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Universal Method: Power + Volume Down
This works on every Android phone regardless of brand. Press the Power button and Volume Down button at the same time and hold both for about one second. The screen flashes, you hear a shutter sound (if not muted), and a screenshot thumbnail appears in the bottom corner. Tap the thumbnail to edit or share immediately, or let it disappear and find the screenshot in your gallery.
The timing takes a little practice. Press both buttons simultaneously – if you press Power first, the screen turns off. If you press Volume Down first, the volume slider appears. Pressing both at the exact same moment captures the screenshot. On phones with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor combined with the power button, press the fingerprint/power button and volume down together.
Google Pixel Screenshots
Pixel phones support the universal Power + Volume Down method, plus two additional options.
Back tap gesture: Go to Settings, then System, then Gestures, then Quick Tap. Enable it and set the action to “Take screenshot.” Double-tap the back of your Pixel to capture a screenshot. This is the fastest method once you get used to it – no button fumbling required.
Assistant screenshot: Say “Hey Google, take a screenshot.” Google Assistant captures whatever is on screen and gives you sharing options immediately. Useful when your hands are full or the phone is mounted in a car holder.
Samsung Galaxy Screenshots
Samsung phones offer the most screenshot options of any Android brand.
Button combo: Press Power + Volume Down simultaneously (same universal method).
Palm swipe: Swipe the edge of your hand across the screen from right to left (or left to right). Enable this in Settings, then Advanced Features, then Motions and Gestures, then “Palm swipe to capture.” This is Samsung’s signature screenshot method and works well once you learn the motion – a firm, flat palm edge across the screen.
Bixby voice: Say “Hi Bixby, take a screenshot.” Works hands-free.
Smart Select (S Pen): On Galaxy Note and S Ultra models with an S Pen, pull out the S Pen and select “Smart Select” from the Air Command menu. Draw a rectangle, oval, or freeform shape around exactly what you want to capture. This is the most precise screenshot method on any phone.
OnePlus Screenshots
Three-finger swipe: Swipe down on the screen with three fingers simultaneously. Enable this in Settings, then Buttons & Gestures (or System Settings, then Gestures). It’s fast and intuitive once muscle memory kicks in.
Button combo: Power + Volume Down (universal method).
Xiaomi / Redmi Screenshots
Three-finger swipe down: Same gesture as OnePlus. Swipe down with three fingers. Enabled by default on most Xiaomi and Redmi phones.
Notification shade shortcut: Pull down the notification shade and tap the “Screenshot” tile in Quick Settings. If it’s not visible, edit your Quick Settings tiles to add it.
Button combo: Power + Volume Down (universal method).
How to Take a Scrolling Screenshot
A scrolling screenshot captures an entire webpage, long conversation, or any content that extends beyond what’s visible on screen. Most Android phones running Android 12 or later support this natively.
- Take a regular screenshot using any method above.
- When the screenshot preview appears, look for a “Capture more” or “Scroll capture” button (the exact label varies by brand).
- Tap it. The phone scrolls down and extends the screenshot.
- Keep tapping “Capture more” to scroll further, or tap “Save” when you’ve captured enough.
On Samsung phones, this button is labeled “Scroll capture” with a downward arrow icon. On Pixel phones, it says “Capture more.” On OnePlus, it’s “Expanded screenshot.” The resulting image is a single tall file that includes everything you scrolled through.
Scrolling screenshots work in most apps – browsers, social media, messaging, settings menus. Some apps with custom scroll implementations (like certain games or banking apps) may not support it.
How to Screen Record on Android
Every Android phone running Android 11 or later has a built-in screen recorder.
- Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open the full Quick Settings panel.
- Find and tap “Screen Recorder” (you may need to swipe sideways through the tiles or edit your Quick Settings to add it).
- Choose whether to record audio (no audio, media sounds only, or media sounds and microphone).
- Tap “Start.” A 3-second countdown begins.
- Record your screen. A recording indicator appears in the status bar.
- To stop, pull down the notification shade and tap “Stop” on the screen recorder notification.
- The recording saves to your gallery in the “Screen recordings” folder.
Where Are Screenshots Saved?
Screenshots save to your phone’s internal storage in the DCIM/Screenshots or Pictures/Screenshots folder. Open your Gallery or Google Photos app and look for a “Screenshots” album. From there you can share, edit, delete, or move them.
If you have Google Photos backup enabled, screenshots sync to the cloud automatically. To stop screenshots from backing up (to save cloud storage), open Google Photos, go to Settings, then Backup, then “Back up device folders,” and toggle off the Screenshots folder.
Why doesn’t the screenshot shortcut work?
Some apps block screenshots for security reasons – banking apps, DRM-protected content (Netflix video), and some work apps disable screen capture. When blocked, you see an error message or the screenshot saves as a black image. There’s no workaround on non-rooted phones – the app developer controls this. The screenshot buttons still work, but the app prevents the capture from containing its content.
If your power or volume buttons are broken, use these alternatives: Google Assistant (“Hey Google, take a screenshot”), the Quick Settings screenshot tile (pull down notification shade and tap Screenshot), three-finger swipe gestures (if your phone supports them), or an accessibility shortcut (Settings, then Accessibility, then Accessibility Menu, enable it, then tap the floating menu icon and select Screenshot).
Can I annotate screenshots on Android?
Yes. When the screenshot thumbnail appears after capturing, tap “Edit” (or the pencil icon). The built-in editor lets you crop, draw, add text, highlight areas, and blur sensitive information. Google Photos also has a Markup editor for screenshots saved to your gallery. For more advanced annotation (arrows, numbered callouts, boxes), apps like Markup Hero or Skitch add those tools.
See also: How to Screenshot on Dell Laptop, How to Screenshot on MacBook Pro, Screenshot on Windows Desktop
Sources
Google – Take a Screenshot | Samsung – Samsung Support
