Check if a screenshot was edited

How screenshot forgery detection differs from photo detection

A screenshot is not a photograph — it's a flat digital capture of a screen. That distinction matters more than it sounds: heuristics built for AI-generated photos (like checking for camera sensor grain) are meaningless here, because a genuine screenshot never has sensor noise to begin with. This tool uses a different set of checks, built specifically for how screenshots are made and edited.

Why "localized," not "global"

A generic photo detector looks at the average compression error across the whole image. That approach fails on screenshots: flat UI graphics naturally compress very uniformly, so a low overall error is normal, not suspicious. What actually gives away an edit is a hotspot — one small region (say, a transaction amount or a name) with a compression signature that doesn't match the rest of the image, because it was pasted in or retouched after the original capture.

Common situations where this matters

• Marketplace refund disputes — a "proof of damage" screenshot or a fake payment confirmation sent to pressure a refund.
• Fake bank transfer proofs — a screenshot showing a payment that was never actually made.
• Doctored conversations — edited chat screenshots used to misrepresent what someone said.
• Fabricated reviews or social posts — a screenshot presented as an authentic post that was altered before sharing.

Limitations

To be upfront: this tool runs entirely on local heuristics, without a trained forensic model. Its limits are real:

• A skilled editor working on a lossless PNG, with careful color matching, can leave close to no ELA trace.
• A genuine screenshot re-saved or exported through an editor (even without content changes) can trigger a false positive on the editing-software signal.
• Screen resolution lists can't cover every device — a legitimate but uncommon device won't get a "match."

Use it as a first filter, and always cross-check with the source when the stakes are high — ask for the original file, or verify directly with the platform or person shown in the screenshot.

Frequently asked questions