If you are reading this post you should already be familiar with Snapchat. As you might know, Snapchat allows users to share photos/images/video on their smartphone and set a self-destruct timer on their shared content. The app was released on Android and iOS in September 2011, since then, the app has become a major social platform built around mobile devices.

Users can record short videos and take photographs which then can be edited to feature drawings, text, captions and filters. The modified picture/video is then presented to your friends and audience as a “snap”. Snapchat is used by news outlets, brands, influencers, actors, photographers and regular Joes like you and me.

The app is very similar to what Instagram offers to smartphone users, however, Snapchat can notify you if anyone has screenshotted your shared content, a.k.a. your snap.

When you screenshot someone’s photo or you make your own snap you can save it to “Memories”. You can look at the “Memories” feed on your account as a vault with your favorite snaps or important screenshots. “Memories” can help you archive frisky photos, fun short videos and keep record of your reactions to particularly impactful snaps from other users. Users can find new engaging content by opening the “Discover” tab on Snapchat and share cute photos of cats as well as take a gander at Nike’s latest sneakers.

Snapchat has a built-in screen grabbing detection and you will have to be creative if you want to save someone’s snap on your device without letting them know.

You can use another phone to record the screen of your device while viewing a snap. The quality of the recording will depend on the light conditions, how steady is your hand and how good is the camera of the recording device. If you are looking to screenshot a particularly controversial, disturbing or sexy snap there is a way. Follow the steps laid out below and you should be good to go:

1. Load Snapchat and scroll to the snap that you want to screenshot (make sure the snap has been loaded in full by checking if there is a square icon next to an account name).

2. Disable all network connectivity that means your Bluetooth, WiFi and cellular data.

3. Turn on your device’s Airplane mode (this is very important).

4. Take a screenshot or record a video of the content on your screen. There are plenty of apps on iOS and Android that can help you do that or use the built-in screenshot functionality on your phone.

5. Prevent the account that shared the snap from discovering you made a recording of their snap by rebooting your device.

Do not simply turn off your device or the snap owner will see a notification on their account that someone recorded their snap. You need to reboot your device which will simulate a device crash and Snapchat will not generate an alert for the account which shared the snap you just recorded.

Alternatively, you can install an Android Emulator on your PC and use a screenshot utility to record snaps without the risk of being detected.

That way you can create a virtual smart phone and then use a screenshot utility on your PC to record content on Snapchat. I know this is an entirely other thing, but I thought I should mention it for those of you who might be into Android emulators. Good screenshot apps on Windows and Mac are Lightshot, Lightscreen, ShareX and iScreenKit.

Let us know if you have another clever way of screen grabbing someone’s snap without them knowing!