The fastest way: press Power and Volume Down together

On most Samsung phones, hold the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time for about one second. You'll see a flash, hear a camera sound, and a notification will appear at the top of your screen. That notification confirms the screenshot was taken and saved.

The screenshot lands in your Photos app, inside a folder called "Screenshots." You can open it right away from the notification, or find it later by opening Photos and looking for that folder.

This method works on nearly every Samsung phone made in the last five years, including the Galaxy S series, Galaxy A series, and Galaxy Z fold phones. If you're not sure which buttons to press, your phone's manual will list the exact combination for your model.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Power and Volume Down together for one second to take a screenshot on most Samsung phones.
  • Your screenshot saves automatically to the Screenshots folder in your Photos app.
  • A notification appears at the top of your screen right after you take the screenshot, and you can tap it to view or edit the image when ready.
  • If Power and Volume Down doesn't work, check your phone's settings or manual, because some older or specialized Samsung models use different button combinations.
  • You can also take a screenshot by swiping your palm across the screen, if you turn that feature on in Settings.

Where your screenshots are stored

Every screenshot you take saves to your phone's internal storage in a dedicated folder. Open your Photos app, tap the menu (three lines or dots), and look for "Screenshots" or "Albums." All your screenshots will be listed there in the order you took them, with the newest ones first.

If you use Samsung Cloud or Google Photos to back up your phone, your screenshots back up automatically too. That means if you lose your phone or switch to a new one, your screenshots are still there. You can turn this on in Settings under "Backup and restore" or in your Google account settings.

The palm swipe method (if you prefer not to use buttons)

Some Samsung phones let you take a screenshot by swiping the side of your hand across the screen from left to right (or right to left). This feature is called Palm swipe to capture, and it's turned off by default.

To turn it on, go to Settings > Advanced features > Motions and gestures > Palm swipe to capture. Toggle it on. Once it's active, you can take a screenshot by swiping your palm across the screen. Some people find this easier than remembering which buttons to press, especially if your hands are wet or you're holding something.

If you don't see this option in your settings, your phone model may not support it. Older Samsung phones and some budget models don't have this feature.

What to do right after you take a screenshot

When you take a screenshot, a notification pops up at the top of your screen. Tap that notification to open the screenshot when ready. From there, you can crop it, draw or write on it, or share it to another app like Messages, Email, or social media.

If you don't tap the notification right away, it disappears after a few seconds. But your screenshot is still saved in the Screenshots folder, so you can edit or share it anytime. You don't lose anything by waiting.

Some Samsung phones also show a toolbar at the bottom of the screen after you screenshot. This toolbar lets you crop, draw, or erase parts of the image without opening another app. The exact tools available depend on your phone model and software version.

Troubleshooting if the screenshot doesn't work

If you press Power and Volume Down and nothing happens, first make sure you're pressing both buttons at the same time, not one after the other. Hold them together for about one full second. If your phone vibrates or shows a power menu instead, you're pressing them too slowly or separately.

If that still doesn't work, restart your phone. Sometimes a software glitch blocks the screenshot feature temporarily. Turn your phone off, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Then try the button combination again.

If restarting doesn't help, check whether a third-party app is blocking screenshots. Some banking apps, security apps, or screen-recording apps prevent screenshots for privacy reasons. Open Settings > Apps and look for any app that might have permission to block screenshots. You can also try taking a screenshot in a different app, like the Notes app, to see if the problem is app-specific.

Using Samsung's built-in screen recording instead

If you need to capture video of your screen rather than a still image, Samsung phones have a Screen Recorder built in. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the full Quick Settings panel, then look for "Screen Recorder" or "Record screen." Tap it, and your phone will start recording everything that happens on your display.

Screen recordings save to your Videos folder, not your Screenshots folder. They're useful if you want to show someone how to do something on your phone, or if you want to capture something that moves or changes. The recording includes sound from your phone's speakers and microphone, so be aware of background noise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot of a locked screen or lock screen?

Yes. You can take a screenshot of your lock screen the same way you take one of any other screen. Press Power and Volume Down together. The screenshot will save to your phone, and you'll see the notification appear on the lock screen itself.

What if I accidentally take a screenshot and want to delete it?

Open your Photos app, go to the Screenshots folder, find the image you don't want, and tap and hold it. A menu will appear with a delete option. Tap delete, and the screenshot is removed. If you delete it by accident, you can usually recover it from your phone's Trash or Recently Deleted folder for 30 days.

Can I take a screenshot of something that's scrolling, like a long webpage?

Yes, but you need to use the Scroll capture feature. After you take a regular screenshot, a menu appears at the bottom. Look for an option that says "Scroll" or "Capture more." Tap it, and your phone will automatically scroll down and add more of the page to your screenshot. You can keep tapping until you've captured everything you need.

Do screenshots use up my storage space?

Yes, each screenshot takes up a small amount of storage. A typical screenshot is between 100 and 500 kilobytes, depending on your screen resolution and what's on the screen. If you take hundreds of screenshots, they can add up, but most people won't notice a difference unless they take thousands. You can delete old screenshots anytime to free up space.

Can I change where screenshots are saved?

On most Samsung phones, screenshots save automatically to the Screenshots folder and you can't change that location directly. However, you can move screenshots to a different folder after you take them. Open the screenshot in your Photos app, tap the menu, and select "Move" or "Copy to album." You can also create a custom folder and move screenshots there manually.