Enhanced Privacy in iOS 11: Snapchat Users Restricted from Secretly Recording ‘Snaps’

With the much-anticipated iOS 11 finally available for download and installation, Snapchat users may find that using the app has become a tad different than before. In a move that may initially be seen as bad news by some, the platform now alerts users when someone else tries to save their ‘snap’ using the screenshot feature on the new iOS 11 mobile operating system. What could be bad news for those who reveled in stealthily saving Snapchat content is most certainly good news for those wary about the privacy of their posts on the app.

iOS 11 introduces a new “Screen Recording” feature, but gaining full access to it requires adjusting settings on the device from the Control Centre. With this update, Apple has given Snapchat the ability to notify its users when their content is being saved by others, marking advancement in terms of user privacy.

In a report by British news site, The Independent, it’s noted that the release of these new privacy features doesn’t mean all Snapchat user content is now indisputably safe. Other users still have the capacity to save posts, and it’s equally essential for users to stay attentive about what they are sharing. Earlier this year, Snapchat permitted users to secretly save snaps without requiring the uploader’s permission. However, with iOS 11, the platform has undeniable scope to alert its users about the usage of their content by others.

According to research conducted by Piper Jaffray, Snapchat tops the charts as the most preferred social media platform amongst teens, overshadowing Instagram, despite its massive user base. This popularity is given weight by the fact that about 50% of Snapchat’s user base comprises of US teens. Moving further into the report, it was revealed that of the teens who use Snapchat, a majority are between the ages of 16 and 18.

Despite facing intense competition from its counterparts, Snapchat holds its own with around 176 million monthly users, a significant figure when compared to Instagram’s 800 million monthly users and the behemoth Facebook’s ever-growing user base. Connection with younger audiences seems to be Snapchat’s competitive advantage, as it remains the preferred choice among American teenagers, even as it continually faces accusations of copying Instagram’s “stories” feature.