How to take screenshots on Android devices

Android phones are preferred by a large sector of the global population. Studies say that Android holds about 87% of the global market shares. A lot of mobile production brands have risen in the past decade. Each one is unique from the others in its way.

Be it the pricing, the User Interface, or the physical appearance of the mobile itself. Every mobile brand has a unique UI, which aims to be user-friendly. This article is about the different methods of taking screenshots on android

How to take screenshots on Android:

With photos, you can even explain something over text instead of typing it and sending it to someone. After all, we all know photos speak better than words and share a bigger story. Different UIs have different appearances and ways of doing things, as is the way to take screenshots. 

Your power and volume-down buttons play an important role in this process. A single screen tap is enough to take a screenshot and share it on mobile phones designed by different companies like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, HTC, Motorola, Sony, LG, and a third-party app

The standard way to take an Android screenshot

The standard way to take a screenshot on Android (Google) phones is by pressing two buttons simultaneously.

  1.  In the latest mobiles launched powered by Google, you can usually take a screenshot by pressing the power and volume-down button.
Power and volume down
  1. If you use the first smartphone with the Android OS version, Frozen Yogurt (FroYo) 2.2 or older, press and hold the power and home buttons together.
  2. You can press and hold the power button in some mobiles, along with the shutdown and restart options. You might find a take screenshot button. 
  3. You can even take a screenshot with a voice command. If your mobile is Google Assistant-enabled, touch/press and hold the home button or Say Hey Google to bring the AI Google assistant up. Say “Take a Screenshot.”, once you see the throbbing microphone icon.
Voice command to take a screenshot
  1. If you want to take a picture of a frame in a video on your device, you do not need any buttons. You need to click on the scissor button to snap your display. 

When the screenshot is taken, you will see a white flash on the screen and a click sound. You can find the screenshots in the Screenshots folder in your device Gallery app or all your other photos in your Gallery. You can share these in many ways. 

1. Take screenshots on Samsung Android devices

There are five ways to capture a screenshot in the Samsung Galaxy mobile, which runs with the One UI.

The Bixby Screenshots

Bixby is the built-in AI assistant exclusive to flagship Samsung Galaxy mobiles. You have to activate the assistant with a “Hey Bixby” and ask it to take a screenshot, with a voice command like “Take a Screenshot” or any other similar command. You can also do this in the Bixby app.

Bixby screenshots

The Palm Swipe

On select Samsung Galaxy mobiles, you can capture the screen with a simple palm swipe. You have to enable this feature in the settings. This is how it is done. 

  1. Open the Settings app. 
  2. Locate the Advanced Features settings and touch it. 
  3. Search for the ‘Palm Swipe to Capture’ toggle switch button and turn it on. 
  4. Once this feature is enabled, try placing your palm on the phone’s vertical sides and wipe gently. The UI should take the screenshot. 

The S Pen Screenshot

If your device belongs to the Galaxy Note series, you will have a Stylus with the phone known as the S Pen. This pen is usually used to write or draw on the mobile.

You have to pull the pen out of its socket, and tap on Screen Write in the Air Command window. You will have to launch the Note Air Command, first, if it doesn’t open. Save the picture that is opened for editing. 

Smart Select

Smart Select is the feature that lets the user shoot a specific part of the screen. This feature needs to be enabled in the Edge Screen settings in the Display Options of the Mobile Settings. Then, Slide the Edge panel out, and touch Smart Select. You can select the part you want to screenshot and save it. 

Smart Capture

Smart Capture lets Samsung users take a long screenshot. You have to click a screenshot, tap on Screen Capture, and start scrolling down to take a long picture. 

2. Take screenshots on Xiaomi Android devices

There are a few ways to take screenshots in an MIUI based mobile. 

The Notification Bar

Pull down the notification bar and touch the screenshot icon to take a screenshot. 

Notification bar

Three Finger Swiping

You can also use 3 of your fingers to swipe on your phone screen. This will prompt the mobile to take a screenshot. 

Quick Ball

  1. Open Settings > Additional Settings > Quick Ball.
  2. Turn the Quick Ball toggle switch on.

Tap on the quick ball on the screen and tap on the Screenshot icon. 

3. How to take screenshots on Android: Huawei devices

There are 3 ways to capture a screenshot in Huawei mobiles.

screenshots on Android: Huawei devices

Notification Bar

You can pull the notification bar down and snap a screenshot, with the screenshot icon. 

Air Gestures

Go to your phone Settings > Accessibility Features > Shortcuts & Gestures > Air Gestures. Enable Grabshot. Place your hand about a foot from your phone and close your fist. This is a fun method to take a screenshot on your Huawei android device. 

Knocking the Display

Enter your phone Settings > Accessibility Features > Shortcuts & Gestures > Take Screenshot. Enable Knuckle Screenshots. Once this is enabled, you can knock twice on your mobile screen to take the screenshot. 

4. Take screenshots on Motorola Android devices

Motorola phones are quite simple. In all Motorola android phones, press the power and volume down buttons for a few seconds to click a screenshot.

5. Take screenshots on Sony Android devices

For the Sony UI, there is only one method. Press and hold the Power Button. A pop-up menu appears, from which you have to choose to Take Screenshot to do the obvious. 

6. Take screenshots on HTC Android devices

HTC hand-held phones let you snap screenshots in all the conventional methods. If your phone has edge features, you can enable the ‘Squeeze to take screenshot’ feature.

Launch your Settings > Edge Sense > Set Short Squeeze (if you want the screenshot to be taken at a short squeeze of 3 seconds) or Set Squeeze and Hold Action (if the screenshot has to be taken after a long squeeze). Once done, gently squeeze your device with your hand for a few seconds (or longer). 

7. Take screenshots on LG Android devices

Besides the usual ways for taking a screenshot on android phones, LG has a few other ways to do so. 

Quick Notes

The Quick Notes software lets you edit the screen and draw on it, after taking a screenshot. Turn on the Quick Notes from your Notification shade. Save the editable captured screen to get a screenshot. 

Capture+

This option is for the first LG smartphones. Pull the notification bar down and press the Capture+ icon. This lets you snap normal and long screenshots. 

Air Motion

In select LG devices, you can snap a screenshot by just putting all your fingers together in the shape of a cone and stretching them back again. 

Hand Gesture for android screenshots

This action is detected by the camera and the screen is captured and saved.  

8. Take screenshots on OnePlus Android devices

For Oxygen-based Oneplus phones, The power and volume down buttons technique do the trick. This UI also lets you take screenshots with the three-finger swipe.

This can be enabled with this method – Settings > Buttons & Gestures > Quick Gestures > Three-Finger Screenshot. Turn the toggle switch on. Now, you can swipe with three fingers to screenshot the display you want to capture. 

9. Take screenshots on Google Pixel and Nexus

Google Pixel and Nexus run with Google UI. Tap and hold the power and volume down buttons to capture a screen on the Google Pixel and Nexus mobile series android phones. 

10. Third-party apps

Taking a screenshot on android also has several third-party software that you can find on the Play Store on your Android device. You can download such software if you find holding your volume-down and power buttons for a few seconds to be uncomfortable or if the buttons are unresponsive on your android phone. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you screen capture on an Android 10 phone?

You can snap a screenshot by holding down both the volume down and power buttons at the same time. Android 11 and newer versions have the same issue.

Why can’t I take a screenshot on my Android 11?

Some Android 11 phones have moved the screenshot option to the App list. To take a screenshot, you’ll need to turn it on.