How to Force/Bypass Screenshot Restrictions on Android With ScrCpy
Tags: andriod
Published: 2022-10-08 22:05:24

The freedom to customize Android anyway you want is a big reason why so many people like it over other mobile operating systems. Android allows you to personalize your phone down to the smallest details, install any app, and change the way it looks and acts.

But still, there are some apps that disable screenshots due to one reason or the other. In this article, I am going to show you to bypass such restrictions using a tool known as scrcpy.

PreRequisites
- Windows 10 (Any Windows version should work)
- GitBash ( You can use Command Line, but I prefer gitbash)
- Android 5.0 and Up
- Enabled Andriod Debug Mode( You can find out more on how to do this [here](https://developer.android.com/studio/debug/dev-options).

**Table of Contents**
- Introduction
- Prerequisite
- Download Scrcpy
- Set up your Android Phone
- Casting your screen
- Other Useful tips
- Conclusion

**Download Scrcpy**

Scrcpy is an open-source software that enables users to display and control Android devices when they are linked to a computer either over USB or TCP/IP. It is not necessary to have root access in any way. 
**Windows**: Head over to this [link](https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy) to download scrcpy executable file.
**Linux/Termux**: Run `apt install scrcpy`
**MacOs**: Run `brew install scrcpy` on your terminal.

- Once you have downloaded the file. Go ahead and unzip it. 
- You should see the scrcpy executable file.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/y6gmoul3e2l3ks3z2b1d.PNG)

- Inside the folder, right click on an empty space inside file explorer and click on **"Git Bash Here"**

**Set up your Android Phone**

- Get a USB cable and connect your phone to your PC.
 
_Remember that you need to have unlocked Developer mode and enabled USB Debugging mode on your phone. The steps to this varies according to phone models so use this [official guide](https://developer.android.com/studio/debug/dev-options) from Google to know how to enable it._

**Casting your phone screen**

- On the terminal type: `./scrcpy.exe -m 1024`

_The **-m** flag means a max resolution of 1024p, this is actually the best for most cases. Anything else and Scrcpy might complain and spit a couple of errors._

- Typing the above might display a one time prompt to allow access from your PC to your phone. 
- Click on "accept" and and a new window will pop up with a screen of your phone interface.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1dlz2zccpm60g8tosqr3.PNG)
You can open all the apps that disabled screenshot on your phone and use a screenshot tool like snipping tool for windows to screenshot whatever information that you need.

**Other Useful tips**

**Recording Videos**

You can also record your phone screen from scrcpy by typing: 
`./scrcpy.exe -r nameOfVideo.mp4 -m 1024`

- Change "nameOfVideo" to your preferred file name for the recorded video.
- To stop recording, just close the capture window and your video will be automatically saved on the root directory of the unzipped scrcpy.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1zmqwbcdvkcpf0plbpai.PNG)
_Heads up: The video does not come with audio for some reasons._

**Transferring Files**

You can transfer files to your phone by simply dragging the file and dropping it on the window. Once the transfer is complete, you get notified on the terminal with the location of the file.

**Conclusion**

There are other ways to bypass this process like using Android ADB but that will require huge downloads from your end. Scrcpy does almost the same thing with a lighter file size.