Ways to take screenshots on Android phones

Taking a screenshot of your smartphone is an essential part of using a smartphone. If you find something interesting while browsing Facebook , Youtube , TikTok or other social media apps . But if you have just switched from iPhone to Android, you may not know how to take a screenshot on Android.

The thing is, Android is used by a lot of different smartphone manufacturers as the operating system for their phones. And they often have different features that make their devices unique.

Also, the way to take a screenshot can vary between Android smartphones. For example, if you’re using a Samsung Galaxy Ultra with an S Pen, you can take it out and tap the Air command menu, then tap Screen write to take a screenshot. If you want to see some more detailed screenshot tips for different models and different ways to take a screenshot, scroll down below.

If you want to record Android screen video, read this article: Quality Android screen video recording applications

Table of Contents

• Use keyboard shortcuts to take Android screenshots
  • 1. The most basic and popular way to take photos today
  • 2. Take a screenshot on Samsung phone
  • 3. Take screenshot of Xiaomi phone
  • 4. Take screenshots of Oppo phones
  • 5. Take a screenshot of Huawei phone
  • 6. Realme
  • 7. Vivo
• Ask Google Assistant to take a screenshot
• Use a third-party app to take screenshots
• How to fix screenshot feature on Android phone not working
  • Some common situations with the screenshot feature on Android
  • Causes of the error of not being able to take screenshots
  • How to fix 

Use keyboard shortcuts to take Android screenshots

1. The most basic and popular way to take photos today

The traditional way to take a screenshot on many Android smartphones today is to simply press and hold the power button and the volume down button at the same time. If you see the screen flash and the screenshot is recorded, then you have taken a screenshot.

This screenshot method will work on most current Android devices, including Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Huawei, Vivo smartphones...

The time it takes to take a screenshot with these buttons can vary, for example with some smartphones you can take a screenshot by pressing and releasing these two buttons quickly together. But some models require you to hold the buttons together for 1 second or more to take a screenshot.

Of course, if you can take a screenshot, you will see a notification that you have successfully taken a screenshot, along with the sound of the screenshot.

Another way to take a screenshot of your Android device using the power button is to simply press and hold the power button until you see a menu appear with options like Restart, Power off and Take a screenshot . Now you just need to select the Take a screenshot option.

Additionally, if you have voice control enabled, your phone's digital assistant can take a screenshot if you ask it to. For example, say “Hey Google, take a screenshot” and the assistant will do so.

2. Take a screenshot on Samsung phone

2.1. Devices with physical Home button

For many high-end Samsung phones that have a physical Home button, you can press the Home button and the Power button , or most of the time the Power button and the Volume Down button, to take a screenshot. You just need to press these two buttons at the same time to take a screenshot of your Samsung phone. The capture method can vary, such as pressing and holding, or pressing and releasing at the same time.

2.2. Devices with S Pen

On devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note or Samsung Galaxy Ultra (S22 and above), you can use the S Pen to take screenshots.

On Samsung devices with an S Pen (like the Galaxy Note), you can use the S Pen to take a screenshot. Just hold down the S Pen button and touch the tip of the pen to the screen until you take a screenshot.

Once you take a screenshot, it will open for you to edit. Remember to save your image after editing.

Step by step instructions:

Method 1: Using Air Command

• Step 1: Remove the S Pen from the phone.
• B2: On the screen, draw a line from the top right edge to the bottom left edge of the screen to open Air Command.
• B3: Click on the Screen Write icon.
• B4: The screen will flash and the screenshot will be saved to the photo library.

Method 2: Using gestures

• Step 1: Remove the S Pen from the phone.
• B2: Press and hold the button on the S Pen for about two seconds.
• B3: Move the S Pen up on the screen to take a screenshot.
• B4: The screen will flash and the screenshot will be saved to the photo library.

3. Take screenshot of Xiaomi phone

To take a screenshot on a Xiaomi phone using physical keys, do the following:

• B1: Press the power button and the volume down button at the same time.
• B2: The screen will flash and the screenshot will be saved to the photo library.

Note:

• This method applies to all Xiaomi phones.
• The screenshot will be saved in PNG format and the size will depend on the resolution of the phone you are using.

The screenshot will be saved in your photo library, in an album called Screenshots .

4. Take screenshots of Oppo phones

Similar to Xiaomi smartphones, you can also take screenshots on Oppo phones using physical keys. Just press the power button and the volume down button at the same time, the screen will flash and your screenshot will be saved to the photo library afterwards. Note that you can apply this method to all Oppo smartphones.

5. Take a screenshot of Huawei phone

The same goes for Huawei screenshots, you just need to press and hold the volume down key at the same time as the power key to save the screenshot. With some Huawei smartphone models, you just need to press the two keys at the same time without holding down to save your screenshot on your Huawei phone.

6. Realme

Realme also, you select the screen or application you want to screenshot. Then use the Power and Volume Down buttons for a few seconds. The screen will automatically capture and save the image to your Screenshots or Photos folder.

7. Vivo

Method 1: Using Hardware Keys:

1. Step 1: Select the screen or application you want to take a screenshot of.
2. Step 2: Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time for a few seconds. The screen will automatically capture and save the image to your Photos or Screenshots folder.

Method 2: Using the Slide Capture Feature:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Find and select Advanced settings.
3. Select the Phase Capture (S-capture) feature.
4. Turn on the Capture Phase feature (Slide three fingers down).
5. Drag three fingers down from the top of the screen. The device will automatically take a screenshot.

Method 3: Using the Screenshot Icon in the Notification Bar:

1. Drag down from the top of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. In the notification bar, you will see the screenshot icon (a camera icon). Tap this icon to take a screenshot.

After taking a screenshot, you can find the image in the Pictures or Captured Screen folder, depending on the default settings of your Vivo phone.

Ask Google Assistant to take a screenshot

You can take a screenshot on your Android device hands-free by asking Google Assistant to do it for you. Just say "Hey Google" to activate Assistant, then say "Take a screenshot" to take a shot. This is useful when you're cooking or eating while watching YouTube.

If you're trying to take a screenshot on a Samsung phone, you might prefer using Bixby over Google Assistant. Some users have complained that Google Assistant doesn't save screenshots to the gallery on Samsung phones and instead just lets you share them right away; Bixby doesn't have this problem.

Use a third-party app to take screenshots

If none of the methods seem to work on your device, your last resort is to download a third-party app through the Play Store. Their basic functionality will be the same as the default method, but sometimes third-party apps offer some cool extra features that aren’t available.

One such app is Screenshot Easy, which allows taking screenshots using the screen overlay button, the notification bar button, by shaking the device, or via widget.

There are also some great post-capture options. You can crop screenshots, convert them to ZIP files, edit colors, and include time and date stamps. You can save images in PNG or JPG format. The app also has screen recording capabilities, including support for scrolling screenshots.

• Download Screenshot Easy (Free)

As long as you're running a fairly recent version of Android, your device can take screenshots without a third-party app, but you might still want to consider installing one if you're running an older version. For most people, however, the fastest way to take a screenshot on Android is to use your device's physical buttons.

How to fix screenshot feature on Android phone not working

Perhaps there is no need to say more about the necessity of the screenshot feature on electronic devices in general and smartphones in particular. It allows you to save all content that appears on the screen as an image for storage and use when necessary.

Because of this importance, a malfunction of the screenshot feature can be a big inconvenience, although it rarely happens. In such situations, what should you do? Try some of the measures below.

Some common situations with the screenshot feature on Android

When the screenshot function on your Android phone or tablet is not working, it may happen in the following situations:

• You see error messages, such as "Unable to take screenshot due to security policy" or "Unable to take screenshot due to limited storage space."
• You use a physical gesture to take a screenshot (swipe or press a key combination), but the image is not captured.
• You use Google Assistant to command to take a screenshot, but it doesn't work.

Causes of the error of not being able to take screenshots

This problem can come in many forms, but it’s generally caused by software issues. For example, if your phone was issued by an organization, it may have certain restrictions, such as not allowing screenshots. Another cause is Chrome’s Incognito Mode, which doesn’t allow screenshots.

Additionally, the problem could also be caused by hardware factors such as a broken button or low memory.

How to fix

As mentioned, there are many causes for this problem, so the solution should be applied flexibly. You can try some of the following measures:

• If your device was issued by an agency or organization, first ask if the device has been locked from taking screenshots. If so, the measures to remove it will be up to the device owner.
• Uninstall recently installed applications. If you have recently installed one or more applications and the screenshot feature suddenly stops working, there may be a software conflict. Uninstall those applications and check the screenshot feature on your system again.
• Turn off Chrome's incognito mode before you can take screenshots in the browser.
• Use a combination of different methods to take a screenshot. Such as pressing a combination of keys on your device, using the screen swipe function, or giving commands to Google Assistant.
• Check the available memory capacity of your device.
• As a last resort, try to restore the factory settings on the phone, if the problem lies in the system software, Rom version...

See more articles below:

• How to take screenshot on LG G3 phone

• 2 ways to take screenshots on iPhone, iPad

• Instructions on how to take screenshots on Asus Zenfone

Good luck!