iOS 11 makes sexting on Snapchat riskier than ever. That's why you need the next update.
iOS 11 has just blessed us with a cavalcade of newfangled, super useful features. But, with every blessing comes a curse. One that Snapchat sexters need to know about.
The new update for iPhone and iPad which dropped this week has a swanky "Screen Recording" feature that makes it easy-breezy for you to record disappearing photo and video snaps with a mere tap of a finger. Uh-oh.
Senders of sexually explicit and risqué snaps: here's everything you need to know.
Snapchat's privacy policy and support page make it abundantly clear that your saucy snaps are by no means safe from being saved by other users, be it via screenshots or "other image-capture technology" like third-party apps to retrieve disappearing snaps. These third-party apps can be—and have been—hacked, and images and videos posted online. And, there are sites devoted to the non-consensual distribution of screenshotted sexually explicit snaps.
By now, you might be acquainted with the new Screen Recording function. If not, it's pretty easy to set it up. Go to your Settings, hit Control Centre, then Customise Controls to add "Screen Recording." When you swipe up for your Control Centre, you'll spot a circular button that allows you to hit record on anything happening on your phone. The only time it won't work is when you're mid-way through viewing a snap.
Snapchat currently notifies users when a devious friend has screenshotted their snaps. But, since iOS 11 brought in the screen record tool, Snapchatters are currently able to record snaps or stories in secret without the sender being notified. While this is deeply alarming, Snapchat says it's bringing in a new update in an effort to address this.
A Snapchat spokesperson told Mashable that the next update—version 10.17.5—will notify users if it detects a Screen Recording being taken with the iOS 11 tool. But, there's a catch. It only works if the person recording has also updated their app.
The spokesperson said they expect the new update to be available soon, but didn't reveal a release date. In the meantime, proceed with caution when sending your snaps. The recipient could well be recording every single one of them.
And, it's worth noting, that when the new update comes in, there's no guarantee that every single one of your Snapchat friends will update it. Meaning that your snaps can still be recorded without your knowledge, despite the existence of the new update.
Whether you're a Snapchat sexter or not, make sure you update to the new version of Snapchat the moment it lands. And, from now on, be very careful what you send, and who you send it to.
Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.
A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.
Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.
