Are Screenshots of Text Messages Admissible and Reliable in Court? Well, It Depends

The Problem with Screenshots as Evidence

While screenshots may seem like a convenient and easy way to capture text messages, relying on them for legal purposes poses several risks:

• Tampering and Manipulation: Screenshots are just images, and images can be easily created or edited. With graphic editing tools, anyone can create or alter a screenshot to fabricate a conversation or remove critical context. This makes screenshots highly vulnerable to manipulation, and their authenticity can be difficult to verify.  Simply do a Google search for fake iMessage creator to see how easy it is to fake. 
• Timestamp Issues: Screenshots display the time they were taken, not the actual time a message was sent. This can cause discrepancies if the timing of a conversation is essential to your case, potentially leading to confusion and complications in court.  We have seen a number of messages that actually occurred but were being portrayed as being recent versus years old. 
• Identification Problems: Although screenshots often show a name or number, they don’t confirm the identity of the person on the other end of the conversation or even who received the message. A name in a screenshot can be easily faked, and there’s no way to verify the true sender or recipient of the messages based off of a screen shot alone.

When Are Screenshots Admissible?

In some cases, screenshots of text messages can be admitted as evidence, but the court will typically require additional steps to ensure their authenticity:

• Authentication: To be admissible, the party introducing the screenshot must demonstrate that the message is authentic and neither party has any discrepancy to the actual content of the messages.  This is not likely given the fact the messages are being used in court to likely prove a contentious point. This could include testimony from the person who took the screenshot, providing context to prove the message's integrity.
• Corroborating Evidence: In many cases, screenshots alone may not be enough. Courts may require additional evidence—such as phone records, expert testimony, or forensic data extraction—to corroborate the authenticity of the messages.
• Chain of Custody: Just like any other form of evidence, text messages must be properly preserved. If a screenshot is not backed up by a reliable process for capturing and preserving the original message, it risks being dismissed as unreliable or inadmissible.

The Better Approach: Forensic Extraction and Reporting

While screenshots may sometimes be accepted in court, they are far from the ideal way to preserve and present text message evidence. At Black Dog Forensics, we advocate for a more reliable, forensically sound method: forensic extraction and reporting.

Forensic extraction allows us to extract text messages directly from a phone or other mobile device, ensuring that all metadata—such as timestamps, sender/recipient information, and in some cases deleted messages are properly preserved and reported.   This method provides a much higher level of confidence in the authenticity of the messages, making them far more defensible in court.

Why It’s Essential to Use Professional Services

For text messages to be reliable and admissible in court, they should be captured and preserved using best practices. Relying on screenshots alone puts your case at risk, especially when there are far more reliable methods available. Black Dog Forensics specializes in secure, forensic-grade data preservation, ensuring that your text message evidence is handled appropriately and can stand up to any challenges in court.

The Short answer… It Depends

So, are screenshots of text messages admissible and reliable in court? Well, it depends on the circumstances. While they may sometimes be allowed, they come with significant risks and limitations. If you're willing to leave your case up to some screenshots which can easily be debunked by an expert, then go ahead.  Otherwise, to ensure your text message evidence is both admissible and reliable, you should consider using professional forensic services like Black Dog Forensics. By extracting data directly from the source and preserving it through proper forensic methods, you can confidently present text messages as evidence in court—knowing they’re as reliable and defensible as possible.

Contact Black Dog Forensics today to learn more about how we can help you securely extract and preserve text message evidence, ensuring it meets legal standards and can stand up in court.