How to make an image undownloadable?

Asked by: Elbert Bradtke  |  Last update: February 13, 2026
Score: 4.9/5 (69 votes)

While it is technically impossible to completely prevent a user from saving an image displayed on their screen, you can significantly hinder casual downloading. Effective methods include using CSS to overlay a transparent image, adding visible watermarks, disabling right-click functionality with JavaScript, or using background images rather than tags.

How to make photos undownloadable?

It's not possible to protect the content of your online albums from being downloaded or copied. The only way to stop people from downloading your photos is by not uploading photos to the internet in the first place.

How to make a file viewable but not downloadable?

  1. Find the file you want to share in OneDrive or SharePoint, and select the circle in the upper corner.
  2. Select Share at the top of the page.
  3. Select Anyone with the link can edit to open Link settings.
  4. Uncheck Allow editing, and then turn on Block download.
  5. Add your message and send the invite.

How to prevent a file from being downloaded?

Select one or more files in Google Drive, click Share. In the top right corner click on the gear icon. Uncheck the box “Viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy.”

How to make an image not copyable?

10 Ways to Protect Images From Being Copied

  1. Add a copyright notice.
  2. Add a watermark.
  3. Edit EXIF data.
  4. Copyright your images.
  5. Add a protection badge.
  6. Upload low-resolution images.
  7. Disabling right-click.
  8. Disable hotlinking.

🗝 PROTECT YOUR HARD WORK! - HOW TO PROTECT DIGITAL PRODUCTS AND IMAGES FROM THEFT

15 related questions found

How to protect a photo from being copied?

9 Steps to Protect Your Photos From Unauthorized Use

  1. Never Share High-Resolution Files. ...
  2. Compress Your Images to Lower the Quality. ...
  3. Watermark Your Images. ...
  4. Register an Official Copyright. ...
  5. Add a Copyright Notice. ...
  6. Create a Digital Signature. ...
  7. Disable Right Click and Copy. ...
  8. Block Screenshots.

How to copy something that isn't copyable?

How to copy text from web page that cannot be copied?

  1. Drag and Drop to Paste.
  2. Print to PDF feature.
  3. Source Code.
  4. Screenshot to Text.
  5. Inspect Element.
  6. Disable JavaScript.
  7. Copy in the Search Box.
  8. Install Browser Extensions.

How to stop unwanted downloading?

How to Stop Unwanted Apps from Automatically Downloading on Android

  1. Disable Automatic Downloads/Updates.
  2. Untick Your Phone in Other Devices' Settings.
  3. Toggle OTA Updates Off in Settings.
  4. Disable Specific System Apps.
  5. Avoid Unknown Sources.
  6. Uninstall Suspicious Apps.
  7. Check for and Remove Malware.
  8. Disable Automatic Restore.

How to make a PDF non-downloadable?

The three main solutions used to prevent PDF downloads are:

  1. Web page password protection & download links.
  2. JavaScript protection.
  3. CMS plugins and ACL permissions.

How to prevent unauthorized downloads?

How Can You Avoid Downloading Malicious Code? 9 Tips

  1. #1 Avoid Browsing Unsecured Websites. ...
  2. #2 Filter Traffic at the Level of the DNS. ...
  3. #3 Identify Malicious Links Before Clicking. ...
  4. #4 Pass Up on Downloading Free Software. ...
  5. #5 Do Not Engage with Suspicious Emails. ...
  6. #6 Use an Advanced Email Security Solution.

How to share a file without downloading?

ShareDrop is a free, open-source web app that allows you to easily and securely share files directly between devices without uploading them to any server first.

How to make a file viewable offline?

  1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
  2. Right click the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file you want to save offline.
  3. Click Make available offline .

How to make a file non-shareable?

Open or select the file or folder. Copy link . Select Restricted. Click Done.

How to protect a JPEG image?

Use watermarks

The image should still be visible, the watermark is merely to deter people from reusing your image without permission. It also clearly identifies the photo as belonging to you, and can be hard to crop out. To learn how to easily add watermarks to your photography for free, click here.

How to make images not draggable in HTML?

Whatever your use case is, here's two simple ways to disable image dragging in HTML:

  1. Add draggable="false" to your img tag (ex: <img draggable="false" src="..."/>
  2. Add user-drag: none; to img selector in a CSS file (recommended)

How do I send a file that cannot be downloaded?

So what you have to do is host the file in an online document viewer. (This is not typically a free service). You give them the file to host, they present it in a way that doesn't allow any download.

How to make an uncopyable PDF?

How to convert a PDF to read-only on Mac and Windows.

  1. Right-click your PDF.
  2. Select Properties.
  3. Choose Read-only.
  4. Click OK.

How do I view a PDF but not download?

In Firefox, go to Preferences, type 'PDF' in the search bar, and select Open in Firefox in the dropdown menu next to 'Portable Document Format (PDF)'. In Microsoft Edge, go to Settings and choose Cookies and site permissions. Scroll down to find 'PDF documents', and turn off Always download PDF files.

How to find disguised apps on Android?

To find hidden apps on Android, check your launcher's home screen settings (swipe up for app drawer, tap three dots, look for "Hide apps"), review your full app list in Settings (Apps > See all apps > three dots > Show system), check specific features like Samsung's Secure Folder, or use the Play Store to see installed apps. 

How to remove content that is protected?

If you don't want Chrome to play protected content by default, you can change your settings:

  1. On your Android device, open Chrome. .
  2. To the right of the address bar, tap More. Settings.
  3. Tap Site settings. Protected Content.
  4. Select Ask first or Blocked.

How to bypass paste restriction?

Press the F12 key for Web Developer Tools. Click on “Console” in the top navigation. Grant code pasting permission if using Google Chrome/Chromium. Type “allow pasting” without double quotes into the console and press the Enter key.

How to make a document not copyable?

You can protect your Word file from copying and pasting by using the following steps:

  1. Open the Word file that you want to protect.
  2. Select the text that you want to protect from copying and pasting.
  3. Click on the "Review" tab in the ribbon at the top of the screen.
  4. Click on "Restrict Editing" in the "Protect" group.