Google is planning an update to Google Chrome on Android that will allow you to take screenshots in Incognito Mode, and you can test it out now in Chrome Canary.
Back in 2018, Google removed the ability to take screenshots while browsing in incognito mode for security reasons – with clumsy fingers, it's quite possible to accidentally capture a grab of your browser, which would then be stored in your camera reel, possibly without you even realizing.
If you try to take a screengrab, you'll see a notification that it couldn't be saved because it's not permitted by the app.
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Now though, as Techdows reports, it appears that Google is considering walking back that decision and allowing users to capture grabs while browsing privately. The ability to re-enable screenshots has appeared as an optional flag (a type of switch for toggling experimental features on and off) in Chrome Canary, suggesting that it may soon return to the browser.
Tap and grab
To try it, download Chrome Canary from Google Play (bearing in mind that this is an unstable release and may be prone to crashes and bugs, so it shouldn't become your main browser). Enter chrome://flags in the address bar and search for Incognito screenshot. Tap the drop-down menu and select Enabled, then relaunch the browser.
Now open a tab in Incognito Mode and use your phone's screengrab shortcut (this is usually done by pressing the volume down and power buttons simultaneously). The browser will allow the grab to be captured as normal, and saved to your phone.
There's no guarantee that the option will make its way into the release version of Chrome and be enabled by default, but it's interesting that Google is experimenting with it. We'll keep you updated if and when it becomes widely available.
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