On Instagram, “ss” is generally understood as an abbreviation for “screenshot.” It is a request made by one user to another to capture the image or video currently displayed on their screen. For instance, a user might send a direct message (DM) with simply “ss” to someone who has posted a disappearing photo or video on their Instagram story, intending to save the content before it vanishes.
The practice of requesting a screenshot is significant because it circumvents the temporary nature of certain Instagram content formats. It allows users to preserve and share ephemeral content outside of the platform or at a later time. Historically, this behavior emerged alongside the rise of disappearing media, offering a way to retain content that was designed to be fleeting.