How to Take a Screenshot on an iPhone (Any Generation)
The short answer is: Press the Home and Lock buttons on your phone at the same time to capture a screenshot. Unless you have an iPhone X or later, in which case it’s the Lock and Volume up buttons. For a more in-depth explanation on how to take a screenshot on an iPhone and an alternative method, read on.
Apple has made taking a screenshot on your iPhone easy. Doing so allows you to capture what is displayed on your screen as a PNG file, so you can quickly edit and share the image among friends via email, text, or on popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Hell, you can even send screenshots to tech support for further analysis, or use them to make a guide rounding up various Pokemon Go tips and tricks. Regardless of the reasoning, here is everything you need to know.
Step 1: Locate the necessary buttons — You will want to locate the Home button and the Lock button on your iPhone. Chances are, you probably know where these are because they’re literally the only physical buttons on the phone that aren’t the volume keys. If not, don’t sweat it. The Home button is circular and appears on the face of the phone, directly below the screen. The Home button has occupied the same real estate on every model of iPhone, except for the iPhone X. The Lock button — also known as the Sleep/Wake button — is located on the right-hand side of your phone, at least if you’re using an iPhone 6 or newer. Otherwise, it’s located on the top of your device.
If you have an iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR, then you will want to press the Lock (Sleep/Wake) button on the right side and the Volume up button on the left side. Step 2: Capture the screenshot — Press the Home and Lock buttons at the same time when you see what you want to capture (or the Volume up and Lock buttons on the iPhone X or later). The iPhone display will then briefly flash white, signaling that the screen capture worked correctly. You will also hear a faint shutter noise, so long as your device isn’t in silent mode. If you press the Lock button a fraction of a second before the Home button, your iPhone’s screen will turn off. If you press and hold the Home button for too long, then you will activate Siri. Timing is everything here, so if this is your first rodeo you may have to try it a couple of times to get the timing right.
Step 3: Edit the screenshots — Once you successfully capture the screenshot, a small preview appears in the bottom-left corner of your screen. This preview will automatically disappear in about five seconds, but you can also swipe it to the left to dismiss it. Tapping the thumbnail will allow you to crop or magnify the image, or mark it up with a pen and various shapes. When you’re finished making edits, tap Done in the upper-left corner, and choose whether you would like to Save to Photos or Delete Screenshot.
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Step 4: View and share the screenshots — Once captured, your iPhone will automatically save the screen capture directly to the camera roll (aka the Photos app). Simply tap the Photos app, which is represented by a multi-colored sunflower icon of sorts, and scroll to the bottom of the photo stream to view the recently captured screenshots. Then, tap the thumbnail to enlarge images, or the box in the lower-left corner while viewing the image to access options for sharing the screenshot via text, email, AirDrop, Facebook, Twitter, and other services.
Taking screenshots with AssistiveTouch
Step 1: Turn on AssistiveTouch — AssistiveTouch allows the user to perform more complex touch-based tactics on the iPhone — like pinching, multi-finger swiping, or activating 3D Touch — through a simple menu that is just a few taps away. First, navigate to the Settings app and select General, then, tap Accessibility and toggle AssistiveTouch on.
Step 2: Bring up the AssistiveTouch menu —Once on, a gray shape will appear your screen, one that resembles a series of faded, concentric circles inside a box. This is the AssistiveTouch menu. You can press and hold the icon to drag it around the screen, and it will persist until you turn AssistiveTouch back off. Once you have landed on a screen you want to capture, tap the aforementioned icon.
Step 2: Capture the screenshot — The AssistiveTouch menu includes an array of different options. To capture a screenshot, select the Device icon with iPhone silhouette on the right-hand side of the menu. From the Device screen, you can adjust volume, rotate the screen, or lock it. To take a screenshot, select More and tap the Screenshot option on the right-hand side of the resulting menu. Your iPhone display will then briefly flash white, signaling that the screen capture worked correctly. You will also hear a faint shutter noise, so long as your device isn’t in silent mode.
Step 3: View and share the screenshots — Once captured, your iPhone will automatically save the screen capture directly to the camera roll (aka the Photos app). Simply tap the Photos app, which is represented by a multi-colored sunflower icon of sorts, and scroll to the bottom of the photo stream to view the recently captured screenshots. Then, tap the thumbnail to enlarge an image, or the box in the lower-left corner while viewing the image to access options for sharing the screenshot via text, email, AirDrop, Facebook, Twitter, and other services.
Did you know that you can use button combinations to restore your iPhone? Check out our guide to learn how. If you’re new to iOS, there are even more iOS tips and tricks to help you master your iPhone.
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