How to take a screenshot on your Android phone or tablet

Capturing screenshots can preserve important information, such as concert tickets, flight details, or critical messages. In the past, taking screenshots on Android phones required a separate app, but a built-in option has been available for some time. When Android 12 was released, this feature was enhanced, making it easier to take a screenshot on any device and capture scrolling screenshots. Additionally, many Android manufacturers offer unique shortcuts to simplify the process further. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, our guide will help you take screenshots on most Android phones and tablets updated to recent OS versions.

The basic way to take a screenshot on your Android phone

On most Android devices, you can take a screenshot by pressing the Volume down and Power buttons simultaneously for a second or two. If the volume is on, you hear a shutter sound and see a visual confirmation that you took a screenshot. Often, a floating toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen where you can edit, share, or delete the screenshot. Older Android devices may require you to hold the Home button and Volume down button to take a screenshot.

Once you’ve taken a screenshot, you can view it in your phone’s photos app. Whether your device uses Google Photos or another manufacturer-specific gallery app, go to the app to find your screenshot at the top.

Sometimes the content you want to capture doesn’t fit into your phone’s screen. With the release of Android 12, Google included the option to take a scrolling screenshot. A scrolling screenshot is a screenshot that captures more content than what you see on your phone’s screen. This content would require you to scroll down and take multiple screenshots to capture it all.

To take a scrolling screenshot, take a regular screenshot using your method of choice. Then, tap the Capture more button from the floating toolbar at the bottom of your screen. Finally, use the window that appears to select the content you want to capture.

How to take a screenshot using Google Assistant

Google Assistant is a useful tool available on all modern Android devices. Google Assistant can do many things, and taking a screenshot is one of them. To take a screenshot, activate the Google Assistant and say, “Hey Google, take a screenshot.” Alternatively, you can activate the Assistant and type your command.

After you take the screenshot, a notification lets you know your screenshot was taken successfully. The notification also has buttons to share, edit, or delete the screenshot. Google Assistant may take some time to think before it takes the screenshot, so use another method for taking a time-sensitive screenshot.

If you have a Samsung phone that includes an S Pen, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, you can use that to take a screenshot, among other tricks. When you remove the S Pen from its silo, the menu that appears includes an option to take a screenshot. Tap it, and you’ve taken a screenshot.

How to take a screenshot on a Google Pixel phone

Even though Google makes Android, it gives its Google Pixel users, such as owners of the Pixel 7a, a unique option to grab a screenshot. To use the feature, open the page you’d like to screencap and drag your finger up from the bottom of the screen. When the Recent Apps menu appears, tap the Screenshot icon.

You don’t need to change any settings for this to work since it’s a Google Pixel Android skin feature. This method doesn’t work for all apps, such as apps with sensitive data like a password manager. If you attempt to use it, you’ll see a message that says, “Disabled by your admin.”

How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi or Poco device

If you own a modern Xiaomi phone, such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro, your phone includes a handy three-finger gesture to take a screenshot in MIUI. The same gesture is available on Poco phones, like the Poco F5 Pro, since they run on MIUI.

To take a screenshot, swipe down on your phone’s screen using three fingers. This gesture is enabled by default, but you can customize this gesture by going to Settings > Additional settings > Button shortcuts > Take a screenshot. This section allows you to assign it to a long press of the Home, Menu, or Back button.

How to take a screenshot on a Motorola phone

Motorola phones, including the 2023 Moto Edge+, come with a couple of ways to take a screenshot, combining the methodologies used by Pixel and Xiaomi phones. Like the Pixel, when you go to the app overview screen by swiping up and holding with gesture navigation or pressing the square button using button navigation, you’ll see a Screenshot button at the bottom of the screen. Tap the icon, and your phone takes a screenshot.

You can also use the Xiaomi/Poco method and a three-finger swipe. To enable this feature, go to Settings > Display > Advanced and toggle the Three-finger screenshot option. Once this is on, swipe down from the top of your screen with three fingers to take a screenshot.

How to take a screenshot on a OnePlus phone

OnePlus phones, like the OnePlus 11, continue the trend of using a three-finger swipe gesture to take screenshots. To activate it, swipe down from the top of your screen with three fingers, and your device takes a screenshot. After that, you can edit or share the screenshot or take a scrolling screenshot.

If the gesture doesn’t work when you try it, make sure it’s enabled by going to Settings > Buttons & gestures > Quick gestures.

How to record your Android phone screen

Sometimes, the best way to explain something or share information with someone isn’t through a static screenshot but with a video of your screen. Android includes a screen recording feature to make taking a video of your screen easy.

To access this feature, swipe down from the top of the screen twice to access your notification menu and expand the quick access tiles at the top. Once in the quick access tiles, find one called something similar to Screen record and tap it. A menu appears with options for your recording. After selecting the appropriate options, tap Start. Your screen recording begins with a notification saying that you’re recording your screen. To stop the recording, go to the notification and tap Stop.

Android 14, which is coming later in 2023, is updating the screen recording tool. When Android 14 is released, users can record a single recently used app instead of their entire device. Once an app is selected, a countdown begins, and the screen recording of only that app starts. When screen recording a single app, you won’t see notifications or the status bar, which keeps the rest of the information on your phone private.

Show me your best screenshot

Capturing a screenshot on an Android device has never been easier. There are various options to save and share the content on your screen, from Android’s built-in methods to additional methods and gestures provided by each phone manufacturer. Taking Chromebook screenshots is just as easy as Android screenshots using the ChromeOS screenshot tool.