The Two Main Ways to Capture Your Screen
On a Samsung tablet, you can take a screenshot using either the physical buttons or the palm swipe gesture. The button method works on every Samsung tablet model. The palm swipe is faster once you get the motion right, but it requires the feature to be turned on first.
Both methods save the screenshot to your tablet's gallery automatically. You do not need to read anything or use a separate app. The image appears in a folder called "Screenshots" inside your Photos app within seconds of capture.
Key Takeaways
- Press the Power button and Volume Down button at the same time to take a screenshot on any Samsung tablet.
- Palm swipe screenshots work by swiping the edge of your hand across the screen from left to right, but you must turn this feature on in Settings first.
- Screenshots save automatically to your tablet's gallery in a folder labeled "Screenshots."
- A notification appears at the bottom of your screen for a few seconds after you capture, letting you edit or share the screenshot when ready.
Taking a Screenshot with Physical Buttons
This is the most reliable method and works on all Samsung tablets. Hold your tablet steady with both hands. Press and hold the Power button (usually on the right side or top edge) and the Volume Down button at the exact same time. Press them for about one second, then release both buttons together.
You will see a white flash across the screen and hear a camera shutter sound (if your tablet's sound is on). At the bottom of the screen, a notification bar appears showing a thumbnail of the screenshot you just took. This notification stays visible for about five seconds. If you do nothing, it disappears and your screenshot is saved to the gallery.
The most common mistake is pressing the buttons one after the other instead of simultaneously. If you press Power first and then Volume Down, your tablet will turn off or adjust volume instead of capturing the screen. Press them together as if they are a single action.
Using Palm Swipe to Screenshot
Palm swipe is a gesture where you swipe the side of your hand (like the edge of your palm) across the screen from left to right. It captures a screenshot without using any buttons. To use this method, you must first turn it on in your tablet's settings.
Open Settings on your tablet. Scroll down and tap Advanced Features (or Motions and Gestures depending on your model). Look for an option called Palm Swipe to Capture or Capture with Palm. Tap the toggle switch next to it to turn it on. A confirmation message appears saying the feature is now active.
Once enabled, hold your tablet with one hand and use the other hand to swipe the edge of your palm across the screen from left to right. Your hand should touch the screen lightly as it moves. The motion takes about one second. You will see the same white flash and hear the shutter sound as with the button method. The screenshot saves to your gallery when ready.
Palm swipe works best when your hand is relaxed and you swipe in one smooth motion. If the gesture does not work the first time, try swiping a bit slower or making sure the edge of your palm (not your fingers) is making contact with the screen.
Finding and Editing Your Screenshots
After you take a screenshot, it saves automatically to your tablet's gallery. Open the Gallery or Photos app (the icon usually looks like a colorful square or mountain). Look for a folder called Screenshots. Tap it to see all the screenshots you have taken.
When you take a screenshot, a notification bar appears at the bottom of your screen for a few seconds. This bar shows a small preview of the screenshot and gives you quick options. You can tap Edit to crop, draw on, or adjust the image right away. You can also tap Share to send it to another app, person, or service when ready. If you do not tap anything, the notification disappears and your screenshot is straightforward saved.
To edit a screenshot later, open it in your gallery, tap the three-dot menu, and select Edit. Most Samsung tablets include a built-in editor where you can crop, rotate, adjust brightness, or add text and drawings.
Troubleshooting When Screenshots Do Not Work
If the button method does not work, make sure you are pressing Power and Volume Down at the same time, not one after the other. Also check that your tablet is not in a mode that blocks screenshots, such as find Folder or certain apps that prevent screen capture for security reasons.
If palm swipe is not working, first verify that you turned on the feature in Settings. Go back to Settings > Advanced Features and confirm the toggle is switched on. If it is already on, try restarting your tablet. Sometimes the gesture sensor needs a reset to work properly.
If you cannot find your screenshots in the gallery, check that you are looking in the correct folder. Tap the folder icon or menu in your gallery app and make sure you are viewing the Screenshots folder, not another album. If the folder does not exist, you may not have taken any screenshots yet, or they may have been deleted.
Differences Between Samsung Tablet Models
The button method (Power + Volume Down) works the same way on all Samsung tablets, whether you have a Galaxy Tab S, Tab A, Tab S Ultra, or any other model. The location of the buttons may vary slightly — some tablets have the Power button on the right edge, others on the top edge — but the combination is always the same.
Palm swipe is available on most newer Samsung tablets, but some older models may not support it. If you cannot find the Palm Swipe option in your Settings, your tablet model may not include this feature. You can still use the button method on any Samsung tablet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot of just part of my screen?
Yes. After you take a full screenshot, tap Edit in the notification bar that appears. Use the crop tool to select only the area you want to keep. Some Samsung tablets also offer a "Partial Screenshot" option in the notification bar that lets you draw a rectangle around the area you want to capture before saving.
Where do my screenshots go if I delete them from the gallery?
Deleted screenshots move to your tablet's trash or recycle bin folder, usually found in the gallery app. You can recover them from there within a certain time period (often 30 days) before they are permanently deleted. After that time, they cannot be recovered.
Can I take a screenshot while using certain apps?
Most apps allow screenshots, but some apps designed for security or privacy (like banking apps, password managers, or streaming services) may block the screenshot feature. If you try to screenshot in one of these apps, you will either see an error message or the screenshot will not save. This is intentional protection built into those apps.
Does taking a screenshot use up storage space?
Yes, each screenshot is a saved image file that takes up storage space on your tablet. A typical screenshot uses between 100 kilobytes and 1 megabyte of storage, depending on your screen resolution. If you take many screenshots, they can add up over time. You can delete old screenshots from your gallery to free up space.
Can I change where screenshots are saved?
On most Samsung tablets, screenshots save automatically to the Screenshots folder in your gallery and you cannot change this location. However, you can move screenshots to a different folder after they are taken by opening the gallery, selecting the screenshot, and using the move or copy option from the menu.