How to Take a Screenshot on Any Device

A screenshot is a picture of whatever is on your screen at that moment. It is the fastest way to save a receipt, an error message, a chat, or a form confirmation. Every device has a built-in way to take one, and you do not need to install any app. Find your device below, press the right keys or buttons, and then look in the folder where that device saves screenshots.

Screenshot Methods at a Glance

How to Take a Screenshot on Windows

Method 1, capture part of the screen (best for most cases):

1. Press Windows key + Shift + S at the same time. The screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top.
2. Choose Rectangle mode and drag across the area you want to capture.
3. Release the mouse button. The screenshot is copied to your clipboard.
4. Open Paint, Word, WhatsApp, or any chat, and press Ctrl + V to paste it. To save it as a file, click the notification that appears and then click Save, or paste it into Paint and save it from there.

Method 2, capture the whole screen:

1. Press the Print Screen key (often labelled PrtScn or PrtSc). This copies the full screen to your clipboard.
2. Paste it with Ctrl + V into Paint or a document, then save it.

Method 3, save directly as a file:

1. Press Windows key + Print Screen. The screen flashes briefly.
2. Open File Explorer and go to Pictures, then Screenshots. Your screenshot is saved there as a PNG file.

Tip: the Snipping Tool app (search for it in the Start menu) lets you capture a window, a free shape, or the full screen, and also lets you set a short delay, which is useful for capturing menus that disappear when you click away.

How to Take a Screenshot on Mac

• Full screen: press Command + Shift + 3. The screenshot is saved on your Desktop.
• Part of the screen: press Command + Shift + 4, then drag to select the area and release.
• A single window: press Command + Shift + 4, then press the Space bar, then click the window you want.
• Options menu: press Command + Shift + 5. This opens a toolbar where you can choose full screen, a selected part, or a window, set a timer, and choose where the file is saved. It also records video of the screen.
• To copy instead of saving a file: hold the Control key as well (for example, Command + Control + Shift + 4). Then paste with Command + V.

How to Take a Screenshot on Android

On most Android phones, press the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time and hold for about one second. A preview appears at the bottom of the screen. Tap it to edit, crop, or share it right away.

Other ways, depending on your phone:

• Samsung: swipe the edge of your palm across the screen from right to left (turn this on in Settings, then Advanced features, then Motions and gestures, if it is off).
• Pixel and many other phones: open the recent apps view and tap Screenshot on the app preview.
• Three-finger swipe down: available on some OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Vivo phones in gesture settings.
• Google Assistant or Gemini: say "take a screenshot" if voice control is on.

Android screenshots are saved in the Pictures, then Screenshots folder, and they also appear in the Google Photos app under Library, then Screenshots.

How to Take a Screenshot on iPhone

• iPhone with Face ID (no Home button): press the Side button and the Volume Up button at the same time, then release quickly. A thumbnail appears at the bottom left. Tap it to crop, draw on it, or share it, or swipe it away to save it.
• iPhone with a Home button: press the Home button and the Side button (or the Top button on older models) at the same time, then release.
• iPhone screenshots are saved in the Photos app, under Albums, then Screenshots.
• To capture a full web page in Safari: take a screenshot, tap the thumbnail, choose Full Page at the top, then save it as a PDF.

How to Take a Scrolling Screenshot (a Full Page)

A scrolling screenshot captures a whole page, not just the part visible on screen. It is useful for long chats, bills, and web pages.

• On Android: take a normal screenshot, then tap "Capture more" or the scrolling arrow in the preview, and drag to include more of the page.
• On iPhone: in Safari only, take a screenshot, tap the thumbnail, and choose Full Page, then save as PDF.
• On Windows or Mac: open the page in Chrome or Edge, press Ctrl + Shift + I to open developer tools, then press Ctrl + Shift + P, type "capture full size screenshot", and press Enter. The full page downloads as a PNG.
• Note: scrolling capture does not work inside every app. If the option does not appear, take several normal screenshots instead.

After You Take a Screenshot: Edit, Crop, and Share

1. Crop out anything private before sharing: names, account numbers, addresses, passwords, and one-time codes should never be in a shared screenshot.
2. On Windows, use the Snipping Tool or Paint to crop. On Mac, open the file and use Preview. On phones, tap the screenshot preview and use the crop tool.
3. If the file is too large to send, compress the image or convert it to JPG before sharing. You can polish a capture afterwards with the screenshot beautifier or frame it with the screenshot mockup generator.
4. Check the picture once before sending it. A screenshot often captures notifications or open tabs at the top of the screen that you did not intend to share.

Common Screenshot Problems and Fixes

• Nothing happened when I pressed the keys: press both buttons at exactly the same time and release quickly. Holding the Power button alone on a phone opens the power menu instead.
• The screenshot is not in my gallery: check the Screenshots folder, not the camera folder, and check that the app you captured from allows screenshots. Some banking and streaming apps block screenshots for security, and the screen will come out black.
• The screenshot is blurry: screenshots match your screen resolution, so they cannot be sharper than the screen itself. If you need a sharp image of a document, scan it or download the original file instead of screenshotting it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I take a screenshot on Windows and where is it saved?

Press Windows key plus Shift plus S to capture part of the screen, or Windows key plus Print Screen to save the whole screen directly as a file. The direct-save method stores the image in the Pictures folder, inside the Screenshots subfolder. The Shift plus S method copies the capture to your clipboard, so paste it with Ctrl plus V into Paint, Word or a chat, or click the notification to save it.

What are the screenshot keys on a Mac?

Press Command plus Shift plus 3 for the full screen, Command plus Shift plus 4 and drag to capture part of the screen, or Command plus Shift plus 4 then the Space bar and click a window to capture one window. Press Command plus Shift plus 5 for the options toolbar, which also lets you set a timer and choose where the file is saved. By default, Mac screenshots are saved on the Desktop. Hold Control as well to copy instead of saving a file.

How do I take a screenshot on Android and iPhone?

On most Android phones, press the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time and hold for about one second. Android screenshots are saved in the Pictures folder, inside the Screenshots subfolder, and also appear in Google Photos under Library, then Screenshots. On an iPhone with Face ID, press the Side button and the Volume Up button together; on an iPhone with a Home button, press Home and the Side button together. iPhone screenshots are saved in the Photos app under Albums, then Screenshots.

How do I take a scrolling screenshot of a full page?

On Android, take a normal screenshot and tap Capture more or the scrolling arrow in the preview, then drag to include more of the page. On iPhone, this works in Safari only: take a screenshot, tap the thumbnail, choose Full Page, and save it as a PDF. On Windows or Mac, open the page in Chrome or Edge, press Ctrl plus Shift plus I to open developer tools, then Ctrl plus Shift plus P, type capture full size screenshot, and press Enter. Scrolling capture does not work inside every app, so if the option does not appear, take several normal screenshots instead.

Why is my screenshot missing or black?

First check the Screenshots folder, not the camera folder, because screenshots are stored separately from photos. Second, some banking and streaming apps block screenshots for security, and the captured image comes out black; in that case use the app own export, receipt or download option instead. Third, if nothing happened when you pressed the keys, press both buttons at exactly the same time and release quickly, because holding the Power button alone on a phone opens the power menu instead.