The quickest way to capture your screen

On most Samsung tablets, you take a screenshot by pressing the Power button and Volume Down button at the same time. Hold both for about a second until you see a flash, hear a shutter sound, or see a notification at the top of the screen. The image saves automatically to your Photos app in a folder called Screenshots.

The exact button combination depends on which Samsung tablet model you own and which version of Android it runs. Older tablets and some newer ones use Power + Volume Down. A few recent models use Power + Volume Up instead. If the standard method does not work, try the alternate combination — one of them will work on your device.

You will know the screenshot worked because your tablet will give you visual or audio feedback. Most tablets flash the screen white, play a camera shutter sound, or show a thumbnail of the screenshot in the bottom corner for a few seconds. That thumbnail is clickable — you can tap it to edit or share the image right away.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Power and Volume Down together for about one second to capture your screen on most Samsung tablets.
  • The screenshot saves automatically to your Photos app in a Screenshots folder without any extra steps.
  • If Power + Volume Down does not work, try Power + Volume Up instead — Samsung uses both depending on the model.
  • You can edit or share a screenshot when ready by tapping the thumbnail that appears in the corner after you capture it.
  • Some Samsung tablets also let you swipe your hand across the screen to capture, though the button method is more reliable.

Where your screenshots are stored

Every screenshot you take goes into your Photos app automatically. Open Photos, tap the menu (three horizontal lines), and look for a folder called Screenshots. All your captures are there, organized by date with the newest ones first.

If you cannot find the Screenshots folder in Photos, check your file manager instead. Open Files (or My Files on some tablets), navigate to Internal Storage, then look for DCIM or Pictures. Screenshots usually live in one of those folders. The exact path varies slightly between Samsung models, but those are the two most common locations.

You can move, delete, or organize screenshots just like any other photo. Long-press a screenshot to select it, then use the menu options to copy it to another folder, delete it, or share it. If you want to back up your screenshots to cloud storage, most Samsung tablets come with Samsung Cloud or Google Photos already installed.

Editing a screenshot right after you capture it

When you take a screenshot, a small thumbnail appears in the bottom corner of your screen for a few seconds. Tap that thumbnail to open the screenshot in Samsung's built-in editor. You can crop it, draw on it with a pen, add text, or blur parts of it before you save or share.

If you miss the thumbnail or want to edit a screenshot later, open your Photos app, find the screenshot, and tap it to open it. Then tap the pencil icon or Edit button (the exact label depends on your tablet model). The same editing tools are available — crop, draw, text, blur, and more.

After you finish editing, tap Save or Done. Your changes overwrite the original screenshot. If you want to keep both the original and the edited version, use Save As instead to create a copy with a different name.

Using the Palm Swipe method on some Samsung tablets

Some Samsung tablets support a Palm Swipe to Capture feature that lets you take a screenshot by swiping the edge of your hand across the screen from left to right (or right to left). This feature is not available on all models, and it is turned off by default on most tablets that do support it.

To turn on Palm Swipe, open Settings, go to Advanced Features (or Motions and Gestures on older tablets), and look for Palm Swipe to Capture. Toggle it on. Once it is enabled, you can swipe your hand across the screen to capture. However, this method is less reliable than the button combination because accidental hand movements can trigger screenshots by mistake.

Most people stick with the Power + Volume Down method because it is faster, more reliable, and works on every Samsung tablet. Palm Swipe is useful if you have limited use of your hands or prefer gesture controls, but it is not necessary for regular use.

Troubleshooting when screenshots are not working

If pressing Power + Volume Down does not capture a screenshot, first try Power + Volume Up instead. Samsung uses both combinations on different tablet models, and there is no way to know which one yours uses without trying both.

If neither button combination works, restart your tablet. Sometimes a software glitch prevents screenshots from working, and a restart clears it. Power off your tablet completely, wait 10 seconds, then power it back on and try again.

If screenshots still do not work after a restart, check whether you have enough storage space. Your tablet needs free space to save screenshots. Open Settings, go to Storage, and look at how much space is available. If you are below 1 GB of free space, delete some files or apps to free up room, then try taking a screenshot again.

If your tablet is very old or running an outdated version of Android, screenshot support may be limited or broken. Check Settings > About Tablet to see your Android version. If it is more than three years old, consider updating to the latest version available for your model, or contact Samsung support if the problem persists.

Capturing more than one screen at once

If you need to capture content that spans multiple screens — like a long webpage or a conversation thread — use the Scrolling Capture feature. After you take a normal screenshot, tap the thumbnail that appears in the corner. Look for an option that says Scroll Capture, Capture More, or Expand. Tap it, and your tablet will automatically scroll down and add more of the page to your screenshot.

Scrolling Capture works on most Samsung tablets running Android 9 or newer. The feature is not available on older models. If you do not see the Scroll Capture option after taking a screenshot, your tablet does not support it, and you will need to take multiple separate screenshots instead.

After you use Scrolling Capture, the final image is one tall screenshot that includes everything you scrolled through. You can crop it, edit it, or share it like any other screenshot.

Sharing a screenshot without opening Photos

The quickest way to share a screenshot is to tap the thumbnail that appears in the corner right after you capture it. A menu will pop up with options to share via email, messaging apps, social media, or cloud storage. Select where you want to send it, and your tablet handles the rest.

If you wait too long and the thumbnail disappears, open your Photos app, find the screenshot, tap it, and look for a Share button (usually an arrow pointing outward). Tap Share and choose your destination. You can also long-press a screenshot in Photos to select it, then tap Share to send it.

Some apps let you share directly to them. For example, if you have Slack installed, you can share a screenshot directly to a Slack channel without opening the app separately. The available options depend on which apps you have installed on your tablet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot of a video while it is playing?

Yes, you can take a screenshot while a video plays, and the screenshot will show a still frame from that moment. However, some streaming apps like Netflix or Disney+ block screenshots for copyright protection. If you try to capture from one of those apps, the screenshot will either fail silently or show a black screen instead of the video.

What if my Power button is broken?

You can take a screenshot without the Power button on some Samsung tablets. Open Settings, go to Accessibility, and look for Accessibility Menu or Assistant Menu. Turn it on, and a floating button will appear on your screen. Tap that button and look for a Screenshot option. This method is slower than the button combination, but it works if your hardware is damaged.

How much storage space do screenshots use?

A single screenshot uses between 500 KB and 2 MB depending on your tablet's screen resolution and what is on the screen. A tablet with 64 GB of storage can hold thousands of screenshots before running out of space. However, if you take screenshots regularly, it is worth deleting old ones you no longer need to keep your tablet running smoothly.

Can I change where screenshots are saved?

No, Samsung tablets automatically save screenshots to the Screenshots folder in your Photos app. You cannot change this default location. However, you can move screenshots to a different folder after you take them by opening Photos, selecting the screenshot, and using the Move option from the menu.

Do screenshots show notifications or status bar icons?

Yes, screenshots capture everything on your screen at that moment, including the status bar at the top with the time, battery, and signal icons. If you want to hide notifications before capturing, swipe down from the top of the screen to close the notification panel, then take your screenshot. The status bar will still appear, but notification bubbles will be gone.