WhatsApp has quietly rolled out a new feature aimed at protecting users’ privacy, and it has left many surprised. The app now restricts the ability to take screenshots of certain content, particularly profile pictures. While this change is already in place for Android users, it has now made its way to iPhones, blocking screenshots of profile pictures under certain conditions.
By Joseph Gutierrez
Screenshot Restrictions on WhatsApp
The new restriction prevents users from capturing screenshots of another person’s profile picture within WhatsApp. If someone tries to take a screenshot, the app blocks the action and displays a warning: “Screenshot blocked – To protect everyone’s privacy on WhatsApp, this screenshot has been blocked.” The exact date when this feature was implemented on iPhones remains unclear, but it is now active, adding an extra layer of privacy.
Workarounds Don’t Always Work
Many users have tried to bypass the restriction by recording the screen and taking a still image from the video. However, this method also fails. When the profile picture appears in full resolution, WhatsApp immediately blocks it with the same warning message, preventing the image from being captured. Despite this, WhatsApp’s new privacy measure has some loopholes, as users can still view and save images under certain conditions.
Ways to Circumvent the Restriction
There are still ways to capture a contact’s profile picture, although the image quality may not be ideal. For instance, users can take a screenshot of the contact’s entire profile page, then crop the image to focus on the profile picture. Additionally, using a second device to photograph the screen is a crude but effective workaround. Although these methods work, the resulting image quality is often poor, making the original high-resolution image unavailable.
Reasons Behind the Change
Interestingly, WhatsApp’s desktop and web versions do not enforce this screenshot restriction. Users can still save profile pictures at full resolution using these platforms. It’s unclear why WhatsApp introduced the screenshot block, as profile pictures are visible to a user’s contacts, who can already see and access them. Despite the new measure, WhatsApp has yet to provide a clear explanation for the change, leaving many users wondering about the necessity of this feature.
Though WhatsApp’s new restrictions add a layer of privacy protection, users still have methods to bypass it, albeit with reduced quality. The company’s ongoing efforts to enhance privacy are likely to evolve as it addresses current loopholes in the system.
Based on content from www.stern.de and additional research.