How to Share Screenshots Safely
Practical privacy guidance without unnecessary alarm.
Screenshots can show private names, notifications, addresses, messages, account balances, and tabs. Cover sensitive information with solid opaque boxes, export a flattened image, and inspect it before posting. Keep the untouched original private.
What screenshots can reveal
Check messages, contact names, usernames, email addresses, account numbers, addresses, browser tabs, notifications, and the corners of your screen. A seemingly harmless screenshot can include more information than you intended.
Cover it the right way
Select a picture and drag a solid cover over sensitive areas using our Screenshot Redactor. The downloaded PNG is flattened, so the covered pixels are no longer present in that exported image. This is different from drawing a transparent mark over a screenshot.
Review the copy
Open the exported file, zoom in, and check that every intended detail is hidden. Share the exported copy rather than the original. Don't assume covering an account number also hides contextual clues such as a name or address.
What this cannot do
The tool cannot automatically identify every sensitive detail. If the original screenshot has already been published, making a new redacted copy does not remove the earlier post.
What should you do?
Use the free Brown Family Apps tool below, understand what it can and cannot check, and review any result before sharing personal information. Nothing is uploaded to our servers.