Screenshots

Seeing what a screen is actually showing, why a screenshot is sometimes unavailable, and how to turn capture off entirely.

ScreenlyOS screens send a screenshot about every five minutes. They appear as thumbnails in the screens list and full size on each screen’s Overview tab.

This is the only way to confirm what a display is really showing without standing in front of it. Status tells you a screen is healthy. A screenshot tells you the content is right, the rotation is right, and nothing is sitting on top of it.

Note

Screenly Anywhere screens do not support screenshots. The card says so rather than sitting empty.

When there is no image

What you seeWhat it means
No screenshots yetThe screen has not captured anything yet. Normal on a screen set up minutes ago
This screen is offlineWith the last captured screenshot still viewable, if there is one
This screen is disabledEnable it to resume playback and capture
This screen is protectedPrivacy mode is on
Screenshots unavailableA Screenly Anywhere screen, which cannot take them
Couldn’t load screenshotUsually temporary. Try again

Privacy mode

Some screens should not be captured at all: one in a secure area, one showing personal data, one where a photograph of the display would itself be a disclosure.

Privacy mode, on the screen’s Actions tab, stops screenshots of that screen being captured or stored. It is per screen, so you can protect the few that need it without giving up visibility of the rest.

You lose the ability to check that screen remotely, which is the whole trade. Status, health, and Now Playing all still work, so you are not blind, just without the picture.

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