Safety & privacy
How screenshot and download protection works
Last updated
Orbit adds friction to copying media out of chat, but it's worth understanding exactly what these protections do and, just as importantly, what they can't do.
Signed links
Media you send in chat — images, voice notes — is served through short-lived signed links rather than permanent public URLs. A link that works right now won't necessarily work later, which stops media being casually shared outside Orbit via a copied URL.
Right-click and download blocking
Right-clicking to save an image, and standard browser download actions on chat media, are disabled in the app. This stops the most common casual ways people extract media from a page.
Screenshot discouragement
Orbit discourages screenshots of chat content and treats screenshotting and redistributing someone else's private messages or media as a Community Guidelines matter you can report. But this is a deterrent and a norm, not a technical block.
The honest limit
No web app — Orbit included — can fully prevent someone from photographing their screen with another device, or from taking a screenshot through methods outside the browser's control. If you share something sensitive in a group, assume a determined person could still capture it, and choose what you post accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Orbit get notified if someone screenshots a chat?
- No, there's no reliable technical way to detect a screenshot, so no notification is sent.
- Why does an image link stop working after a while?
- Media links are short-lived and signed for security; reopening the message in the app generates a fresh valid link.
- Can I report someone who redistributed my private media?
- Yes, report the person's profile or the group where it was shared, with details of what happened.
Still stuck? Contact support or browse the full Help Center.