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. Your screen will flash, you'll hear a camera shutter sound, and a thumbnail will appear in the bottom corner. That's your screenshot.
This method works on Samsung Galaxy S series, Galaxy A series, Galaxy Z fold and flip phones, and most other recent Samsung models. The screenshot saves automatically to your phone's gallery in a folder called "Screenshots".
If the buttons don't respond the first time, make sure you're pressing both at exactly the same moment. Pressing one slightly before the other won't trigger the screenshot.
Key Takeaways
- Press Power and Volume Down together for one second to take a screenshot on any recent Samsung phone.
- Your screenshot appears as a thumbnail in the bottom corner and saves to the Screenshots folder in your gallery.
- If Power and Volume Down doesn't work, swipe the edge of your hand across the screen from left to right, or use the Palm Swipe method in Settings.
- You can crop, draw on, or share your screenshot when ready from the thumbnail that appears after you take it.
- Screenshots capture only what's visible on your screen at that moment; they do not record video or audio.
What happens after you take the screenshot
A small thumbnail appears in the bottom left or right corner of your screen for a few seconds. Tap it to open editing tools where you can crop the image, draw on it with a pen or highlighter, or add text. You can also share it directly to messaging apps, email, or social media without saving it first.
If you don't tap the thumbnail, the screenshot still saves to your gallery automatically. You can find it later by opening the Gallery app, tapping "Albums," and selecting "Screenshots." Samsung keeps screenshots in a separate folder so they don't mix with your regular photos.
The Palm Swipe method if buttons don't work
Some Samsung phones let you take a screenshot by swiping the edge of your hand across the screen from left to right (or right to left). This method is turned off by default on most models, so you'll need to turn it on first.
Go to Settings > Advanced Features > Motions and Gestures > Palm Swipe to Capture and toggle it on. Once it's enabled, place the side of your hand on the screen and swipe across. Your phone will take a screenshot the same way as the button method.
This works best on larger phones where your hand can reach across the screen easily. On smaller phones, the Power and Volume Down method is usually faster.
Using voice commands or Samsung DeX
If you have a Samsung phone with Bixby voice assistant, you can say "Take a screenshot" and your phone will capture the screen. This works on most Galaxy S and Galaxy Z phones from the past few years, though the feature may not be available in all regions or languages.
If you're using Samsung DeX (which lets you connect your phone to a monitor or laptop), you can take a screenshot of the DeX screen the same way: Power and Volume Down. The screenshot saves to your phone's gallery, not to the connected computer.
Scrolling screenshots for long pages
Samsung phones can capture more than what fits on your screen at once. After you take a regular screenshot, tap the thumbnail and look for a button labeled "Scroll Capture" or "Capture More." Your phone will automatically scroll down and add more of the page to your screenshot, creating one long image.
This is useful for capturing entire web pages, long text conversations, or full social media feeds. The scrolling stops when you reach the bottom of the page or after a certain length. You can then crop the result if you want to remove parts you don't need.
Where screenshots save and how to find them
All screenshots go to your Gallery app in a folder called Screenshots. Open Gallery, tap "Albums" at the bottom, and scroll down to find it. Screenshots are organized by date, with the newest ones at the top.
If you want to move a screenshot to a different folder or delete it, open the screenshot, tap the three dots or menu icon, and choose "Move" or "Delete." You can also share directly from the Gallery without opening the screenshot first by long-pressing it and selecting your sharing option.
If you've turned on cloud backup through Samsung Cloud or Google Photos, your screenshots may back up automatically. Check your backup settings in Settings > Accounts to see what's being saved.
Troubleshooting if screenshots aren't working
If Power and Volume Down doesn't take a screenshot, first check that your phone isn't in a mode that blocks screenshots. Some apps, banking apps, and find screens don't allow screenshots for privacy reasons. If you're in one of those apps, switch to your home screen or another app and try again.
If screenshots still don't work, restart your phone. Hold the Power button, tap "Restart," and wait for your phone to turn back on. Then try the Power and Volume Down method again. If it still fails, check that your buttons aren't stuck or damaged by testing them in other apps (like adjusting volume in the Music app).
On very old Samsung phones (Galaxy S5 or older), the button combination might be Power and Home instead of Power and Volume Down. Check your phone's manual or search for your specific model number online to confirm the correct buttons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I took a screenshot of their message or photo?
On regular Samsung phones, no — taking a screenshot leaves no notification. However, some messaging apps like Snapchat notify the sender when you screenshot their content. Check the app's privacy settings to see if it has this feature.
Why is my screenshot blurry or low quality?
Screenshots capture at your phone's screen resolution, which is usually sharp enough for reading text or sharing online. If the image looks blurry, you may have zoomed in before taking it, or the original content on the screen was already low resolution. Try taking the screenshot again without zooming.
Can I take a screenshot of a video while it's playing?
Yes, you can take a screenshot of any frame in a video. Pause the video at the moment you want to capture, then use Power and Volume Down. The screenshot will show that single frame. Some streaming apps may block this for copyright reasons.
How do I take a screenshot on a Samsung tablet?
The method is the same: press Power and Volume Down together. On tablets with a stylus (like the Galaxy Tab S), you can also press the stylus button and tap the screen to take a screenshot. Check your tablet's manual if you're unsure which buttons to use.
What's the difference between a screenshot and a screen recording?
A screenshot captures a single still image of what's on your screen at one moment. A screen recording captures video of everything you do on your screen for as long as you record. To record your screen on Samsung, swipe down from the top twice to open Quick Settings, find "Screen Recorder," and tap it.