How to Take Screenshots on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac in the US

A screenshot is a picture of whatever is on your screen right now. It is the fastest way to save a receipt, share a message, show a friend an error, or keep a record before it disappears. Every phone and computer can do it, but the buttons are different on each one. This guide covers iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac, plus how to find, edit and share the result.

Step 1: take a screenshot on iPhone

On iPhones with Face ID, press the side button and the volume up button together, then let go. The screen flashes white and a small thumbnail appears in the bottom left corner. On older iPhones with a Home button, press the Home button and the side button, or the Home button and the top button, at the same time instead.

Tap the thumbnail to crop the image, draw on it or add text, then tap Done and Save to Photos. If you ignore the thumbnail, it disappears after a few seconds and the screenshot saves to your Photos app.

For a full page screenshot in Safari, tap the thumbnail, then Full Page at the top. This saves the whole web page as a PDF, which is useful for long articles or receipts. You can also ask Siri to take a screenshot.

Step 2: take a screenshot on Android

On most Android phones, press the power button and the volume down button at the same time, then let go. The screen flashes and a small preview appears. Samsung phones also let you swipe your palm across the screen, if you turn that gesture on in Settings under Advanced features and then Motions and gestures.

Some Android phones show a toolbar after the shot, with buttons to share, edit or capture more. Tap the down arrow or "Capture more" to take a scrolling screenshot, which stitches a long page into one tall image.

If the buttons are awkward to reach, use the quick settings panel. Swipe down from the top twice and look for a "Screenshot" tile. You can add it by tapping the edit icon if it is not there.

Step 3: take a screenshot on Windows

On a Windows 10 or 11 PC, the simplest method is the Print Screen key, often labelled PrtScn. Press it once to copy the whole screen to your clipboard, then paste it with Ctrl and V. Press Windows key and Print Screen together to save the shot as a file in your Pictures folder, inside a folder called Screenshots.

For more control, press Windows key, Shift and S. The screen dims and you can drag to select just the part you want. The capture goes to your clipboard, and a small notification lets you open it in the Snipping Tool to crop, draw on it or save it as a file.

The Snipping Tool is worth knowing too. Search for it in the Start menu, open it, and click New. You can choose a rectangle, a freeform shape, a single window, or the full screen, and it has a timer for menus that disappear when you click away.

Step 4: take a screenshot on Mac

On a Mac, press Shift, Command and 3 together to capture the whole screen. The file appears on your desktop as a PNG image. Press Shift, Command and 4 to capture just part of the screen. Your cursor turns into a crosshair, and you drag to select the area you want. Press the spacebar after Shift, Command and 4 to capture a single window instead, and click the window you want.

Press Shift, Command and 5 to open the screenshot toolbar. From there you can capture the whole screen, a window or a selected part, and record a video of your screen. The Options menu lets you set a timer, choose where the file is saved, and show or hide the mouse pointer.

By default, Mac screenshots save to the desktop. If that gets messy, open the toolbar with Shift, Command and 5, click Options, and pick a different folder.

Step 5: find, edit and share your screenshots

On iPhone, screenshots live in the Photos app, in the Screenshots album under Albums and then Media Types. On Android, look in the Photos or Gallery app under a Screenshots album. On Windows, check Pictures and then Screenshots. On Mac, check the desktop, or the folder you chose in the screenshot options.

Editing is simple on every device. Open the screenshot and tap Edit. Crop out the parts you do not need before sharing, since screenshots often include notifications, battery level or other people's names at the top of the screen.

To share, tap the share button and pick your app. Remember that a screenshot can include more than you meant to send, like an address in the background or a password visible on screen. Crop first, share second.

Step 6: fix common screenshot problems

If your phone takes a screenshot when you did not ask it to, you are probably squeezing the buttons by accident, often because of a tight phone case. Try a thinner case, or use the on-screen method, such as AssistiveTouch on iPhone or the quick settings tile on Android.

If pressing the buttons does nothing, check that the buttons work by trying each one on its own. Some apps block screenshots for security, such as banking apps and some streaming services. The capture will come out black, or the phone will show a message saying screenshots are not allowed. There is no setting that overrides this.

If a screenshot looks blurry, it may have been compressed by the app you sent it through. Messaging apps often shrink images, so send it as a file, or use email or a cloud link, when quality matters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do screenshots go on iPhone?

Screenshots save to the Photos app. Open Photos, go to Albums, scroll to Media Types, and tap Screenshots to see them all in one place.

How do I take a scrolling screenshot on Android?

After taking a normal screenshot, tap the "Capture more" button or the down arrow on the preview toolbar. This stitches a long page into one tall image. It works in most apps, including Chrome.

Can I take a screenshot in a banking app?

Usually not. Banking apps and some streaming apps block screenshots for security. The capture will come out black, or your phone will show a message saying screenshots are not allowed. This is normal and cannot be turned off.