How to Take a Screenshot on Any Device: Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
The quickest ways to take a screenshot on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android, plus how to capture part of the screen and find your screenshots.
A screenshot is a picture of whatever is on your screen. Screenshots are handy for saving a confirmation page, showing someone an error message, or keeping a copy of a ticket. Here's how to take one on every common device.
Windows 10 and 11
- Capture part of the screen: press Windows + Shift + S. The screen dims; drag a box around what you want. The image is copied, so you can paste it into an email or document with Ctrl + V. A notification also lets you open it in the Snipping Tool to annotate and save it.
- Capture the whole screen and save it: press Windows + Print Screen. The screen flashes and the image is saved in Pictures > Screenshots.
- Just the window you're using: press Alt + Print Screen, then paste it.
On some laptops the Print Screen key is labelled PrtSc and you may need to hold the Fn key too.
Mac
- Whole screen: Shift + Command + 3
- Part of the screen: Shift + Command + 4, then drag
- More options, including screen recording: Shift + Command + 5
Screenshots are saved to your Desktop by default.
iPhone and iPad
- iPhones with Face ID: press the side button and volume up at the same time, then let go quickly.
- iPhones with a Home button: press the side (or top) button and the Home button together.
A thumbnail appears in the corner. Tap it to draw on or crop the screenshot, or choose Full Page to capture a whole web page in Safari. Screenshots are saved in the Photos app.
Android
On most Android phones, press power and volume down together. Many phones also let you swipe down from the top and tap a Screenshot button, and Samsung phones offer a palm-swipe gesture. Look for Scroll capture or Capture more to grab a long page. Screenshots are saved in your Photos or Gallery app.
Recording your screen
Sometimes a short video explains a problem better than a picture. iPhone, Android, Mac and Windows all have a built-in screen recorder. On iPhone, add Screen Recording to Control Centre. On Windows 11, the Snipping Tool has a record option.