To protect DRM content on Android, Google made some fundamental changes with the release of Android Oreo in 2017. And with each passing year, Google has tightened the screw and patched almost all the workarounds. Now if you take screenshots in protected applications, you will be notified with the error “Screen taking is not allowed by the application”. In such a scenario, you don’t have much choice. Having said that, there are some nifty ways that allow you to take screenshots on Android bypassing the restriction. And in this post, we will explain these steps in detail so that you can take screenshots on any Android app. Don’t worry, we also mentioned a non-root method. With that in mind, let’s review the guide now.
Take Screenshot By Bypass Android Restriction
Previously, you could take screenshots on apps like Snapchat using Google Assistant or through screen recording apps. However, all this the solutions are now patched and you can no longer take screenshots of these protected apps. Now, if you take a screenshot in apps like Snapchat or Authy, you are notified with an error saying “Screen taking is not allowed by the app”.
In such a case, you need a computer and special screen mirroring software to take screenshots via ADB. There are a lot of screen mirroring programs out there, but I use the scrcpy tool because it is fast and costs nothing. And the best part is that you don’t even need root access. Note that this non-root method does not work on Netflix, Prime Video and other streaming media apps. But it works pretty well on Snapchat, Signal, Authy, and more.
1. First, install ADB on your computer. After that, connect your Android device and to run adb devices
To check if your computer can recognize your device
2. Second, download scrcpy (Free) on your computer. Click on the ZIP file according to your computer architecture. Then open the file in any location.
3. Now open the extracted scrcpy folder and double click on scrcpy.exe.
4. It will instantly mirror the Android screen on your computer. Now go ahead and open any of the protected apps on your smartphone. Now you can press Ctrl + Shift + S to take a screenshot If you’re using macOS or Linux, you can use the built-in shortcuts of the app on your computer to take a screenshot. This is pretty easy, right?
App Doesn’t Allow Taking Screenshots? Here is the Solution [Root Required]
If you have rooted your device, you can take a screenshot on the smartphone itself. No need to use an additional computer. You will need to create a small module and then you can flash it in Magisk. The best part about this method is that it also allows you to take screenshots on Netflix and other media streaming apps. Here’s how you can do that.
one. Download Smali Patcher (Free) from XDA Forums. It’s a simple tool created by a developer called fOmey that lets you create small patches in seconds.
2. After that connect your Android device and to run adb devices
To check the connection
3. Now, open Smali Patcher file and run SmaliPatcher.exe. Here, enable the “Safe Flag” checkbox and Click on “ADB Patch”. It will create a ZIP file inside the same Samli Patcher folder.
4. Finally, move the file to your Android device and Flash it as a module in Magisk. This much. You can now take screenshots on your Android device without the error notification “Screen taking is not allowed by the app”.
Allow Screen Capture in Any Android App
So these are the two ways to take screenshots in restricted Android apps. At first, we mentioned a non-root method for you to take screenshots easily. And if you have root access, then Smali Patcher will be of great help. Other than that, there is a way to take screenshots of protected apps via Xposed Framework but the steps are pretty complicated so I didn’t mention it. Anyway, that’s it for us. If you run into any issues, comment below and let us know. We will definitely try to help you.