reasoning...
  
  Or changing or just adding a system font.
  Or setting a charge capacity limit.
  Or adding separate quick access tikes for wifi and cellular.
  
  In this case, I think it's protecting apps from other apps. No secret screen recording going on while you're looking at bank statements, etc.
  I think with all the engineers at Google developing Android they could come up with a solution of how to discern whether the act of screenshot was triggered solely by the user, or an app on the phone. They are the ones in power of all the APIs that allow other apps to capture the screen content in the first place. Maybe I am simplifying it too much, but this seems as a bad excuse to me.
  Maybe it would be too hard of a solution since there's so many ways third party apps could capture screen content (including for example the Android accessibility service which also allows apps to read content of the screen and even simulate screen touches and gestures which many automation apps make use of) that blocking the screenshot alltogether is by far the most feasible solution.
  
  They changed it the other day where airplane mode doesn’t require root. That one’s nice for me.
  Never mind that shortcuts on iOS has been able to do that simple task from its inception.
  
  Third-party apps, unless a user specifically go to settings and find that option, don't have the permission known as "Draw Over Top" that's required to do screen recordings/screenshots.
  
  Now if Google could explain why toggling wifi through Tasker requires root, I would LOVE to hear the reasoning…
  tbf all hardware-functions require root permission by default.
  Linux does the same thing. If you want to access /dev/sda, it requires root.
  I could guess one of the ways it could interfere with security is that it would probably also allow the app to disable WiFi. If the app does that, it could incur costs as now data is being transmitted over mobile connectivity. Also, it would maybe allow the app to find your mobile-IP address, which could be used to geotrack you. But i don't know, i'm just talking out of my ass here.
  
  Ok but why is my browser doing this in incognito mode? Incognito mode isn't a banking app. It's me not wanting my browser to save my Facebook login info or history.
- "Protections" are fine, as long as there's an override for it.
  User doesn't like potential malware from "sideloading"? Then don't enable "Install from Unknown Sources".
  Same thing with everything else, there should be an override switch.
  
  yeah just like with mounting EFI vars on linux...
  it should be possible because "root can do anything, really", but also, it's dangerous and should be disabled by default.
- Being able to block screenshots is "supposed" to protect users from having malware take screenshots of banking apps and other such information.
  If app developers were good, this could have been a good feature.
  But I agree with OP. It still should be the user's choice.
  
  My Banking App does have the option to disable this feature.
  It's all fine if it's a user choice, very annoying if it's not.
I fuckin hate that Playstation 4 and 5 do this for taking screenshots from movies. I just want to get a good screen grab for meme purposes! Do you think I'm going to screen shot every goddamn frame of a movie, one at a time, paste those back together as a video, then somehow rip the audio too, and then share this necromantically-assembled abomination with all my pirate buddies? Fuck you!
- Now that is really stupid, especially given how easy it is to just fire up the movie on your PC and take a screenshot from there.
  
  Netflix does this on windows too
- And that's why you should refuse to pay a penny and just pirate everything by default. If you feel like supporting the creators, donate to their union strike fund.
- god bless Digital Restrictions Management
I work for a company that builds an app /sdk that handles credit cards / payments. It's one of the (many) requirements for getting an industry standard certification (like PCIDSS / MPOC). The app Must block screenshots, and Must disable the camera while using it...
- What on earth are those in charge of certification standards thinking they'll achieve with requirements like this?
  
  It's probably to stop third party apps from screenshoting the banking app.
  
  The same functionality that you use to take screenshots can be hijacked by bad actors to get access to your stuff. It's especially bad if they can see your MFA apps or other sensitive info.
  Not saying the functionality is always used for the best of intentions, but there are many situations where I see it as necessary.
  
  Accidentally screenshotting your bank acct and routing number is the only one I can really think of.
- Why did you capitalize "must"?
  
  Probably a nod to the written style of RFC definitions, which have the word entirely in capital letters, as in... the implementation MUST do such and such, and SHOULD do this other thing. In this case, the relevant security standard(s)
That's nothing. My workplace disabled copy/paste on everyone's work iPhones completely. Not in their own apps but system wide. Apparently that's something ios allows them to do. Doesn't affect me much because I use the phone as a glorified dual auth token but some people have it as their primary phone.
- work iPhones
  some people have it as their primary phone.
  Bruh, I have no idea how people can put up with their employer being able control their device. Like... the employer can freak out about some perceived "security breach" and decide to wipe everyone's phone and you lose all your data like photos. Also, their employer can see if they are shit talking about the employer or mangement people, and it's a terrible idea if they want to unionize.
  
  As an IT guy that manages MDMs, no we cannot see communications on the device
  
  They are okay with it because it isn't their phone. It's a free phone that comes with the job.
  
  My work phone battery lasts for like 5-6 days because I only have Slack, MFA app, and outlook on it. It's crazy to use it for personal use
- I have never heard of copying and pasting being disabled in iOS. I’m sorry, but this claim is dubious.
I like that it's possible, but I think it should be treated like a permission with a user accessible toggle in settings for each app.
- I would like to see the same thing for clipboard read access. In the same way app has to prompt you for location permission it would have to prompt you to read the clipboard and you would actually have the option to allow it all the time which is handy for some apps like clipboard manager, or don't allow it alltogether which is handy for some random apps you don't trust.
  
  It’s a really good feature imo and I’d love to see it be more common. This is how iOS does it:
  
  Oh yea, something needs to be done about the clipboard. It's unsettling to know that a random app can just get your clipboard. Sometimes bitwarden doesn't detect a password field for some reason so I have to copy it to the clipboard 😖 don't feel safe...
Aaaah! I'm so frustrated by this BS. Its MY phone. It should be MY choice.
Switching to GrapheneOS soon, and if the bank app(s) don't work, too bad. I'll use a (Linux) computer.
- GOS does allow taking screenshots, but they come out to be an empty black image.
  
  Ah, same with E/OS, I'm just seeing now. Never thought to test that!
- GOS allows that to be bypassed?
  Well fuck me, I wanna use Samsung Tags to track my cat, so can't really get a Pixel to use GOS.
  
  I believe you just need the smartThings app to track the tags, which is available to all Android devices. You could use GrapheneOS on a pixel and still use your trackers if you want.
- I just switched to GraoheneOS and love it! All my financial apps worked out of the box.
Wanna know what's even more fucked up? Few years back, I had exactly this problem. Searched the internet for a solution. Guess what?
Enable Google Voice Assistant and say "Ok Google. Take a screenshot." Google magically has the rights to make a screenshot on the App that doesn't let you, the user, take the screenshot.
Next phone I get is gonna be something with a alternate OS, no Android or iOS.
- Good luck with finding an alternative. I tried running a Pinephone Pro with Linux and it was just too buggy to use.
  If your current phone lasts 4 more years it might be ok software wise but good god is it bad now.
  
  Don't a lot of people use GrapheneOS?
  
  I realistically only need to have mobile data, run Signal, Discord, possibly WhatsApp, and have a working browser... Hm. I hope that works.
- That OS won't have those banking apps in the first place, so what's the difference to just not installing them on Android?
  
  android allows programs to prevent screenshots, which is defective by design https://www.defectivebydesign.org/
- This is a hot tip, thank you! Just confirmed in my banking app, no overlay or notification but the screenshot appeared in my photos
- So, the very thing the block claims to block, is completely allowed lol genius
  
  Google is working on replacing Assistant with their Gemini AI crap - would not be surprised if it no longer works there.
Like, its my phone, and some app can just decide to disable a fuction of my phone.
Is it your phone though?
- 🙃
  It should be, but the reality is that is isn't.
- Yes, and we should not give app developers a free pass because "everybody is doing it".
- Your physical phone hardware belongs to you.
  The Android operating system is licensed for your use as Free and Open Source Software.
  All the other Google bits and blobs are licensed to you by Google.
  Some days I'm not even sure if I own the shoes on my feet or if they're just licensed to me.
I hate this "feature" of the Dexcom GCM app. They seem to believe that HIPPA law prevents me from sharing my glucose readings with anyone I choose to.
To send readings to people, I can't screenshot the app but I can screenshot the notification which contains the same info 🤷🏼
- Yep, same with the-shitty ass Kaiser Permanente app, which itself is just a webview wrapper around the crappy kp.org website. I cannot screenshot my test results, or any other screen within the app, but I can go to the same-ass page in my browser and take my screenshot from the website.
- Just move to xdrip+, its better in every way than that steaming pile of garbage dexcom puts out. If your endo DEMANDS you use clarity and refuses ti use tidepool, you can generate a version of the dexcom app that outputs locally, and xdrip+ functions normally, and you can relegate the dexcom app to being opened every 3 months.
  I love all the work people have put into the open source tools for this, because the first party apps are all garbage for "Fda approval reasons"
  
  I've used a patched version of Dexcom before to get around the os version check and screenshot block but I never actually used xdrip+. Why do you like it so much and where do I get more info?
iPhone absolutely has this concept
- Interesting, I never seen an app in iOS that can block screenshots.
  
  You can hit "take screenshot" but it results in a black frame iirc. Same for screen record.
  
  I remember one (snapchat maybe?) that couldn't block it so it just alerted the other person you took the screenshot. Maybe it's changed in a decade.
  
  Ticketmaster.
  
  You can’t screen shot in streaming apps like Netflix and Disney. When you do the resulting image is just a black screen
Man, my banking app recently switched to a different keyboard. One that doesn't allow integrations like bitwarden. I also cannot copy paste my password into the password field so I have to enter my 32 character password by hand.
Mind you, this is not an app that does ANY banking in the first place it is just to authorize access to my bank account or for transactions.
So it is always a few minutes copying the password, making sure I haven't miss-typed on the shitty keyboard or because of my sausage fingers and then being logged out of my bank account in the browser because it took so much time copying that password.
- This type of dumbass design is the reason we have passwords like password12345.
I agree that it's infuriating! I downloaded an LSPosed module called CaptureSposed that overrides it.
It shouldn't take a specific module hack on a rooted phone with a custom OS with an unlocked bootloader to get this functionality back.
I hate the whole bloody smartphone ecosystem for shit like this. Microsoft Palladium was widely seen as a nightmare scenario when it proposed ceding a bunch of user control to the OS and app developers a couple decades ago, even by the mainstream press. It seems Apple and Google used it as a roadmap, likely because people don't know how to use computers, and that doesn't seem to be improving.
The part of the modern mobile OS security model that does have merit is that apps aren't trusted. The PC model, even in multiuser operating systems with fancy permissions was that apps are user agents which are always doing something the user asked for, and therefore trusted as much as the user. The glut of spyware for Windows in the early 2000s proved that false.
The fact that somebody else doesn't know how to use a computer shouldn't force me to cede control over mine to participate in the modern world. Root is a bit of an escape hatch, but it's a blunt instrument on Android, and Google tries to help app developers stop me from using that as well. I'm starting to feel like Richard Stallman was right about everything and I should go be a digital hermit, only running software I compiled from source.
- Wow that blog post is from 2013? I wouldn't have guessed if not for the references to 3G.
  
  I just read it myself, as a “mature age” student at University in 2024 I have often sarcastically asked some of the 18-21 cohort in the class if they need the old person to show them how to use a computer when they don’t even know that a “program” for a PC/Mac is just another word for “app” even the teachers look shocked when you hear most of the class nod in agreement about not knowing what software actually is and that it can be installed without an “App Store”.
  I think the thing is most people just see computers and tech as just another appliance the same as a microwave and to know anything more than “turning it on and off again” is just seen as far too nerdy or a waste of time when they can get on the internet and read their influencers on social media or just watch YouTubers instead….
  But they are the first to complain when “the internet doesn’t work!!”
  That blog could have been written today!!
Ironically, Google's new creepy Circle to Search feature gets to override the screenshot denial lockout that Google themselves created.
- Of course. When you run a monopoly, you get to make your own rules.
  EU should force Google to open Android back up.
- Doesn't appear to work in my case. I can a blank screen like I would when trying to screenshot.
Soooo... Any Magisk module that allows one to bypass this?
- There's is an LSPosed module called Disable-FLAG_SECURE that does this
I get banking and financial apps doing it. But shopping apps yea, wish we had a permissions override
The security argument is a lie, I think. I think websites like Netflix like these features so it's difficult to approach copying a video.
If security were an issue I don't think you'd be able to copy text to the clipboard in situations where you can't screenshot.
- Microsoft teams limits your clipboard to 500 characters when you try to copy on the app. Of course blocks screenshots too. If I'm on a meeting that isn't being recorded, I now have no way of saving any pertinent information, and the ones that ARE recorded get automatically deleted after 30 days. 🤷🏽‍♀️
  
  In litigation, if one side destroys evidence beforehand, or goes to great lengths to deliberately not collect it, courts instruct juries to presume against the side that destroyed the evidence. Companies that think they're being clever by using apps that auto-delete records aren't as clever as they think they are. This Teams feature is obviously meant to make it difficult to assist in corporate malfeasance. Using Teams is now a liability risk to companies.
  
  30 days is set by your company. Ours is set to 90 days. Stupid, on my opinion. If I recorded it, I obviously want to keep it. For this reason, I user OBS on my computer and record meetings through that. Bypass teams's recording framework altogether.
  
  using a secondary phone to take pictures of the screen intensifies
I've seen public transportation apps doing that to curb sharing the ticket/barcode with someone else.
- Time to split screen and taking a selfie via a mirror lmao
I don't have much to add other than my agreement. They've been tightening the noose around our necks little by little for years now. But don't worry, screenshots and copying and pasting text will return...as a microsubscription! /s
- Android Premium! Get it nowow for only ~~$10~~ $50/month.*
  *Pricing subject to arbitary increases. 🤗
The only apps where this makes any sense are dating apps and similar social apps where a level of social vulnerability is more likely.
Otherwise agree that all others are BS.
- Password manager. Bitwarden does this. Signal too but that falls into your social media category.
  
  Yeah that makes sense too but those are also reasonable to have as a protected setting to turn on/off. I think the post is pointed at involuntary blocking.
Yep it's bullshit I hate it too.
There's an option in Developer options that'll allow to bypass that setting
Edit: this is on lineage OS but I can't find it in version 21 maybe it's on 20
- Not sure what OS you are using. Are you using Graphene OS or something like that.
  I'm on One UI (Samsung Variant of Android) and I just check through every row on Developer options, the only thing remotely related was an option that allows apps to overlay over the "Settings" app, which still wouldn't bypass an app specific restriction.
- What option is that? And which Android version?
My doctor's app does this and it annoys the fuck out of me. I get test results and I want to share them with my wife and it's like nope.
- Second phone or cheap camera off ebay..
  There are also probably usb-c capture dongles that should work
  
  Also: Split Screen + Take photo using front camera in front of a mirror.
I understand that for security compliance reasons. But beyond that, yupp. It sucks.
Drives me nuts too! Signal at least has a toggle for it, so the user can decide. I wish more apps would do the same, maybe with a pop up warning explaining the risks.
you can bypass this with a rootkit
i think they do it for security reasons. if you can take screenshots of sensitive data, so can malware. however, you should be able to disable it for netflix for example.
- Netflix and other streaming apps do it to prevent screen recording their 'premium' content. These use DRM too and the region of protected content shows in black in scrcpy. These apps are much hostile to users much beyond screenshot and shouldn't be used anyway. Most movies and shows can be pirated from torrent, illegal streaming sites or simply telegram in good quality and watched in say vlc for much better experience than these crappy apps provide.
  
  I respect your opinion, but I see it differently.
  Paying for entertainment and content like well-made animations makes sense to me. After all, paying for content is some kind of democratic participation, choosing what is produced. I didn't mind pirating a lot when I was younger and didn't have the money to pay for something anyways, but now i prefer to do things "the right way".
- i think they do it for security reasons.
  Yet, on iOS, the same app can't. So it is more like, "ooh a button to twiddle, I'll twiddle it!"
Yes, it's simple, if you don't want me to screenshot your software then don't display it on my screen.
- they don't want malware to screenshot your banking info, but go off I guess
  
  A better way to handle that would be for "taking screenshots when other apps have focus" to be a special permission that needs to be explicitly granted. Could even make it app specific (ie, "I allow app x to take screenshots or record the display/audio of apps y and z").
  Just like arbitrary apps shouldn't have access to look at the clipboard or full file system whenever they want.
  
  Good idea for a finance app (which could helpfully ask me for a confirmation) - but sloppy as a general justification for dictating what a user can or can't do. (But go off I guess)
  
  I can log into the account on a browser with no such restriction, so it's not protecting much.
You can bypass this crap, but you'll need to root your phone to achieve that.
Afterwards you'll need to install magisk (superuser app) and a bunch of plugins: play integrity fix and playcurl_next (to simulate that your phone is unrooted), and then FlagSecurePatcher (which is the actual module that's overriding the screenshot block.
- Thank you, I needed this info for a friend
  
  If you root your phone, you give root access to any malware you run across as well. So don't use your phone for anything that you don't want to end up on some darkweb forum.
fucking scrcpy
- If only that didn't require a PC - like an Android version that could run on your tablet to copy your phone's screen.
  
  Many phones can work in usb host mode. I'll see if such a rooted phone can be used to capture screen over adb with perhaps a modified scrcpy. Or run normal scrcpy in a freedesktop rootfs container. Sounds like a fun side project.
This thing is super annoying. Maybe there is some xposed module to bypass this . i don't known my phone isn't rooted.
I understand the reasoning for it since many apps can see photos on your device so if it is something that should stay private you probably shouldn't be taking screenshots anyway, but I also can see how it could be annoying. I quite like the feature on messaging apps actually.
Some android apps bypass this but don't work 100 percent but sadly, they are the only safe option.
By safe I also mean, the others you must root so you void certain updates from your carrier in many cases, you have to search the APK code and delete a line, or you have to install a certain entity which hinders your security in other ways.
Shopping apps should have, and Amazon usually lets you email a copy of a receipt anyway. Don't know about other shopping apps. Banks and other financial institutions you would just need to contact them for records etc, and I know it is a pain.
Some browsers have settings to bypass if you are using a site that tries to stop a screenshot.
I just open my tab switcher, then take a screenshot from there =P
- You mean the "recent apps"?
  What Android version?
  In any recent Android versions, anything within the app in the "recent apps" would show as all white or all black in any screenshots or screen recordings.
  
  i have 6.1 and am fully updated, and this still works for me
  
  Yes, 'recent apps'; I never knew the name. Currently using Android v14, this method still works fine for me.
Samsung Internet and Iceraven (probably Firefox, Mull, etc. as well) both disable screenshots in their private modes by default. Thankfully, you can disable this functionality in their settings.
- Well I don't want to accidentally screenshot the porn I'm watching.
- Oh I didn't know you could disable it in Firefox!!! Dope
You can root your phone to remove all security features, if you don't mind malware having full access to your data. You should probably cancel your debit and credit cards if you do, and lock your credit score, cause if you're doing stuff like that you won't have to wait long till Have I Been Pwned notifies you you're in a data breach.
- Rooting doesn't automatically give root permissions to just any app that wants it - you still have to allow it.
- Many (maybe even all) banking apps won't even install or launch if your phone is rooted.
- Yea... I though about rooting, but heck no, too much security problem, I don't want more anxiety. Guess I'll just have to keep use my cheap secondary phone to take pictures as a workaround... 😓

203 comments