This is documentation for the next SDK version. For up-to-date documentation, see the latest version (SDK 51).

Expo ScreenCapture

A library that allows you to protect screens in your app from being captured or recorded.

Android

iOS

expo-screen-capture allows you to protect screens in your app from being captured or recorded, as well as be notified if a screenshot is taken while your app is foregrounded. The two most common reasons you may want to prevent screen capture are:

If a screen is displaying sensitive information (password, credit card data, and so on)
You are displaying paid content that you don't want to be recorded and shared

This is especially important on Android since the android.media.projection API allows third-party apps to perform screen capture or screen sharing (even if the app is in the background).

Currently, taking screenshots on iOS cannot be prevented. This is due to underlying OS limitations.

Installation

Terminal

- npx expo install expo-screen-capture

If you are installing this in an existing React Native app (bare workflow), start by installing expo in your project. Then, follow the additional instructions as mentioned by library's README under "Installation in bare React Native projects" section.

Usage

Example: hook

Screen Capture hook

import { usePreventScreenCapture } from 'expo-screen-capture';
import { Text, View } from 'react-native';

export default function ScreenCaptureExample() {
  usePreventScreenCapture();

  return (
    <View style={{ flex: 1, alignItems: 'center', justifyContent: 'center' }}>
      <Text>As long as this component is mounted, this screen is unrecordable!</Text>
    </View>
  );
}

Example: functions

Screen Capture functions

import * as ScreenCapture from 'expo-screen-capture';
import { useEffect } from 'react';
import { Button, StyleSheet, View } from 'react-native';

export default function ScreenCaptureExample() {
  const hasPermissions = async () => {
    const { status } = await ScreenCapture.requestPermissionsAsync();
    return status === 'granted';
  };

  useEffect(() => {
    let subscription;

    const addListenerAsync = async () => {
      if (await hasPermissions()) {
        subscription = ScreenCapture.addScreenshotListener(() => {
          alert('Thanks for screenshotting my beautiful app 😊');
        });
      } else {
        console.error('Permissions needed to subscribe to screenshot events are missing!');
      }
    };
    addListenerAsync();

    return () => {
      subscription?.remove();
    };
  }, []);

  const activate = async () => {
    await ScreenCapture.preventScreenCaptureAsync();
  };

  const deactivate = async () => {
    await ScreenCapture.allowScreenCaptureAsync();
  };

  return (
    <View style={styles.container}>
      <Button title="Activate" onPress={activate} />
      <Button title="Deactivate" onPress={deactivate} />
    </View>
  );
}

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    alignItems: 'center',
    justifyContent: 'center',
  },
});

API

import * as ScreenCapture from 'expo-screen-capture';

Hooks

Android

iOS

`usePermissions(options)`

Name	Type
options (optional)	`PermissionHookOptions<object>`

Check or request permissions necessary for detecting when a screenshot is taken. This uses both requestPermissionsAsync and getPermissionsAsync to interact with the permissions.

Returns:

[null | PermissionResponse, RequestPermissionMethod<PermissionResponse>, GetPermissionMethod<PermissionResponse>]

Example

const [status, requestPermission] = ScreenCapture.usePermissions();

Android

iOS

`usePreventScreenCapture(key)`

Name	Type	Description
key (optional)	`string`	If provided, this will prevent multiple instances of this hook or the `preventScreenCaptureAsync` and `allowScreenCaptureAsync` methods from conflicting with each other. This argument is useful if you have multiple active components using the `allowScreenCaptureAsync` hook. Default: `'default'`

A React hook to prevent screen capturing for as long as the owner component is mounted.

Returns:

void

Methods

Android

iOS

`ScreenCapture.allowScreenCaptureAsync(key)`

Name	Type	Description
key (optional)	`string`	This will prevent multiple instances of the `preventScreenCaptureAsync` and `allowScreenCaptureAsync` methods from conflicting with each other. If provided, the value must be the same as the key passed to `preventScreenCaptureAsync` in order to re-enable screen capturing. Default: `'default'`

Re-allows the user to screen record or screenshot your app. If you haven't called preventScreenCapture() yet, this method does nothing.

Returns:

Promise<void>

Android

iOS

`ScreenCapture.getPermissionsAsync()`

Checks user's permissions for detecting when a screenshot is taken.

Only Android requires additional permissions to detect screenshots. On iOS devices, this method will always resolve to a granted permission response.

Returns:

Promise<PermissionResponse>

A promise that resolves to a PermissionResponse object.

Android

iOS

`ScreenCapture.isAvailableAsync()`

Returns whether the Screen Capture API is available on the current device.

Returns:

Promise<boolean>

A promise that resolves to a boolean indicating whether the Screen Capture API is available on the current device.

Android

iOS 11+

`ScreenCapture.preventScreenCaptureAsync(key)`

Name	Type	Description
key (optional)	`string`	Optional. If provided, this will help prevent multiple instances of the `preventScreenCaptureAsync` and `allowScreenCaptureAsync` methods (and `usePreventScreenCapture` hook) from conflicting with each other. When using multiple keys, you'll have to re-allow each one in order to re-enable screen capturing. Default: `'default'`

Prevents screenshots and screen recordings until allowScreenCaptureAsync is called or the app is restarted. If you are already preventing screen capture, this method does nothing (unless you pass a new and unique key).

Please note that on iOS, this will only prevent screen recordings, and is only available on iOS 11 and newer. On older iOS versions, this method does nothing.

Returns:

Promise<void>

Android

iOS

`ScreenCapture.requestPermissionsAsync()`

Asks the user to grant permissions necessary for detecting when a screenshot is taken.

Only Android requires additional permissions to detect screenshots. On iOS devices, this method will always resolve to a granted permission response.

Returns:

Promise<PermissionResponse>

A promise that resolves to a PermissionResponse object.

Event Subscriptions

Android

iOS

`ScreenCapture.addScreenshotListener(listener)`

Name	Type	Description
listener	`() => void`	The function that will be executed when the user takes a screenshot. This function accepts no arguments.

Adds a listener that will fire whenever the user takes a screenshot while the app is foregrounded. On Android, this method requires the READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission. You can request this with MediaLibrary.requestPermissionsAsync().

Returns:

EventSubscription

A Subscription object that you can use to unregister the listener, either by calling remove() or passing it to removeScreenshotListener.

Android

iOS

`ScreenCapture.removeScreenshotListener(subscription)`

Name	Type	Description
subscription	`EventSubscription`	Subscription returned by `addScreenshotListener`.

Removes the subscription you provide, so that you are no longer listening for screenshots. You can also call remove() on that Subscription object.

Returns:

void

Example

let mySubscription = addScreenshotListener(() => {
  console.log("You took a screenshot!");
});
...
mySubscription.remove();
// OR
removeScreenshotListener(mySubscription);

Interfaces

Android

iOS

`PermissionResponse`

An object obtained by permissions get and request functions.

PermissionResponse Properties

Name	Type	Description
canAskAgain	`boolean`	Indicates if user can be asked again for specific permission. If not, one should be directed to the Settings app in order to enable/disable the permission.
expires	`PermissionExpiration`	Determines time when the permission expires.
granted	`boolean`	A convenience boolean that indicates if the permission is granted.
status	`PermissionStatus`	Determines the status of the permission.

Types

Android

iOS

`PermissionHookOptions`

Literal Type: multiple types

Acceptable values are: PermissionHookBehavior | Options

Android

iOS

`Subscription`

A subscription object that allows to conveniently remove an event listener from the emitter.

Name	Type	Description
remove	`() => void`	Removes an event listener for which the subscription has been created. After calling this function, the listener will no longer receive any events from the emitter.

Expo ScreenCapture

Installation

Usage

Example: hook

Example: functions

API

Hooks

`usePermissions(options)`

`usePreventScreenCapture(key)`

Methods

`ScreenCapture.allowScreenCaptureAsync(key)`

`ScreenCapture.getPermissionsAsync()`

`ScreenCapture.isAvailableAsync()`

`ScreenCapture.preventScreenCaptureAsync(key)`

`ScreenCapture.requestPermissionsAsync()`

Event Subscriptions

`ScreenCapture.addScreenshotListener(listener)`

`ScreenCapture.removeScreenshotListener(subscription)`

Interfaces

`PermissionResponse`

Types

`PermissionHookOptions`

`Subscription`

Enums

`PermissionStatus`

`DENIED`

`GRANTED`

`UNDETERMINED`