WhatsApp Now Blocks You from Taking Screenshots of Profile Pictures

WhatsApp Profile Pictures Screenshot: In another privacy-focused update, WhatsApp will no longer allow users to screenshot other users’ profile pictures on the instant messaging app. The latest update is part of WhatsApp’s says push to add more privacy-focused features to the app. Notably, users can already share their personal data on WhatsApp through one-time video or photo views but this can’t be screenshot by the receiver.

The Android Police reported the new update, which has yet to be officially announced by Meta or WhatsApp. According to the report, the profile picture screenshot block appears to be a server-side push from WhatsApp rather than a limitation of app versions. Moreover, report says, “On some devices, attempting to screenshot a user’s profile picture now results in the message “Can’t take a screenshot due to app restrictions”. Meanwhile, on other devices, you can take a screenshot, but the display image is blank.“

Our Attempt

We attempted to take screenshots of WhatsApp profile pictures on several devices using both the beta and stable versions of the app, but the screenshots were not captured and an pop-up appears says, “Can’t take screenshot due to privacy policy“.

However, we were still able to take screenshots using the mini pop-up window that appears when you click on a contact’s profile picture.

While users may be able to work around the screenshot restrictions by capturing the image with another phone’s camera or simply opening the WhatsApp application on their desktop, this is a welcome new update from the Meta-led instant messaging platform.

Report further states that, “the new profile picture blocking feature gives WhatsApp an advantage over competitors like Signal or Telegram, which claim to be more privacy-focused (Signal) but still lack the ability to block profile picture screenshots.”

Also Read: Lava O2 Coming Soon, Official Teaser Released; Check Expected Specifications and Features