How to ask someone for the original photo, not a screenshot

If you might ever need to rely on a photo, in a claim, a dispute, a loan file or a story, the copy you receive matters as much as the picture. A screenshot or a texted photo can look identical to the original and still have lost almost all of the evidence about how and when it was taken.

What gets lost along the way

• Screenshots create a brand-new image. The camera details, capture time and any Content Credentials are gone.
• Text messages and many messaging apps compress photos and often strip metadata.
• Social media re-encodes photos and removes most metadata.
• Email usually keeps the file intact if it is attached at full size, but some phones shrink attachments.

None of that makes a photo fake. It just leaves less to check, so the honest answer about its history becomes "unknown".

How to ask

1. Ask for the original file from the camera roll, at full size, not a screenshot.
2. Say why: "so the photo keeps its date and camera details." People cooperate more when they understand.
3. Give them a simple way to send it. A link they can open on their phone is easier than explaining file-sharing settings.
4. Ask for new photos when timing matters, taken now, rather than old ones from the camera roll.

Using a secure request link

A PIT secure request link is made for this. You send the link by email or text; the person opens it on their phone and either uploads photos from their library or takes them live on the page. The link expires, the files arrive with their evidence intact, and the report notes how each photo arrived. You get a signed report you can share, and anyone you share it with can check the signature.

Request links are part of PIT Pro.

After you receive it

• Keep the file you received unchanged. Make copies for markup.
• Keep the report with it, so you have a record of what the file showed when it arrived.

FAQ

The person only has a screenshot. Is it useless?

No. It can still show the scene. It just carries little technical evidence, so you'll rely more on the person's account and other evidence.

Can I tell whether I received an original?

Often. Camera metadata and capture settings are a good sign; their absence suggests a copy. PIT reports what the file contains and what that does and doesn't show.