Don't Accidentally Give Your Identity Away Through Screenshots and Videos: How to Stay Safe

by

url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url

Key points

  • Hide your personal information online by hiding search suggestions and browser bookmarks to keep your online activity private.
  • Turn off taskbar notifications for social media and games to avoid accidentally revealing sensitive information while screen sharing.
  • Keep yourself protected online by separating your personal activities from public activities and using different accounts when sharing your screen.



Whether you’re live streaming, sharing your screen, or just posting a screenshot, it’s all too easy to share information you didn’t intend to share. Here’s how to hide your personal information when sharing content online.


1 Hide search suggestions and bookmarks in your browser

Set bookmarks to never show up on Firefox

First and foremost, you should hide your search suggestions and bookmarks in your browser. Have you recently searched for a local business or hospital? If someone sees this, they might be able to find out where you live. Not to mention any embarrassing content that might appear.

Most major browsers support disabling search suggestions. Here's how to turn them off:


  • Google Chrome: Go to Settings > You & Google > Sync & Google Services > Other Google Services And disable Searches, AutoComplete, and URLs Switch.
  • Safari: Click through Preferences > Search and deselect Include search engine suggestions.
  • Microsoft Edge: Go to Settings > Privacy, Search & Services > Services > Address bar & search > Search suggestions & filters And disable Show me suggestions from history, favorites, and other data on this device using the characters I typed Switch.
  • Firefox: Click through Settings > Search > Search Suggestion and deselect Submit search suggestions, In addition to the suggestions mentioned below, Address Bar — Firefox Suggestion.


You should also delete or hide your bookmarks before recording your screen. Most browsers allow you to hide the bookmarks bar with a simple keyboard shortcut. Here's how to hide bookmarks:

  • Google Chrome: Click the star icon on the right side of the search bar, then click Pin icon > Show Favorites bar and choose to display it never or Only on new tabs.
  • Safari: Open view Options panel and click on Hide Favorites Bar.
  • Microsoft Edge: Click through Settings > Appearance > Customize Toolbar > Show Favorites Bar and choose to display it never or Only on new tabs.
  • FirefoxGo to: Bookmarks Click on Hide bookmarks toolbar.

It should be noted that your bookmarks bar may still appear when you open a new tab, depending on the configurations your browser allows. If you are concerned, you should consider manually deleting bookmarks that reveal or embarrass you.


2 Turn off taskbar notifications

Turn off taskbar notifications on Windows

If you turn on taskbar notifications for social media or work-related websites, you might accidentally reveal more information than you want. (This also applies to Steam notifications since you can't precisely control which misnamed games your friends choose to play or when.)

You can disable taskbar notifications on Windows by heading to Settings > System > Notifications & actions And disable Get notifications from apps and other senders.

Apps that use their own notification delivery mechanisms, such as Steam and Skype, need to be disabled separately. Here's how to disable notifications for both apps:


  • steamNavigate through: Steam > Settings > Notifications And change Show alert notifications… Setting up for never.
  • Skype:Click through Settings > Notifications Disable all switches in the first section, including Chat notifications and Contact notification comes online.

It's a similar process for most apps, but you'll have to check them individually.

3 Separate your personal and public activity.

Add a new user account on Windows

While disabling notifications and cleaning up your browser will help keep you safe, the best way to protect yourself is to simply separate your personal activities from the public ones.


You can accomplish this by creating a separate user account on Windows or macOS and linking your browser to a separate professional email account. Things like private notifications and awkward search suggestions are almost always tied to your operating system or email account, so you can eliminate most problems at the source by simply not using them while screen sharing or streaming.

4 Hide sensitive information and avoid obfuscation.

Hide sensitive information in a screenshot before posting it

It may come as a surprise, but editing information by blurring it is not safe. Many people also make the mistake of editing text using semi-transparent pen tools, and as a result, their edits can be easily reversed.

There are a few ways you can hide sensitive information from your photos, but the most reliable method involves blurring them. You can do this in any app that has a pen tool. Just make sure the tool you use is opaque (100% opacity).


To be clear, you should: never Attempting to censor information by:

  • Use the highlighter
  • Use digital effects, such as camouflage.

Alternatively, you can use one or more of the methods below to remove personal information from your photos and videos:

  • Remove location data from your photos with EXIF ​​remover app
  • use dark Pen tool or insert shapes to hide personal information in photos
  • Remove revealing elements from web pages with browser extensions like uBlock Origin.
  • Edit parts of your screen using overlays in apps like OBS.

Remember: If you share webcam footage or photos, your surroundings may also reveal personal information. For example, the position of sunlight in a photo or video may indicate the time zone you live in.


If you plan to use your webcam or share a photo, be sure to check the background for anything you didn't realize was there. Mirrors, scattered documents, photos, or even just a glimpse of what's outside your window can provide more information than you might expect.

5 Select specific windows when recording your screen

Share my entire screen on Google Meet or select a specific window

Last but not least, you should avoid sharing your entire screen whenever possible. When screen sharing, you usually have the option to share a specific window or your entire screen, and the latter option is usually not worth the risk.

Sharing your entire screen is useful when you need to show multiple apps or want to get rid of audio issues, but the drawback is that anything on your screen will be shown.


So, if you forget to close an app or can't get rid of all the taskbar notifications, sharing a specific app window will ensure those notifications aren't visible to viewers.

Of course, you probably don’t need to use all five methods to maintain your privacy. As long as you put some effort into keeping your personal information hidden and maintaining your professional habits, staying safe online is a simple feat.

Leave a Comment