What can a screenshot of a message prove?¶

A screenshot can establish that particular content and interface details appeared on a display when the image was captured. It does not by itself prove the conversation's source, completeness, authenticity or human authorship.

Preserve what the image actually records¶

Visible content may include contact labels, profile images, times and delivery states. These are display outputs: the name may come from local contacts, the time from device settings, and only one part of the conversation may be shown.

Record who captured it, when, on which device and application, and how it was supplied. Preserve the original image file before printing, cropping, re-saving or pasting it into a report, because those operations can remove file information and quality.

Test provenance and context¶

Compare the image with the source device, native export, extraction, other participant or provider data. Capture stable telephone, username, account, message, thread or group IDs where possible.

Screenshots can be altered, but alteration should be assessed rather than assumed. Even an unedited image may omit deleted, edited, earlier or later material. Report what appeared on the display and identify the further records that support the underlying communication and author.