For privacy reasons, both Chrome and Firefox don’t let you capture screenshots in incognito tabs on Android. However, both these browsers let you lift the restriction if you want. Here’s how to toggle on and off the option to take screenshots in these browsers’ private tabs.
Taking Screenshots in Incognito Tabs
An incognito tab’s purpose is to keep your browsing sessions private. If you or someone else can take a screenshot of these private tabs, your sessions are no longer private—which defeats the purpose of incognito tabs.
However, there are times when you’ll want to capture these incognito tabs. Both Chrome and Firefox let you take screenshots of an incognito or private browsing tab after you’ve enabled the option to do so.
RELATED: How to Use Incognito Mode in Google Chrome for Android
Take Screenshots in Chrome’s Incognito Tabs on Android
In Chrome, the option to take screenshots in incognito tabs is not located in the settings menu, but it can be found in the flags menu. The flags menu has all of Chrome’s experimental features, and the one you’re going to enable is still experimental.
However, that’s not to say that the feature crashes or doesn’t work. In our experience, it worked just fine.
To enable this option, launch Chrome on your Android device.
When Chrome launches, tap the address bar. Type the following text in it and hit “Enter.”
Chrome’s flags screen will open. On this screen, tap the search box at the top and type “Incognito Screenshot” (without quotes).
You’ll see the “Incognito Screenshot” option in the search results. Tap the drop-down menu beneath this option and select “Enabled” from it.
You’ll now need to relaunch Chrome to bring the changes into effect. Tap “Relaunch” in the bottom-right corner of your screen to close and then reopen Chrome.
Chrome will no longer restrict you from taking screenshots in your incognito tabs.
Capture Screenshots in Firefox’s Private Tabs on Android
Unlike Chrome, Firefox offers this option on its normal settings screen.
To turn on this option, first, open Firefox on your Android device.
When Firefox opens, tap the menu (the three dots) in the top-right corner of your screen, and then select “Settings.”
Scroll down in settings and tap “Private browsing.”
Toggle on the “Allow screenshots in private browsing” option.
You can now take screenshots in Firefox’s private tabs.
If you ever want to remove this capability, turn off the “Allow screenshots in private browsing” option in the menu mentioned above.
Taking screenshots on Android was already easy, but now, you can take screenshots by tapping the back of your device. If you like to capture lots of screenshots, this might be a convenient trick for you.
RELATED: How to Take a Screenshot by Tapping the Back of Your Android Phone
