Capturing screenshots is incredibly convenient for preserving information or sharing content with friends. However, we often take this ubiquitous feature for granted, not realizing the challenges when the software fails to cooperate. Over time, users have come up with innovative workarounds to tackle the issue of capturing screenshots in certain situations. Now, Google Chrome is actively striving to enhance its screenshot capabilities by introducing a new feature in its Canary flag, allowing users to take screenshots even while browsing in Incognito mode.
Ordinarily, when users attempt to capture a screenshot in Incognito mode, they are greeted with a frustrating black screen devoid of content. To address this inconvenience, Google introduced the chrome://flags/#incognito-screenshot option in Chrome 88. Enabling this flag resolved the screenshot limitation but came with an unintended consequence: the Incognito tab preview became visible in the Recents overview on your phone. This presented an opportunity for onlookers to observe your browsing habits as you scrolled through your recent apps—a potential breach of privacy.
Techdows was the first to notice the recent change after prolonged discussions on the Chromium bug tracker. The screenshot restrictions were initially implemented as a protective measure against passive snooping while browsing the Recents overview. The only viable solution to prevent previews in Recents was to enforce a complete restriction on capturing screenshots. However, with the new implementation, the content of Incognito tabs remains invisible as you navigate through your recent apps while still allowing you to manually capture screenshots at your discretion.
In summary, Google Chrome’s recent update aims to balance preserving privacy and providing users with the convenience of capturing screenshots, even within the confines of Incognito mode. This improvement is a testament to the ongoing commitment to refining the user experience and addressing long-standing concerns within the Chrome ecosystem.