6 Best Ways to Fix Can’t Take Screenshot Due to Security Policy on Android

I tried to take a screenshot on my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra this morning, but instead of capturing the screen, I received a ‘Can’t take screenshot due to security policy’ message. If you’ve also encountered this issue, you might be wondering what’s causing it.

Certain screens on Android cannot be captured, such as banking apps and content streaming apps. Banking apps pose a risk of leaking private information through screenshots, while streaming apps like Netflix face a piracy threat. Consequently, these apps do not allow screenshot capturing. Nevertheless, there are workarounds available to bypass the “can’t take screenshots due to app restrictions” error.

The Android OS blocks screenshots in Incognito Mode in Chrome. If you try to take a screenshot, you’ll see the ‘cannot capture screenshot, the page contains personal information’ error. But don’t worry. You can enable screenshots in Incognito Mode by following these steps. Step 1: Open Chrome on your phone. Type in chrome://flags in the address bar and hit Enter.

Step 2: Look for Screenshot using the search bar. Under the Incognito Screenshot result, select the drop-down menu that says Default. Tap on Enabled.

Step 3: Hit the Relaunch button to restart Chrome and change the selected setting.

You should now be able to capture a screenshot in Incognito mode with Google Chrome.

2. Remove Device Admin

If your Android device was issued by a school or company, they may have enforced policies that prevent screenshots. This policy can also be enforced if you have added a company account to your phone or if your company’s app is the administrator.

To enable screenshots, you need to talk to the IT department or remove any third-party app with admin rights from your phone. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the Settings app and go to ‘Security and Privacy’ > ‘other security settings’.

Step 2: Tap on ‘Device admin apps’. If you see any unrecognized app, turn off the toggle next to it.

Now, try taking a screenshot, it should work.

3. Close Certain Apps

Some apps don’t allow you to capture screenshots for privacy reasons. If these apps are running in the background, you may also be unable to capture screenshots of other screens. To resolve this issue, quit any banking or streaming apps from the recent apps menu and then try capturing a screenshot.

4. Record Your Screen

While some apps may not allow screenshotting, they may not have any restrictions to screen recording. Try using the screen recorder on your phone to capture the screen and then take a screenshot from the recording.

5. Take a Screenshot in the Recent Apps Menu

Here’s a handy tip: if you can’t screenshot within an app, exit the app and open your recent apps tray. From there, you’ll find a small preview of the app. Capture a screenshot of this page.

You can crop the screenshot and select only the app. This trick works on specific apps. Some apps black out the screen, including the recent apps menu, to protect sensitive information.

6. Capture a Photo of Your Phone’s Screen

Now this is the last resort. If you have a secondary phone, your only option would be to take a photo of the screen using the camera of your other phone. On some apps that don’t allow screenshots or screen recordings, this is the only option you have.

After taking a picture with the other phone, you can share it with yourself using a third-party app or upload it to Google Photos to sync it across all devices.

Screenshot Without Errors

Imagine seeing something interesting that you want to share with your friends. You take a screenshot, but see the ‘can’t take screenshot due to security policy’ error. That’s a huge bummer. But don’t worry, you can follow the steps above to find a workaround.