How does Snapchat detect screenshots?

Question

I'm wondering how Snapchat detects if a screenshot is taken and how to disable/spoof the method. If using a screen recording (video) app, Snapchat can't detect it.

How do you know that Snapchat detect that you are taking screenshots? And do you want to disable taking screenshots of the Snapchat application? Its quite unclear to me about what you are aksing here. Please add more information by [edit]ing your question. — Lucky, Aug 19 '15 at 18:10
Here is my hack to get notified when a screenshot is taken. Checkout my answer — Udit Shah, Oct 24 '16 at 12:55

score 19 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 19 '15 at 18:43

19

So basically, when you are putting something in the file system (like when you are taking a screenshot) you have to broadcast ACTION_MEDIA_SCANNER_SCAN_FILE so that other applications are aware of it (otherwise android photo gallery can not display your screenshot). So Snapchat has to wait for that broadcast and when it receives the broadcast it just has to check if you are watching a snap and if it is the case they know that you just took a screenshot.

That's probably how they do it.

answered Aug 19 '15 at 18:43

Moumou

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I suspect the receiver would be mentioned in the manifest. Is it so? – Firelord Aug 20 '15 at 05:10
@Firelord exactly – Moumou Aug 20 '15 at 09:01
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@kimimsc What if we changed the manifest file of the snapchat apk and prevented the app from recieving that broadcast? Would'nt we have bypassed that. – user145490 Jul 10 '16 at 16:40

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 11 '16 at 08:32

I don't know how it detects it, but disable the detection, you'd have to either download a third-party client (which I highly recommend NOT DOING, especially not after the "Snapsave" clients-servers were breached and over 200k nudes went online).

Option #2 (requires root): 1. Install xposed framework 2. Install the keepchat module 3. Enjoy

How does Snapchat detect screenshots?

2 Answers2