How to Take a Screenshot on Any Device

A screenshot is a picture of whatever is currently showing on your screen. Screenshots are useful for saving information, sharing what you see with someone else, documenting an error message, or keeping a record of a confirmation page.

Every device has a built-in way to take screenshots. Here is how to do it on each one.

iPhone (with Face ID — iPhone X and later): Press the Side button and Volume Up button at the same time. You will see a flash and hear a camera click sound (if your phone is not on silent). A small preview appears in the bottom-left corner. Tap it to edit, or swipe it away to save it to your Photos app.

iPhone (with Home button — iPhone 8 and earlier): Press the Home button and Side button at the same time.

Android: Press the Power button and Volume Down button at the same time. Hold both for about one second. The screen flashes and the screenshot saves to your Photos or Gallery app. On some Samsung phones, you can also swipe the edge of your hand across the screen to capture.

Windows: Press the Windows key + Shift + S. A toolbar appears at the top of the screen letting you select what to capture — the whole screen, a rectangle, or a freeform shape. The screenshot copies to your clipboard so you can paste it, and also saves as a notification you can click to edit.

Mac: Press Command + Shift + 3 to capture the entire screen. Press Command + Shift + 4 to select a specific area with your cursor. Press Command + Shift + 5 to open a screenshot toolbar with more options. Screenshots save to your Desktop by default.

Chromebook: Press Ctrl + Show Windows (the rectangle with two lines, above the 6 key). For a partial screenshot, press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows, then drag to select an area.

All screenshots are saved as image files that you can share by text, email, or any other method you use to send photos.