How to Save Pictures from Snapchat Chat Without Taking a Screenshot

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Save a Snapchat picture to your Camera Roll or Gallery

Written by Rain Kengly

Last Updated: October 1, 2025 Fact Checked

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Using Another Device

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Using Snapchat on the Web

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FAQ

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Video

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Tips

Are you trying to save an embarrassing photo of a friend from the chat on Snapchat without taking a screenshot? The safest way is to use a second device to capture the photo or video. You can also try using the web version of Snapchat. Here's how to save pictures from Snapchat chat without taking a screenshot on your iPhone, iPad, or Android.

Saving Snapchat Photos Without Screenshotting

To save a Snapchat chat without notifying the other user with a screenshot, use the camera on a second phone or tablet. Open the Snap on your primary device, and then record or take a photo using the other device.

Section 1 of 3:

Using Another Device

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1
Open Snapchat on your normal phone or tablet. The Snapchat app icon is a white ghost in a yellow square.
- This is the only safe way to save pictures from a Snapchat chat without notifying the other user. While you're essentially taking a picture of a picture, you can be absolutely sure it won't notify anyone.
Try to align the camera as best you can with the phone or tablet with Snapchat for the highest quality image.

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3
Open the photo in the chat. Tapping the photo will make it full-screen, increasing clarity and quality of the picture.
- If you close the chat without saving the picture in the chat log, the picture will disappear depending on each user’s settings, so only open the chat when you are ready.
While the picture may be lower quality, using another phone or tablet will not send a notification that you saved the photo to your friend.

Section 2 of 3:

Using Snapchat on the Web

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This will open a web version of Snapchat.
2
If you aren't already logged into your account, do so now.
- This method may not work because Snapchat is constantly updating. Be sure to test it with a friend or a separate account before attempting.
This will act as the focus so that you can screenshot the Snapchat window in the background.
You can either drag it or use the minimizing icon.
This will be in the left panel.
This ensures it is the focus during the screenshot.
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Press ⊞ Win+PrintScreen (Windows) or ⇧ Shift+⌘ Cmd+3 (Mac). This will take a screenshot of your entire desktop.
- The screenshot will be saved to your device. You can crop the full screenshot to include only the Snap picture.^{[1]
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Section 3 of 3:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1
How do I save a video someone sent on Snapchat? If you don't care about the other person being notified, you can long-press on the Snap to save it in your chat log. If you don't want the other person to know, your best bet is to use a separate device to record the video on your primary device.
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Can I screen record Snapchat on iPhone? While you can screen record any content on Snapchat, doing so will notify the recipient. This is not a good alternative to taking a screenshot if you want to do so secretly.
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Can I screen record Snapchat without notifications? No, you cannot screen record Snapchat without sending a notification. This applies whether you start the screen recording in or outside of Snapchat. Once the app registers that a screen recording is active, it will notify the recipient.
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Does Snapchat notify when you screen record a video call? Similar to how Snapchat notifies users for screenshots, it will notify users if you try to screen record a video call. It will pop up as an alert on the other user's end.
5
If I record a Snapchat Story, will the other person know? If you screen record a Snapchat Story using your device's built-in feature, you will notify the user.

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Tips

Snapchat is constantly working to patch workarounds to screenshot notifications, so the reply pop-up method in this article may quickly be fixed.

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Be aware that Snapchat sends notifications to users when their photos are screenshotted for a reason. Before secretly saving a picture, consider how you would feel if you had sent the photo and someone else saved it.

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