Taking Screenshots

What Is a Screenshot?

A screenshot (screen capture) is an image of your device's display at a given moment. Screenshots are useful for:

• Documenting error messages or receipts
• Creating tutorials and guides
• Sharing visual content from apps or websites
• Archiving transient or streaming content

Common formats include .PNG (lossless, good for text) and .JPG (smaller size, good for photos).

Taking Screenshots on Windows

Full Screen

Press PrtScn. The entire screen is copied to the clipboard—open Paint, press Ctrl+V, then save.

Active Window

Press Alt+PrtScn to capture the current window only.

Auto-Save

Press Windows+PrtScn. The screen dims and the image is saved to Pictures > Screenshots.

Snip & Sketch

Press Windows+Shift+S to open the snipping toolbar. Choose:

• Rectangular Snip—drag to select
• Freeform Snip—draw any shape
• Window Snip—click a window
• Full-Screen Snip—capture all screens

Captured images go to the clipboard and appear in a notification for editing.

Taking Screenshots on macOS

Entire Screen

Press Command+Shift+3. A .png file appears on your desktop.

Portion of Screen

Press Command+Shift+4, then drag to select an area.

Window Capture

Press Command+Shift+4, then Space. Click any window to capture it.

Screenshot Toolbar

Press Command+Shift+5 to open options for screen, window, or region captures and screen recordings.

Touch Bar

On MacBook Pro, press Command+Shift+6 to capture the Touch Bar.

Taking Screenshots on Android

Button Combo

Press Power+Volume Down together for 1-2 seconds. The screen flashes, and a thumbnail appears.

Quick Settings

Swipe down twice to open Quick Settings and tap Screenshot.

Gestures

On supported devices (Samsung, OnePlus), enable palm swipe or three-finger swipe in Settings > Gestures.

Scroll Capture

After screenshot, tap Scroll or Capture more to include content beyond the screen.

Location: Gallery app under Screenshots.

Taking Screenshots on iOS

Face ID Devices

Press Side Button+Volume Up together.

Home Button Devices

Press Home+Power together.

AssistiveTouch

Enable in Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch. Add Screenshot to the menu.

Full Page Capture (Safari)

After capturing, tap Full Page in the preview to save an entire webpage as PDF.

Location: Photos app under Screenshots; PDF in Files app.

Troubleshooting & Tips

• If a method fails, ensure your buttons are pressed simultaneously and device storage isn't full.
• Customize save locations in Snip & Sketch or using third-party tools (Greenshot, ShareX).
• Use markup tools built into each OS to annotate screenshots immediately.
• Consider screen recording if you need to capture dynamic content.

FAQs

• Which format is best? PNG for sharp images and text; JPG for smaller file sizes.
• Can I edit later? Yes — open in any image editor or use built-in markup features.
• Are screenshots secure? They capture sensitive info — store and share them carefully.
• Legal considerations? Personal use is fine; respect copyright for distribution.