New Outlook vs Classic Outlook Block Screen Capture: Where to Find It

You want to prevent users from taking screenshots of sensitive emails in Outlook. Both New Outlook and Classic Outlook offer a block screen capture setting, but the location and behavior differ. This article compares where to find this setting in each version and explains how to enable it through Microsoft Purview compliance policies. It also covers common issues and limitations you should know before deploying this protection.

How Block Screen Capture Works in Outlook

Block screen capture is a data loss prevention feature that prevents users from taking screenshots of protected emails. When enabled, any attempt to capture the screen — whether using Print Screen, Snipping Tool, or third-party software — results in a black or blank window. This feature is part of Microsoft Purview Information Protection and is tied to sensitivity labels.

The feature works differently in New Outlook versus Classic Outlook. New Outlook supports the sensitivity bar natively, meaning the block screen capture setting can be applied directly to a label. Classic Outlook does not have this native support. Instead, you must rely on Windows Group Policy or registry edits to block screen capture globally on the device. This means Classic Outlook cannot selectively block screen capture for specific emails without affecting all applications.

Prerequisites for Block Screen Capture

Before you can enable block screen capture, you need the following:

• An active Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance license
• Global Administrator or Compliance Administrator role in Microsoft Purview
• New Outlook for Windows (version 1.2023.x or later) or Classic Outlook with Windows 10/11 Pro or Enterprise for Group Policy
• Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels published to users

Where to Find Block Screen Capture in New Outlook

In New Outlook, the block screen capture setting is part of a sensitivity label configuration. You enable it through the Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

1. Open Microsoft Purview
   Go to compliance.microsoft.com and sign in with an account that has Compliance Administrator or Global Administrator permissions.
2. Navigate to Sensitivity Labels
   Select Information Protection from the left menu, then choose Labels under the Sensitivity labels section.
3. Create or edit a label
   Click + Create a label to create a new label, or select an existing label and click Edit label.
4. Enable encryption
   In the Define the scope section, select Items (files and emails). Then in the Choose protection settings section, select Control screen capture or screen recording and click Next.
5. Configure the block setting
   Under Screen capture and recording, set Block screen capture and screen recording to On. Click Next and complete the wizard.
6. Publish the label
   After creating or editing the label, go to the Label policies tab and publish the label to the desired users or groups.

Once published, users with New Outlook will see a sensitivity bar at the top of the email. When they apply the label, the block screen capture feature is active for that message. Any attempt to take a screenshot shows a black rectangle over the email content.

Where to Find Block Screen Capture in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook does not support the sensitivity bar or the native block screen capture setting. To block screen capture on Classic Outlook, you must disable the Print Screen key and Snipping Tool through Windows Group Policy or the registry. This method blocks screen capture for all applications, not just Outlook.

Method 1: Using Group Policy

1. Open Local Group Policy Editor
   Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the Screen Capture policy
   Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > OS Policies. Look for a policy named Turn off screen capture or similar.
3. Enable the policy
   Double-click the policy, select Enabled, and click OK. This disables Print Screen, Snipping Tool, and most third-party capture tools.

Method 2: Using Registry Editor

If Group Policy is not available, use the registry:

1. Open Registry Editor
   Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the ScreenCapturePolicy key
   Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System. If the System folder does not exist, right-click Windows, select New > Key, and name it System.
3. Create a DWORD value
   Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it AllowScreenCapture.
4. Set the value to 0
   Double-click AllowScreenCapture, set Value data to 0, and click OK. Restart the computer for the change to take effect.

This registry change blocks screen capture system-wide. It affects all Windows applications, not just Classic Outlook. To re-enable screen capture, set the value back to 1 or delete the key.

Common Issues and Limitations

Block screen capture does not work in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook does not have the sensitivity bar, so the Purview label setting has no effect. You must use the Group Policy or registry method described above. This blocks screen capture for the entire system, which may be too restrictive if you only need to protect Outlook emails.

Users can bypass screen capture with a phone camera

The block screen capture feature only prevents software-based screen capture. It cannot prevent a user from taking a photo of the screen with a phone or camera. For higher security, consider adding a watermark to sensitive emails or using Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention policies that block forwarding or printing.

New Outlook sensitivity bar does not appear

If the sensitivity bar does not show in New Outlook, ensure the label is published to the user and that the user has the latest version of New Outlook. Go to Outlook > File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now. Also verify that the label scope includes Items (files and emails).

New Outlook vs Classic Outlook: Block Screen Capture Comparison

Item	New Outlook	Classic Outlook
Native block screen capture support	Yes, via sensitivity label in Purview	No, requires system-wide Group Policy or registry
Selective protection per email	Yes, applies only to labeled messages	No, blocks capture for all apps
Configuration location	Microsoft Purview compliance portal	Local Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor
License requirement	Microsoft 365 E5 or E5 Compliance	Windows 10/11 Pro or Enterprise (for Group Policy)
Effect on other applications	None	Blocks screen capture in all applications

New Outlook offers a more granular and manageable approach. Classic Outlook requires a blunter system-wide setting that may interfere with other workflows.

You can now enable block screen capture in New Outlook through Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels. For Classic Outlook, use the Group Policy or registry method as a workaround. If you need selective protection, consider migrating to New Outlook. As an advanced tip, combine block screen capture with Microsoft Purview Data Loss Prevention policies to prevent email forwarding and printing for additional security.