Gone are the days when a third-party app was necessary to take a screenshot on Android devices. You can now find multiple ways to take a screenshot incorporated into Android on all phones, including the best Android phones. Besides the methods baked into Android, phone manufacturers add other ways to take screenshots in their Android skins. Let's look at the different ways to take a screenshot on most Android phones.
How to take a screenshot on most Android phones and tablets
On most Android devices, you can take a screenshot by pressing the Volume down and Power buttons at the same time for a second or two. You will hear a shutter sound and a visual confirmation that you took a screenshot. Often, a floating toolbar shows up at the bottom of the screen where you can edit, share, or delete the screenshot.
On recent versions of Samsung, OnePlus, and other Android phones, you can take a long or scrolling screenshot. This is useful if you want to capture a list or a web page that won't fit in a normal screenshot. It also eliminates the need to take multiple screenshots to capture everything.
To take a scrolling screenshot, first, take a regular screenshot. Then, tap the Capture more button from the floating toolbar that shows up at the bottom. Depending on your device, you may have the option to select the starting point of the screenshot.
How to take a screenshot using Google Assistant
Google Assistant is a useful tool available on all Android devices. Google Assistant can do all kinds of useful things, and taking a screenshot is a task it's useful for. To take a screenshot, activate Google Assistantand ask it to take a screenshot.
After you take the screenshot, a notification appears that lets you know your screenshot was successful. The notification also has buttons to share, edit, or delete the screenshot. Google Assistant may take some time to think, so use another method for taking a time-sensitive screenshot.
Although most Android phones support one of the methods above for screenshotting, most manufacturers offer an additional method. Since these are quite different by device, here's an up-to-date list with directions most of the major brands sold in the US and Europe.
How to take a screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone
Samsung phones have lots of useful features thanks to One UI. The ability to take a quick screenshot by swiping your palm across your phone's display, however, is beloved by many Samsung users. If you're unfamiliar with taking a screenshot with a palm swipe, it's worth mentioning that it may take some practice before you can activate it. When using this gesture, make sure you have a secure grip on your phone because trying this on a table or without a good grip may push the phone away. This gesture requires you to touch the screen, so make sure your palm makes good contact with the screen and drags across it.
To enable or disable this gesture on your Samsung phone, go to Settings > Advanced features > Motions and gestures and toggle the Palm swipe to capture option.
How to take a screenshot on a Google Pixel phone
Even though Google makes Android, it gives its Google Pixel users a unique option to grab a screenshot. To use the exclusive feature, open the page you'd like to screencap and drag your finger up from the bottom of the screen. When the Recent Apps menu appears, you can tap the Screenshot icon.
To get to the app overview page if you're using gesture navigation, swipe up and hold. If you're using button navigation, click the square button.
You don't need to change any settings for this to work since it's a feature of the Google Pixel Android skin. This won't work for all apps, such as apps with sensitive data like a password manager. If you attempt to use it, a message pops up saying, "Disabled by your admin."
How to take a screenshot on a Xiaomi phone
Xiaomi offers a handy three-finger gesture to take a screenshot in MIUI. The same gesture is also available on Poco phones since they run on MIUI.
To take a screenshot, swipe down on the display using three fingers. You can customize this gesture from Settings > Additional settings > Button shortcuts > Take a screenshot and assign it to a long press of the Home, Menu, or Back button.
How to take a screenshot on a Motorola phone
Motorola includes a couple of different ways to take a screenshot, combining the methodologies used by Pixels and Xiaomi phones. Like Pixels, if you go to the app overview screen by swiping up and holding or pressing the square button, you'll see a Screenshot button at the bottom. Tap the icon and your phone takes a screenshot.
You can also use the Xiaomi method and use a three-finger swipe. To turn on this feature, go to Settings > Display > Advanced and toggle the Three-finger screenshot option. Once this is on, you can swipe down from the top of your screen with three fingers to take a screenshot.
How to take a screenshot on a OnePlus phone
OnePlus phones use the same gesture as Xiaomi and Motorola phones to take a screenshot by using a three-finger swipe. To activate, swipe down from the top of your screen with three fingers and your device will take a screenshot. After that, you can edit or share the screenshot or take a long/scrolling screenshot if you wish.
If the gesture does not work when you try it, make sure it's enabled by going to Settings > Buttons & gestures > Quick gestures.
Hit me with your best screenshot
Taking a screenshot on an Android phone is pretty easy. There are a couple of methods that work across all Android phones, and each manufacturer includes at least one other way to take a screenshot. If you're wondering how to take a screenshot on an iPhone, iPad, or any operating system, we have a guide to help you out.