Before you post a chat screenshot
What a chat screenshot can give away
You usually take a screenshot for one message. The picture holds everything on the screen at that moment.
- Names. The contact's name at the top, and names of people in a group chat.
- Phone numbers and handles. Often shown in the header, or when a name isn't saved.
- Profile photos. Yours and theirs, next to messages or at the top.
- Other people's words. A friend wrote that message to you, not to the internet. Their words may carry their own private details.
- Details inside messages. Addresses, order numbers, email addresses, links and codes can sit in the middle of a long chat.
- Notification banners. A message from someone else can drop in at the top while you take the picture. Apple says that if you set Show Previews to Always, notification contents show on the Lock Screen without unlocking, so a screenshot of that screen can carry them too.
- What's above and below. Earlier or later messages you didn't mean to show, and whatever the status bar shows at the top, such as the time.
Before you take it
- Ask yourself if you need the screenshot. Sometimes copying the one sentence you need is enough.
- Scroll so only the part you mean to show is on screen. Less on screen means less to cover later.
- Wait for a quiet moment, so no notification drops in as you press the buttons.
- If it's someone else's message, think about asking them first. This is our advice, not a rule. If the chat is a private or a sensitive one, a quick "can I share this?" is kind.
After you take it
Apple says that on an iPhone with Face ID you press the side button and the volume up button at the same time. In iOS 18 and earlier, a thumbnail appears in the lower-left corner for a short time. Apple says that in iOS 26, the screenshot appears right away, and you can draw on the image with Markup, crop it, or send it to other apps or contacts.
- Crop first. Cut away the header, the status bar and any messages you don't need. Cropping is the simplest way to remove things, because the crop is only the part you keep. Some crop tools can keep the original underneath, so check what the tool you use does. More on cropping and covering.
- Cover what's left with solid boxes. Names, numbers, handles, email addresses, profile photos and anything in a message that isn't yours to share. Make each box bigger than what's under it, with no gaps.
- Don't rely on blur or a see-through marker. Here's why a solid box is safer.
- Be careful with Markup. Drawing with Markup can look finished while the original is still behind it. Here's what goes wrong.
- Zoom in on the new copy and look at every part of it, including the edges and the top.
- Remove hidden details. A picture can carry extra information. Here's what's hidden in a photo, and how to remove the location.
Easy-to-miss spots
- The name shown in a reply or quoted message.
- A name that is only in the group title.
- Link previews, which can show a website, a name or a photo.
- Tiny profile photos beside each message in a group.
- Your own name, number or email in a message you sent.
- Codes. If a one-time code is in the chat, cover it or leave that part out. Here's more on old codes in screenshots.
- Bank or payment details. Here's what to do with those.
After you post
Once a screenshot is posted or sent, you can't take it back. Other people can save it or share it again. Deleting your post doesn't delete their copy. If you sent something private by mistake, ask the person or the group admin to remove it, and change any code or password it showed.
Your original screenshot is still in Photos, and Apple says screenshots are found under Collections, then Media Types, then Screenshots. Delete it or lock it away if it still shows private things.
How FirstHour helps
In Share, you choose a screenshot, check the boxes, and send a copy with the boxes burned in. The copy has no location or camera details, and your original isn't changed. Before sending, FirstHour reads the copy again and warns you if it can still read a name or number.
It suggests boxes for ID and card numbers, codes and account numbers it finds, and on a card or ID it also covers the names and signatures it finds. It doesn't find faces, and a chat isn't a card, so don't expect it to spot names there. In a chat, you add the boxes for names, profile photos and other people's words: drag across the picture to add one, and move or resize it as needed. Handwriting and very blurry pictures are often missed. It won't spot a notification banner as something to cover, it can't un-send a screenshot, and it can't tell you what's private in a conversation. Look over the whole picture yourself. Here are the steps, and here's how to black out a picture.
The checklist
- Do I need to show a screenshot at all?
- Is only the part I mean to show on screen?
- Did I crop out the header, status bar and extra messages?
- Are names, numbers, handles, emails and profile photos covered with solid boxes?
- Did I check quoted replies, link previews and the group title?
- Did I look for codes and bank details?
- Is this a new copy, and did I zoom in on all of it?
- Are the hidden details, such as the location, gone?
- Is it fair to the people whose words are in it?
Questions
Is it okay to post a friend's message?
There's no single answer, and the rules differ from place to place. Asking first is the kind thing to do, and covering their name and photo is the least you can do.
Is retyping the message better than a screenshot?
Often, yes. Typing out the one sentence leaves behind the names, photos and anything else on screen. A screenshot can look more believable, though, so choose what suits the situation.
Sources
- Take a screenshot, Apple Support, read 4 November 2026
- Use notifications on your iPhone or iPad, Apple Support, read 4 November 2026