Taking a screenshot on your Samsung phone can be super handy. Maybe you’ve just paid for something online and want to save your order details? Or you’ve been tagged in an Insta photo that you want to store on your device?
Whatever the reason, we’ll teach you how to screenshot on Samsung phones using a few different methods. Whether you’re rocking a trusty Samsung Galaxy S21, a brand-spanking-new S23 Ultra, or even a Samsung tablet.
6 ways to take a screenshot on Samsung phones
There are a few ways to capture a screenshot on your Samsung Galaxy phone. So, try each of our methods below to find out which one you like the most.
1. Press the power and volume down buttons
This method should work for almost any Samsung device. And in fact, most Android smartphones and tablets as well. It’s arguably the fastest way to take a screenshot on a Samsung phone.
Just hold down the power and volume down buttons together for a second, and your screen should flash white and you’ll hear a shutter sound effect too. This indicates that the screenshot has been taken and is then saved to your phone or tablet’s Gallery app.
Tech tip: The position of the power and volume down buttons on Samsung and Android gadgets can vary, so check where yours are located first. Some older Samsung tablets also have home buttons. For those devices, just press and hold the power and home buttons at the same time to take a screenshot.
2. Use the Palm Swipe gesture
If your Samsung phone is quite big, using the side buttons to take a screenshot can feel a bit awkward. Instead, try using the Palm Swipe gesture. All you’ll have to do is swipe the side of your hand across your phone or tablet’s screen from left-to-right (or vice versa) and it’ll take a screenshot.
Admittedly, it can take a few tries to get it right. But it’s a pretty cool and quick way of capturing your screen — and it’ll make you feel like a magician! The Palm Swipe gesture isn’t a standard feature though, so you’ll have to head to your Settings app to turn it on. Just tap on ‘Advanced features’ > ‘Motions and gestures’ > then slide the ‘Palm swipe to capture’ toggle to the on position.
3. Use Bixby or Google Assistant voice command
Now we’re getting to the really clever stuff. You can even ask your Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet to take a screenshot if it has Bixby built in. Just open the screen you want to capture and say: “Hey Bixby, take a screenshot”. Then it’ll save your screenshot in the Gallery app.
Bixby is Samsung’s own voice recognition tech, but all Android gadgets come with Google Assistant too. If you want to use this on your Samsung device, just say: “Hey Google, take a screenshot” instead.
4. Use the Smart Select tool
It makes loads of sense to use the Edge Panel feature on your Samsung phone. This gives you access to some really neat shortcuts, including a Smart Select tool that lets you take partial screenshots. But before we get into using that, you’ll need to enable the Edge Panel first.
Just open the Settings app > tap on ‘Display’ > then select ‘Edge panels’ and make sure it's switched on. After that, click on ‘Panels’ and tick the ‘Smart select’ option. Now, you'll be able to open the 'Smart select' panel on any screen by swiping your thumb from the right of your screen.
Select either the square or oval shape, then drag your finger over the area you want to capture. Select ‘Done’ when you're happy, then tap the save icon. And your screenshot will be stored in your Gallery.
5. Use the S Pen
Some Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets come with a nifty S Pen stylus. This lets you sketch and scribble down ideas whenever inspiration strikes. But you can use it to do a few more cool things too, like take a screenshot.
Just tap on the Air Command menu with your S Pen. Then select the ‘Screen write’ option, which will take a full screenshot. After that, you can edit it with a few tools and just tap on the save icon when you’re done.
6. Use Scroll Capture
Last, but not least — you can use Scroll Capture to take a screenshot. This method captures an entire page rather than what you can just see on your screen (i.e. any page that requires you to scroll). So, there’ll be no need to take loads of separate screenshots if you want to capture a long web page.
To use Scroll Capture, just take a standard Samsung screenshot. Such as by holding down the power and volume down buttons simultaneously. Once you’ve taken your screenshot, a toolbar will appear at the bottom of your screen with a few options. Tap on the Scroll Capture icon (two downward arrows in a square) to capture more content on the page. Simple.
FAQs
Why can't I take a screenshot on my Samsung?
As we’ve explained, there are several ways to take a screenshot on your Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet. But if none of those methods work, it probably means that your device’s internal memory is full and can’t store a screenshot. Use the Settings app to check your device’s memory and delete any unused apps or old photos to make space for your screenshot(s).
How do you screenshot on a Samsung without the home button?
Older Samsung mobile phones and tablets featured a home button that let you quickly return to your home screen. Newer Galaxy gadgets don’t feature physical home buttons anymore. So, you can just press the power and volume down buttons on the side of your device to take a screenshot instead.
How do I access my screenshots on Samsung?
You can view any screenshot you’ve taken in the Gallery app on your Samsung Galaxy device. Once you’ve opened it, tap on ‘Albums’ from the menu. You’ll then see a ‘Screenshots’ folder containing all your screenshots. And they can be freely edited just like with any other photo, letting you crop and adjust their colour settings.
Any more questions?
Now that you know how to take a screenshot on Samsung phones and tablets, why not learn even more? Check out our guide on how to find a lost or stolen Samsung phone. Or find out how to transfer data from iPhone to Samsung Galaxy if you’ve recently made the switch.