The basic method: buttons or gestures
The way you take a screenshot on a tablet depends on what kind of tablet you have. iPad users press the top button and the volume-up button at the same time, then release both. Android tablet users usually press the power button and volume-down button together. The screenshot appears as a thumbnail in the corner of your screen for a few seconds — tap it to edit or share, or let it disappear and find the image later in your Photos or Gallery app.
Some Android tablets let you swipe down from the top of the screen with three fingers instead, but this only works on certain models. If the button method doesn't work on your Android tablet, try the three-finger swipe first before assuming your tablet can't take screenshots.
Key Takeaways
- iPad: press the top button and volume-up button at the same time to capture the screen.
- Android tablet: press the power button and volume-down button together, or try swiping down with three fingers.
- Your screenshot saves automatically to your Photos app (iPad) or Gallery app (Android) even if you ignore the corner thumbnail.
- The corner thumbnail lets you edit, crop, or share the screenshot when ready before it disappears.
- If buttons don't work, check your tablet's settings or manual, because some older or specialized models use different methods.
Where your screenshot goes after you take it
On an iPad, screenshots land in the Photos app under the Screenshots album. On an Android tablet, they go into the Gallery app, usually in a folder called Screenshots. Both systems save the image automatically, so you don't have to do anything to keep it — even if you swipe away that corner notification, the file is already stored.
The thumbnail that appears in the corner stays for about five seconds. If you tap it, you can crop the image, draw on it, or add text before saving. If you don't tap it, the full screenshot saves as-is. Either way, you can find it later in your Photos or Gallery app and edit it then.
Editing your screenshot right after you take it
When the thumbnail appears in the corner, tap it to open the editing screen. On iPad, you'll see markup tools — you can draw, add text, add a signature, or magnify part of the image. On Android, the editing options vary by tablet brand, but most let you crop and draw. When you're done, tap Save or Done, and the edited version replaces the original.
If you miss the thumbnail window and want to edit later, open your Photos or Gallery app, find the screenshot, and look for an Edit button. You can crop, rotate, or adjust brightness and contrast there. Some tablets also let you open the screenshot in a drawing app if you want more advanced editing.
Troubleshooting when the button method doesn't work
If pressing the buttons doesn't produce a screenshot, first make sure you're pressing them at the same time, not one after the other. On iPad, the button location changed with different models — older iPads have a home button at the bottom, while newer ones have a flat top edge with no home button. Check which iPad model you have if the standard method fails.
On Android tablets, the button layout varies widely by brand and age. Samsung tablets, for example, sometimes use power button plus home button instead of volume-down. If the standard Android method doesn't work, look up your specific tablet model online or check the manual that came with it. Some tablets also have a screenshot tool in the settings menu or notification panel that you can tap instead of using buttons.
Using built-in screenshot tools in settings
Many tablets have a screenshot shortcut in the quick settings panel. On iPad, you can add a screenshot button to Control Center by going to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls and tapping the plus sign next to Screenshot. Then you can swipe down from the top-right corner and tap the screenshot icon instead of using buttons.
Android tablets often have a screenshot option in the quick settings menu that you can access by swiping down from the top twice. Look for an icon that looks like two overlapping squares or a camera. Some Samsung tablets label it "Capture" or "Screenshot." Tapping it takes a screenshot the same way the button method does.
Taking a screenshot of a scrolling page or long document
If you need to capture more than what fits on your screen at once, iPad offers a full-page screenshot option. After you take a normal screenshot, tap the thumbnail and select Full Page instead of Screen. This captures the entire webpage or document and saves it as one long image. Android tablets don't have a built-in full-page feature on most models, but some Samsung tablets include a "Scroll Capture" tool in the quick settings.
For Android tablets without scroll capture, you can take multiple screenshots and stitch them together using a free app, or use a third-party screenshot app from the Google Play Store. Some apps let you capture scrolling content in one go, though they require a bit more setup than the built-in method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot without using buttons?
Yes. On iPad, add the screenshot button to Control Center and tap it from there. On Android, look for a screenshot option in your quick settings menu. Some tablets also have voice commands or accessibility shortcuts that let you take a screenshot hands-free.
Where do I find my screenshots after I take them?
iPad: open the Photos app and look for the Screenshots album. Android: open the Gallery app and look for a Screenshots folder. Both save automatically, so you don't have to do anything to keep them.
Can I take a screenshot of just part of my screen?
After you take a screenshot, tap the corner thumbnail and use the crop tool to select the area you want. On iPad, you can also use the Markup tools to draw a box around the part you need. This creates a new version of the screenshot with just that section.
What if my tablet is too old to take screenshots?
Very old tablets may not have a built-in screenshot feature. If the button method doesn't work and your tablet has no screenshot option in settings, you can use a third-party app from the app store. Some free apps let you take screenshots by tapping a floating button on your screen.
Does taking a screenshot use a lot of storage?
No. A single screenshot is usually between 1 and 5 megabytes, so you can take hundreds before it affects your tablet's storage. If you take many screenshots, delete the ones you don't need to keep your device running smoothly.