Screenshot of the page on your phone. How to take a screenshot of the screen on your phone: methods and instructions
Taking screenshots is very convenient, and sometimes it just becomes necessary when working or communicating. However, this causes difficulties for some users due to the fact that no one wrote in the instructions for the phone how exactly this is done. Of course, the way to take a screenshot on a smartphone depends on the operating system. The most popular nowadays are:
- iOS from Apple;
- Android by Google;
- Windows Phone from Microsoft.
Screenshots on phone models with different OS
We'll talk about the features of screenshots of each of them below.
First, let's look at iOS from developers from Cupertino. If you want to take a screenshot on your iPhone, all you have to do is press the Home and Lock (Power) buttons at the same time. Your smartphone will “blink”, making it clear that the screen has been taken. You can find it directly in the “Camera Roll” album, where all the pictures you take are added.
With devices running Android, things are a little more interesting. Since Android itself is an open and flexible system, every developer did not fail to create a so-called shell that will allow the user to associate the OS with this particular brand of smartphone. From this it turns out that depending on what brand your device is, this will be the method of “photographing” the screen.
The most famous method among Android devices is to hold down the lock and volume down keys together. This combination is used in smartphones:
- SONY;
- HTC (some models may use a combination: “Home” and Power);
- Lenovo;
- Xiaomi;
- Motorola;
- Nexus (as you know, Nexus is produced by various companies).
If you use a Samsung device, then everything is as simple as on iOS: press the “Home” and lock (power) buttons at the same time. In newer versions of Samsung's TouchWiz shell, you can swipe the edge of your palm from edge to edge, as if you were wiping the screen. This function must be additionally enabled in the settings in the “Control” - “Palm Control” section.
If you are using an older version of Android (2.3 or lower), you can only take a photo of the screen using a third-party program; you will have to download it from the Google store.
You can find pictures taken on an Android smartphone in the Gallery, namely in the “Pictures” or “Screenshots” folders.
As for devices on Windows Phone, if you are using the eighth version of the OS, you need to press and hold the “Start” and lock buttons together. If you have 8.1, then you need to press the power and volume up buttons together. A new folder will be created in the Photos section of your Windows smartphone, so don't worry, you won't lose any photos from your screen.
As you can see, taking screenshots from your smartphone is quite simple. All you need is to know which method corresponds to which brand. Take screenshots, write comments and leave your opinion on which methods are more convenient for you personally.
Our article will tell you in detail how to take a screenshot on your phone. But first, let's figure out what this option is.
Screenshot is
By printscreen we mean a photo of the screen of the smartphone itself. The option is also possible on a PC or laptop. Those. this is a copy of the image that is on the gadget’s screen. It could be a painting, a photo of your desktop, an image of a frame from a cartoon or a movie.
Modern gadget developers have come up with this option so that device users can exchange information faster. The picture is used as an insert into a document or for sending via messenger. Using the appropriate program, you can draw additions on it, highlight important information, leave comments and explanations.
Below we will look at how to take a screenshot of the screen on your phone using standard methods.
Basic methods on how to take a screenshot on a smartphone
These methods are generally accepted. They work on all devices running on the Android system. Let's talk about everything in order.
Pressing buttons
A screenshot is taken by recording the pressing of two buttons at the same time. As you can see from the picture above, we are talking about “Power” and “Volume Down”. You will then see a sign at the top and hear a click that will take the photo. It will remain in your phone’s memory in the standard folder for pictures. You can go to it and look at the screen at any time, as well as send it to one of the other users if necessary.
This method is used on different models of smartphones from Honor, Huawei, Xiaomi and Samsung, as well as many others. We are talking about those variations of gadgets that operate on the Android OS. However, keep in mind that the version must be no lower than 4.0.
Often, the buttons on a smartphone stop functioning correctly as you use it. For this reason, it is not always possible to take a photo relying on this method. But do not think that from now on you are deprived of this privilege. There are other ways that will allow you to achieve the desired result.
Panel for quick smartphone settings
The screenshot option is available on Android phones on almost all models. It is located in the quick settings panel. It's worth getting access to it first. To do this, swipe your finger from top to bottom across the smartphone screen. Go to the "Quick Settings" button.
In this section, you can select the “Screenshot” option from the proposed list. Then click on the “Save” button. After this, the “Screenshot” button will appear. By clicking on it, the photo will be taken.
Root rights
A situation may also arise when a Samsung Galaxy smartphone or other models have Android version 2.3, or maybe even earlier, installed. To take a screenshot, you will need to have a “Root agreement”. Only then will you be able to install any of the applications on your gadget. Including, the option to make a print screen of the screen will appear.
If we talk about tablets with Android, then the picture is taken using an icon, it is provided in this version of the technology. If it is not there, then you can activate the print screen by pressing the “menu” and “lock screen” buttons. After this, a window will appear that will allow you to confirm this operation.
You will need to select a resolution and a copy, and then send them to the gallery for storage. This key combination varies on different models of gadgets. If you can’t take a photo, then the developers suggest using special programs for such cases.
Gestures
On phones from Samsung and other manufacturers there is a “photo” gesture option. This is a very convenient solution. Just remember that you need to enable it by going to the gadget settings. There the information will be presented to your attention.
The basic mechanism is that the owner of the device swipes his fingers across the screen. This method will be available on the latest device models that have appeared recently.
Ways to take a screenshot for different brands of smartphones
You can take screenshots on different mobile devices if you know certain proprietary methods. Let's talk about them in more detail right now.
Xiaomi
Models from Chinese manufacturers have an additional algorithm that makes it possible to take a screenshot if necessary. For these purposes, it is worth pressing simultaneously “volume down” and the keys in the menu, which are presented in the form of 3 stripes.
Samsung
On older models of smartphones from the South Korean manufacturer, you should hold down the “Home” and “Back” buttons for about 2 seconds to get a screenshot.
But if you have a model that went on sale later than 2014, then you should use the mentioned standard method, which was already discussed above in our article.
In the latest models from 2016, for example, Samsung J3, there is another method for taking a screenshot. It is worth clicking on “Home” and “Power” at the same time. At the same time, not some devices can enable 2 options, while on others only the last one can be enabled.
Huawei
On some devices from the Chinese manufacturer, holding down the “Power” button will bring up the menu. A key in the form of scissors will also appear in the list. It's called "Screenshot".
Screenshot Applications
We will look at the most popular applications that allow you to successfully take screenshots on Android devices. It should be noted that there will be no problems with completing this task. You can always download the application, especially since most of them are free.
ScreenshotUltimate app. Downloading does not require payment. This is an easy way to master screenwriting. The application allows you to capture the screen by clicking on a special icon. You can also do this by shaking, sliding your fingers across the screen, voice option, power button. You can edit the resulting image if necessary. Those. make an inscription, crop the picture.
Today there are tons of applications for this. Download them via
GooglePlay or NineStore. Pay attention to proven options. This is My Phone ExplorerGoogle Play, Ok Screenshot, and a lot of others.
Saving a screenshot: ways to solve problems
It is possible that you took a screenshot using one of the above methods, but you cannot save it in the gadget’s memory. This means that it is worth following certain decisions.
We advise you to first reboot your gadget. It is likely that this problem is the cause. You can also update all files downloaded on your phone. Also, after this you should reboot the entire device.
In the gallery, you can create a folder called screenshot. The problem may be that it is missing, and therefore saving the picture is not possible. The user will be able to insert a memory card into the device to further save pictures. This procedure is carried out using the existing settings. You can save pictures to an SD card.
It may also happen that all the space in your device is simply taken up. The size of the photo cannot end up in storage. In this case, it is important to clean the internal memory of the device and try again. It may also be that one of the keys on your phone that you press to take a screenshot has failed. In general, the best solution is to find the instructions and read them. This will solve the problem specifically with your gadget.
First, I’ll tell you about the standard features. The thing is that some smartphones have a screenshot-taking function out of the box.
- Android 3.2 and later - long press on the "Recent Programs" button.
- Android 4.0 - volume down button + Power button.
- Samsung Galaxy - Back + Home button (saved in the ScreenCapture folder).
- Samsung Galaxy S II - Home button + Lock (saved in the ScreenCapture folder).
- HTC Desire S - Power button + Home (saved in the photo folder).
- Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S - Volume Down + Power button.
If you have Root rights
Android smartphones are sold without Root rights, which means you do not have access to some hidden features on your phone. The average person doesn’t need them at all, but Root is needed, for example, to install custom firmware. We will talk about this later. Follow the Workshop blog to stay updated.
So, if you have already done Root, then you just need to download one of the many applications for taking screenshots on Google Play and everything will be fine.
For example:
Some of these apps supposedly don't require root access, but they do require connecting to your computer and rebooting. The latest program is even paid, but the developers promise that Root is not required. Once I was able to take a screenshot with its help, but a couple of times I wasn’t able to, so it doesn’t always work.
Universal method
And finally, a method that will allow you to take a screenshot on any device with Android OS. Yes, it is not too simple, but it works. I warn you right away, you will need a computer to work.
So, point by point:
We connect your phone to the computer using a USB cable and install the necessary drivers if they are not already installed on the system.
We download the SDK, but do not install it, but copy all the files and folders from the archive to some folder, for example, C:\SDK. The shorter the path to the folder, the easier it will be further. So, in this folder I had the folders “eclipse”, “sdk” and the “SDK Manager” application
Now, from the folder C:\SDK\sdk\platform-tools (or from where you created the folder in step 1) you need to copy the files “adb.exe”, “AdbWinApi.dll” and “fastboot.exe” to Windows\System32 . Copied? Let's move on to the next step.
Launch the command line. I hope that most users will not have problems with this, and if they do, the command line can always be found at Start - All Programs - Accessories (or System Tools) - Command Prompt. You can launch Start-Run, type “cmd.exe” there and press Enter. I think you succeeded and a black command line window opened on the screen.
Now we need to go to the command line to the folder where you put the SDK. To do this, you need to use the "cd" utility. For example, if we type “cd c:\”, we will go to the root of drive C. Then we type “cd SDK” and go to the folder with the SDK. Here you need to type “cd SDK” again, because we need exactly this subdirectory. And finally, we type “cd platform-tools” and get into the destination directory. If you copied the SDK not to C:\SDK, then you will have different commands; by analogy, it’s not difficult to guess what needs to be written.
Given the large number of different versions, builds and skins of Android, it is difficult to name a universal way to take a screenshot. If you don't find the right combination of buttons on your phone, you can download applications that can take a screenshot.
By default, to take a screen photo on Android, you need to hold down the power button and the volume down key. This is the most common method that works for almost all manufacturers.
But it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to take a screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy using this combination: phones and tablets from the South Korean company use other combinations:
- "Home" + power key.
- “Home” + “Back” button.
On the Samsung Galaxy, you can also take a photo of the screen by swiping the edge of your palm from one edge of the display to the other. To take screenshots using this gesture, you need to activate the corresponding function in the Samsung Galaxy settings in the Controls - Palm control - Screenshot section. 
In custom firmware and shells from different manufacturers, you can take a screenshot from the shutdown menu. Hold down the “Power” button until the window to turn off your mobile device appears. It will have an item with a name like “Take screenshot”, “Make a screenshot”, etc. 
Screenshots are saved in a separate folder in the gallery. Through the file manager, they can be found in the Pictures/ScreenCapture or Pictures/Screenshots directory.
If you can't take a screenshot on your Android phone or tablet because it's not clear what combination you need to use to take a screenshot, install an app on your device that offers to capture an image from your desktop. It’s easy to download programs that allow you to take a screenshot on your smartphone: go to the Play Market or Google Play and write the request “Screenshots” in the search bar. Such applications work the same on all devices, be it a Samsung Galaxy Chinese phone. Restrictions can only be based on the Android version. 
If you take a screenshot using the built-in tools, it will immediately be saved as a simple photo in the Android gallery, even if you have the latest sophisticated Samsung Galaxy. In the search results, you will see a huge number of applications that allow you not only to take a picture of the screen on a tablet or phone, but also to quickly edit the picture.
- Trim the excess in the photo;
- Blur the parts of the photo that you want to hide;
- Add text;
- Draw with a brush, add lines, arrows and other objects.
You really realize the convenience of the editing function when you need to screenshot some moment on the screen, and then highlight individual elements in the photo for another user. 
In addition, Android applications have settings that simplify the process of creating and sending a screenshot. In particular, in the Screenshot Easy application you can:
- Select a path for saving the photo in memory on your phone or tablet;
- Set the type of file name;
- Specify the desired image format (PNG, JPG);
- Enable date and time display, automatic rotation by the desired number of degrees, color switching, etc.
Many apps that allow you to take screenshots on Android have another useful feature - the ability to choose how you want to take a photo of the screen. For example, you can take a screenshot of Android by shaking the device or pressing the camera hardware button. It is important that most applications for taking screenshots on an Android smartphone can be downloaded for free.
Using Adb Run
If you need to take screenshots of the Android screen and immediately transfer them to your computer, you can use the Adb Run program to complete this task. You will need:
- A computer with Android drivers installed. Manufacturers have different drivers. If you have a Samsung phone, look for software for Samsung;
- Smartphone with USB debugging enabled;
- Cable for connecting a computer and a mobile device;
- Adb Run program.
You can take screenshots via Adb Run manually or automatically on any device (the method also works on Samsung Galaxy). Start with automatic mode, it's easier.
It would seem that the most banal and simplest action is taking screenshots on Android - but it raises questions for many. Especially if the user has just started working with an Android device, and jokes in chats, an epic moment in a game, a still from a TV series - all this just screams about the need to take a screenshot in Android, but how?
In most gadgets, you just need to press a certain key combination at the same time. Most often this is either the volume down key and the power button, or the home screen button and the power button. I suggest starting with this - simultaneously hold down the volume down and the power button to turn off the display.
The screenshot is accompanied by the sound of the camera shutter, and a confirmation that the screenshot has been saved will appear in the notification panel. You can find the screenshot in the gallery app of your Android device.
On some devices, a screenshot is taken in a different way: long press the power button and three options will appear in the dialog box: turn off the device, reboot, screenshot.
Some gadgets take screenshots in their own specific way, for example on
- Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note 2 take a screenshot using the S Pen.
- On some Samsung smartphones, you just need to click on the special virtual “Screenshot” button, located in the bottom menu along with “Back” and “Menu”. An Android screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy is taken either as described above, or the volume minus and power.
- In HTC gadgets there is a combination of the power button and the Home touch key.
- On Sony Xperia tablets and smartphones, you can take a screenshot by pressing the on/off key and volume or using the menu by long pressing the power key
- LG - also a keyboard shortcut or using the Quick Memo app
If you don’t know a way to take a screenshot on Android, believe me - above we described 99% of the options on how you can do this. Similar methods can be tried both for taking screenshots on an Android phone and on Android tablets - screenshots are taken there in the same way. Despite its apparent simplicity for many, there are people who face the problem of taking screenshots on their Android devices. Let's hope this article about taking a screenshot on Android 4, Android 4.1, Android 4.2, Android 4.4 and Android 5.0 will work for you.