How to take screenshots on your Android phone [Updated October 2020]

[Karlston]

How to take screenshots on your Android phone

A quick way to take photos of your display 

If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Part of The Verge guide to Android

 

Screenshots are handy. You can use them to show your grandparent how to use a new app. You can use them to send a shot of that strange error message to your company’s IT department. You can use them to capture tweets — yours or someone else’s — before they disappear down the deletion black hole.

 

Methods to take screenshots can differ depending on the version of Android your phone is running, and also on who manufactured your phone. In this case, we used a Pixel 3 phone to create screenshots using Android 11, and an original Pixel to create screenshots with Android 10.

Take screenshots with Android 11

• Hold down the power button and press the volume-down button. Or...
• Use the multitasking pane, which shows all your current apps, to reveal the Screenshot button. (Note: you won’t see the button if you’re using 2-button navigation. For more information on switching navigation methods, check our explanation here.) Tap the button to take a screenshot of the visible page.
• Either way, the screenshot will appear as a thumbnail in the lower left corner. Tap on the thumbnail to edit it, share it, or delete it.

In Android 11, you can tap on the Screenshot button.

Tap on the screenshot’s thumbnail to edit or share it.

Take screenshots with Android 10

• Press and hold the power button. You’ll get a pop-out window on the right side of your screen with icons that let you power off, restart, call an emergency number, or take a screenshot. Or...
• Hold down the power button and press the volume-down button.

Hold in the power button and tap on “Screenshot.”

After the screenshot is saved, you’ll have a chance to edit or share it.

• After you’ve taken the screenshot, it will briefly appear as a smaller version and then disappear. A notification will appear at the top of your screen letting you know that the screenshot is being saved, and then, in a few seconds, it will be replaced by a drop-down that, if you tap it, will let you share or delete the screenshot or make some basic edits. That drop-down will also disappear after a few seconds, but if you check your top left notifications bar, you’ll find one for that screenshot.

If you miss the share / edit / delete drop-down, you can find the new screenshot in your notifications.

Android lets you do some basic photo editing.

Some Android phones (for example, certain Samsung and Huawei phones) let you take “long” screenshots, where you can scroll the screen down and capture the entire page. Check your phone’s support pages if you think you might have that. It can be handy.

Find your screenshots

If you want to find all your past screenshots, and you’re using Android 10 or earlier:

• Go to your Photos app
• Tap on the three parallel lines in the top left corner
• Select “Device folders” > “Screenshots”

If you want to find all your past screenshots, and you’re using Android 11:

• Go to your Photos app
• Tap on “Library” in the lower right corner
• Under the category “Photos on device” you should see one icon with the word “Screenshots” under it. Tap on that.

 

Update October 1st, 2020, 11:45AM ET: This article was originally published on July 27th, 2020, and has been updated to include directions for Android 11.

 

 

How to take screenshots on your Android phone