How to Prevent Screenshots in Flutter: Keeping User Data Secure

With mobile apps becoming an integral part of our lives—handling everything from personal messages to financial transactions—protecting user data has never been more critical. One way to enhance security is by preventing screenshots within your app.

Let's explore why screenshot prevention matters and how to implement it in your Flutter application using platform-specific methods and plugins.

Why Prevent Screenshots?

Think of how often you take screenshots—saving receipts, capturing messages, or remembering important details. But in some cases, this feature poses a security risk. Here’s why preventing screenshots is essential for certain applications:

🔒 Data Privacy – Apps dealing with sensitive information (e.g., banking, healthcare, or messaging apps) should protect users from unauthorized sharing.

📜 Security Compliance – Some industries have strict regulations that require safeguarding user data from exposure, such as HIPAA for healthcare apps or PCI DSS for financial apps.

💡 Intellectual Property Protection – Apps with exclusive content (e.g., streaming services, educational platforms, or confidential business tools) may want to prevent content leaks.

Let’s dive into how to implement screenshot prevention in Flutter!

How to Prevent Screenshots in Flutter

1. Using Platform-Specific Implementations Since Flutter provides a single codebase for iOS and Android, preventing screenshots requires writing platform-specific code.

For Android:

Android provides a built-in flag (FLAG_SECURE) that prevents the screen from being captured.

💡 Example Scenario: Think of a password manager app where you don’t want users taking screenshots of stored passwords.

Implementation:

Modify your MainActivity.kt or MainActivity.java file by adding this code:

import android.os.Bundle
import android.view.WindowManager
import io.flutter.embedding.android.FlutterActivity

class MainActivity: FlutterActivity() {
    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        // Prevent screenshots and screen recording
        window.setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE, WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_SECURE)
    }
}

🚀 What Happens? The FLAG_SECURE flag tells the system that the app’s content should not be recorded or captured in screenshots.

For iOS:

Unlike Android, iOS does not have a direct FLAG_SECURE equivalent, but you can achieve the same effect using isSecureTextEntry in your AppDelegate.swift file.

💡 Example Scenario: Imagine a healthcare app displaying sensitive patient information that shouldn’t be shared.

Implementation:

Modify your AppDelegate.swift file as follows:

import UIKit
import Flutter

@UIApplicationMain
@objc class AppDelegate: FlutterAppDelegate {
    override func application(
        _ application: UIApplication,
        didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?
    ) -> Bool {
        GeneratedPluginRegistrant.register(with: self)
        // Prevent screenshots in the app
        if let window = self.window {
            window.isSecure = true
        }
        return super.application(application, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: launchOptions)
    }
}

🚀 What Happens? Setting isSecure to true prevents iOS users from taking screenshots and recording the screen while using your app.

1. Using a Flutter Plugin If you want a more Flutter-friendly way without diving into platform-specific code, you can use the flutter_windowmanager plugin.

💡 Example Scenario: Let’s say you’re developing a cryptocurrency wallet app, and you need to prevent users from capturing QR codes or private keys.

Implementation:

Step 1: Add the Dependency
Open pubspec.yaml and add:

dependencies:
  flutter:
    sdk: flutter
  flutter_windowmanager: ^0.2.0

Step 2: Modify the Main Dart File

import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter_windowmanager/flutter_windowmanager.dart';

void main() async {
  WidgetsFlutterBinding.ensureInitialized();
  // Activate screenshot prevention
  await FlutterWindowManager.addFlags(FlutterWindowManager.FLAG_SECURE);
  runApp(MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(title: Text('Screenshot Prevention')),
        body: Center(child: Text('You cannot take screenshots here!')),
      ),
    );
  }
}

🚀 What Happens? This sets FLAG_SECURE for Android, preventing screenshots. For iOS, you’ll still need to modify AppDelegate.swift separately.

Final Thoughts

Preventing screenshots in a Flutter app isn’t just about stopping users from capturing their screens—it’s about building trust and ensuring data security in apps that handle sensitive information.

✅ If you’re developing a banking app, this feature can prevent unauthorized access to financial data.
✅ If you’re working on a healthcare app, it helps comply with privacy regulations like HIPAA.
✅ If you’re building a password manager, it stops users from accidentally exposing their credentials.

Implementing screenshot prevention reinforces security while assuring users that their data is in safe hands. Whether you choose platform-specific code or Flutter plugins, it's a simple but powerful way to boost your app's protection.

Security matters. Let’s code responsibly!