The fastest way: press two buttons at once
To take a screenshot on an iPad or other Apple tablet, press the Top button and the Volume Up button at the same time, then release both. You will see a thumbnail appear in the bottom left corner of your screen for a few seconds. The screenshot is automatically saved to your Photos app in the Screenshots album.
The timing does not need to be perfect — as long as you press both buttons within a second of each other, the tablet will capture the screen. If you are holding the tablet in landscape mode (sideways), the button locations stay the same: Top button on the right edge, Volume Up on the left edge.
On older iPad models from before 2018, the method is different. If your tablet has a physical Home button (a circle at the bottom of the screen), press the Home button and the Top (or Side) button together instead. The result is the same — a screenshot saved to Photos.
Key Takeaways
- Press the Top button and Volume Up button at the same time to capture your screen when ready.
- The screenshot appears as a thumbnail in the bottom left corner and is saved automatically to your Photos app.
- On older iPads with a Home button, press Home and the Top button together instead.
- You can edit, delete, or share the screenshot directly from the thumbnail before it disappears.
- Screenshots are stored in a dedicated Screenshots album within your Photos app for straightforward finding later.
What happens right after you take the screenshot
When you press the buttons, a small preview of your screenshot appears in the bottom left corner of the screen. This thumbnail stays visible for about five seconds. While it is there, you can tap it to open the screenshot in edit mode, where you can draw on it, crop it, or add text before saving.
If you do nothing and let the thumbnail disappear, the screenshot is still saved. It goes directly into your Photos app, inside the Screenshots album. You can find it later by opening Photos, tapping Albums at the bottom, and scrolling down to Screenshots.
You can also swipe the thumbnail away to the left if you want to dismiss it without editing. The screenshot is still saved — swiping just closes the preview.
Editing your screenshot before you save it
Tap the thumbnail while it is still visible to open the editing screen. A toolbar appears at the bottom with options to draw, add text, magnify part of the image, or add a signature. You can also crop the screenshot by dragging the corners inward.
Once you have made your changes, tap Done in the top left. A menu appears asking where you want to save the edited version. You can save it back to Photos, copy it to paste elsewhere, or send it to another app like Mail or Messages. If you tap Save, the edited version replaces the original in your Screenshots album.
Finding screenshots you took earlier
Open the Photos app and tap the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down until you see Screenshots — this album holds every screenshot you have taken on your tablet. Tap it to see them all in one place, with the newest ones at the top.
You can also search for screenshots by date or content. Tap the Search tab in Photos, then type "screenshot" in the search box. Photos will show you every image with that word in its name or metadata.
If you want to organize screenshots, you can create a new album and drag screenshots into it. Open Photos, tap Albums, tap the plus sign, name your new album, then select the screenshots you want to add.
Troubleshooting: screenshot button press did not work
If you pressed both buttons and nothing happened, make sure you pressed them at the same time, not one after the other. The tablet needs to register both presses within about one second. Try again, holding both buttons down for a full second before releasing.
If your tablet is in Low Power Mode, screenshots still work normally. If you have Assistive Touch turned on (a floating button for accessibility), you can also take a screenshot from that menu: tap Assistive Touch, then Device, then More, then Screenshot. This method works the same way as the button press.
Check that you have enough storage space on your tablet. If your device is almost full, it may not save new screenshots. Go to Settings, tap General, then iPad Storage to see how much space is left. If you are running low, delete old photos or videos to free up room.
Sharing a screenshot right away
While the thumbnail is still visible in the bottom left, you can swipe it to the left to reveal a share button. Tap the share icon (a box with an arrow pointing up) to open the sharing menu. From there you can send the screenshot via Mail, Messages, AirDrop, or any other app you have installed.
You can also tap the thumbnail to open it in edit mode, make any changes you want, then tap Done and choose Share from the menu that appears. This gives you a chance to crop or annotate before sending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot of just part of my screen?
Yes. After you take the screenshot, tap the thumbnail and use the crop tool to select only the area you want to keep. Drag the corners inward to frame the section you need, then tap Done and Save.
Where do screenshots go if I do not edit them?
They are saved automatically to your Photos app in the Screenshots album. You do not have to do anything — they appear there within seconds of taking the screenshot.
Can I take a screenshot of a full webpage that scrolls?
Yes, but only in Safari. After taking a screenshot, tap the thumbnail, then tap Full Page at the top. Safari will capture the entire webpage, not just what is visible on screen. Tap Done and Save to keep the full-page version.
What if I accidentally deleted a screenshot?
Check your Recently Deleted album in Photos. Deleted screenshots stay there for 30 days before being removed permanently. Tap Recently Deleted, select the screenshot, tap Recover, and it returns to your Screenshots album.
Do screenshots use a lot of storage space?
No. A typical screenshot takes up less than 1 MB of storage. You would need to take thousands of screenshots to noticeably affect your tablet's available space.