WhatsApp launched a privacy feature update in 2021, “View Once” which protects the sender’s confidential videos and images, which will be automatically vanished from the device once viewed. However, the “View Once” feature is not completely infallible, although a few tricks and methods are used to take a screenshot of a “view once message” on WhatsApp, which we will discuss shortly.
The Ultimate Reason Behind the View Once Feature Update
The update adds a feature to help users share private or sensitive information that the sender might not want the recipient to save or share/leak without the sender’s consent or intention. The once-sent message might be a:
- Private image
- Confidential message
- Sensitive document
View once message feature increases the level of assurance and can be a valuable tool that offers an added layer of privacy.
What Will Happen if You Screenshot a “View Once Message” on Your Smartphone?
Once-sent messages on WhatsApp validate the sender’s privacy and are tricky to capture because this feature prevents recipients from saving or sharing the content. However, if a recipient makes illegal attempts to screenshot a “View Once” message, an error message will appear, and the sender will be notified of your attempt too.
Though you are not explicitly allowed to, you still have a few options and tricks to take a screenshot of any “View Once” message.
So, let’s get started…
Use Screen Mirroring to Screenshot a View Once Message
Screen mirroring allows content imitation from one screen to another. Though, it is recurrently used to validate your designs on a larger screen in proceedings like press conferences and corporate meetings.
However, screen mirroring can also be used to screenshot “View Once” messages that would otherwise be entirely illicit on your device. To take a screenshot of a” view once message” and then save it to your device by using the screen mirroring method entails the steps below:
- Connect your Phone to a compatible TV or monitor
- Launch WhatsApp
- Open the “View Once” message
- Start screen mirroring on your Phone
- Take a screenshot of the message which is displayed on the TV or computer screen
- Turn off the phone screen mirroring
By going through the procedure, your screenshot taken through screen mirroring has been saved to your Phone. You can access it anytime you want. It is pertinent to note that View Once message screenshots can only be viewed on the device which is used to capture the image. So, sharing with anyone would become obdurate.
Screenshot WhatsApp View Once Messages on WhatsApp Web
You need to use a third-party screenshot tool to avail of this option. This method lets you take a screenshot of a “View Once” message on WhatsApp Web, although you need to be a little cautious to grab the shot immediately because you have only one chance to do it. Remember that the image or video will disappear right after being viewed.
You can follow these steps to take a screenshot of a “View Once” message on WhatsApp using this method:
- Launch WhatsApp Web on your PC or laptop
- Log in to your account
- Launch a web browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.
- Launch WhatsApp on your smartphone
- Click on the three-dot icon (menu) in the top right corner of the screen
- Screenshot of a view once the message
- Select “Linked Devices “
- Screenshot of a view once the message
- Scan the QR code on the website using your Phone’s camera
- Scanning the QR code will let you log in to WhatsApp
- Move to the contact list on WhatsApp
- Open the chat that entails the “View Once” message that you want to screenshot
- Click on the “View Once” message to open it
- Click the “Print Screen” or “PrtScn” key on your keyboard to capture the entire screen
- Open an image editing program such as Paint, Photoshop, Sketch, or Microsoft Word
- Press the “Ctrl+V” keys or click “paste” to paste the screenshot
Now you have learned how to use any image editing software’s tools to crop the screenshot to display only the “View Once” message that you are intended to capture. Afterward, simply save the photo to your device. Furthermore, you can also use any third-party recording tool or screenshot tool to capture a screenshot of the view-once message.
Create An App Cloner Application
It is one of the most effective tricks that can help you capture screenshots without creating a frustration of a black screen snag. What you need to do is to create a clone of WhatsApp with personalized settings. It is pertinent to note:
- App Cloner Application is not an APKs bundle but a single standalone APK version of the app
- If it is an APKs bundle, then download the single APK standalone version from the Web
Take the following steps:
- Download App Cloner APK
- Install it on your Android (works well on Android 12). If you face a freezing or crashing error on your device, go for the other version from the Web
Open the application - Select the app that you are intended to clone for taking screenshots on your Android.
- Make some changes in the app name and app icon color to easily differentiate the cloned app from the original.
- Scroll down a bit
- Click Display options
- Enable the Allow Screenshot toggle.
- Skip native libraries
- Click on the right-tick option to grant permissions and create the clone.
- Once the cloned app is successfully installed, you can avoid black screens on Android mobile by screen grab restricted screens.
If you experience little anxiety with the created clone app, such as force closes or crashes. You can fix it in this way:
- Try local activities
- Enable local broadcasts
Hopefully, it will help you in creating a clone app.
Peripheral Way Outs
WhatsApp’s privacy entitlements are a little dubious. However, in this context, we are trying to find peripheral ways to screenshot a conversation for some positive reason. Bear in mind your intentions to View-Once messages should not be immoral or deceiving. Now, we will use an external device to meet the purpose. Since WhatsApp does not allow taking a screenshot of a chat, and can be problematic or crafty. However, we will let you know how you can do it.
Take the following actions to do it like a pro:
- Download an Android emulator
- Establish a setup of an Android emulator, such as Bluestacks or NoxPlayer, on your computer
- Start the emulator and sign in using your Google search account
- Launch a Play Store
- Download WhatsApp and install it on the emulator
- Add your phone number to WhatsApp and verify your account
- Launch WhatsApp inside the emulator
- Open the chat you want to screenshot
Also check: 10 Best IOS Emulators For Windows PC
Capture the Image With a Different Phone
Though it seems precisely feasible to use a different phone’s camera to take a shot of View Once Photo On WhatsApp. However, it appears a little childlike, and its dependability is also not yet recorded. As you know, View-once messages are envisioned to be seen just once before vanishing from your device, and any effort to capture or save the message destroys the purpose of the feature. It is pertinent to note that capturing a View Once Image will be:
- A blur and glare image that would be hardly visible
- A failed effort to have a sneak peek into private content as it might be impossible to read or view the content
Final Takeout
This helping guide was created for fun and a good stance; however, it may contradict privacy and result in moral or legal trouble. Because the “View Once Photo on WhatsApp” feature is launched to ensure the sender’s protection, peace, and privacy, of course. We unfeignedly expected that the piece of information offered in this article under the caption of How do I take a screenshot of a view-once message on WhatsApp? is supportive and will help solve your problem.
