Spotting A Screenshot's Own Signs Of Editing
Launch library · evergreen read
A screenshot claiming to show a message or post can itself be edited after capture, using ordinary photo tools to alter text before resharing it as though it were an untouched capture of the original screen. Nothing about a screenshot's format guarantees that what it shows was ever actually written or posted by anyone at all.
Font inconsistencies are a genuinely useful tell in these cases: genuine interface text follows a platform's consistent styling throughout, so a mismatched font, spacing or alignment within an otherwise convincing screenshot often signals a section that was altered sometime after the original capture was taken.
Checking whether the same post or message still exists in its original location online, and comparing it directly against the screenshot in question, is the most reliable way to confirm a screenshot's accuracy rather than judging its appearance alone, however convincing that appearance might seem at a first, quick glance.