WhatsApp: No more screenshots

Anyone who regularly uses the messaging service has already noticed that taking screenshots of profile pictures has become taboo lately. This feature was discontinued for all Android devices in the spring, and now it is also blocked for iOS devices. You can find out exactly how the block works and how to bypass it here.

The end of selfie stalkers

Anyone viewing a user’s profile picture in full screen mode will no longer be able to take a screenshot. The app recognizes the screenshot attempt and the lock takes effect. The new feature is reminiscent of the screenshot lock, which It also applies to videos and photos sent via “Single View” in Whatsapp.

When you take a screenshot of a profile picture, the supposedly captured screenshot is now a black image with the inscription “Screen recording blocked”. If someone tries to take a screenshot of someone else’s profile, no notification will be sent to the profile owner.

Public screenshots are still possible.

The screenshot functionality in the chat area is not affected yet. This means that it is still possible to record and send chat logs or other screenshots. It remains to be seen whether WhatsApp will also stop doing this in the future due to privacy concerns.

This way the block can be bypassed.

The lock itself cannot be bypassed, but there are some tricks to be able to save the profile picture. To do this, open the view where the profile picture is shown only in a small format in order to take a screenshot. If you now crop the image using the crop tool and increase the image resolution when editing, you will receive a smaller version of the original image in your gallery. Well, at least the profile picture can be saved or sent.

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