iOS 11 won’t be unveiled until later this summer, but there’s a wild rumor floating around the internet. The rumor claims iOS 11 will have “screenshot alerts,” which will send a notification to contacts when you take a screenshot of an iMessage conversation. The drama around the screenshot alerts is unwarranted because iOS 11 won’t have this feature.
Business Insider identified the source of the rumor as a vlogger named Jay Way. In December Jay Way claimed to know about the new screenshot alerts but later clarified that he, in fact, didn’t know. Apps like Snapchat first popularized the feature to help prevent users private messages or photos from getting out. iMessage adding the feature in wouldn’t add any value to the app or the conversation unless they’re going to copy Snapchats self-destructing photo feature.
The iOS 11 rumor about screenshot notifications is fake
So, the most important thing to consider here is the source has no track recording with breaking news about iOS features. He was gossiping about a conversation he had with Apple where he recommended the feature to them. Even if the rumor is true, you shouldn’t freak out. Read receipts can easily be turned off, and a screenshot notification will have a similar toggle.
The rumor has spread across social media where everyone is talking about the new notification. It’s fake news at the very basic level, but it’s morphed into a meme everyone is sharing on Facebook and Twitter. The collective freakout has just about everyone worried.
Tell us if you had a mini-heart attack when you read the rumor on Facebook or Twitter? I first saw the rumor on Facebook where I dismissed it as fake news, but now I see it’s transformed into a meme. I know I’ll get “does iOS 11 have a screenshot alert feature” question for weeks now!