The fastest way: press Power and Volume Down together
On most Samsung Galaxy phones, hold the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time for about one second. You will see a flash on the screen and hear a camera sound — that means the screenshot was taken. The image saves to your Photos app automatically.
This method works on Galaxy S series phones (S21, S22, S23, and newer), Galaxy A series, Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip models, and most other recent Samsung devices. The timing matters: press both buttons at once and hold for a full second, then release. If you press too quickly or hold too long, nothing happens.
You will see a thumbnail of the screenshot appear at the bottom left of your screen for a few seconds. Tap it to open the image right away, or swipe it away and find the full screenshot later in your Photos app under the Screenshots folder.
Key Takeaways
- Press Power and Volume Down together for one second to take a screenshot on any recent Samsung Galaxy phone.
- The screenshot saves automatically to your Photos app in a Screenshots folder.
- You can also swipe the edge of your hand across the screen if your phone has that feature turned on in Settings.
- If the standard method does not work, check your phone's Settings under Advanced Features to see what screenshot options are available.
- Screenshots capture only what is visible on your screen at that moment — they do not include notifications or the status bar at the very top on some older models.
Using the palm swipe gesture if you prefer not to press buttons
Some Samsung Galaxy 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 feature is not turned on by default, so you need to enable it first.
Go to Settings > Advanced Features > Motions and Gestures > Palm Swipe to Capture and turn it on. Once it is active, hold your hand upright with your pinky side facing down, and swipe across the screen in one smooth motion. The screenshot takes when ready.
This method is useful if you have a case that makes the Power button hard to reach, or if you find button combinations awkward. The screenshot still saves to your Photos app the same way.
Where screenshots go and how to find them
Every screenshot you take goes into your Photos app automatically. Open Photos, tap the menu (three horizontal lines), and look for a Screenshots folder or album. If you do not see a dedicated folder, scroll through your main photo library — screenshots appear there with a timestamp showing when you took them.
You can also find screenshots by opening your File Manager app and navigating to Internal Storage > DCIM > Screenshots. This folder path works on most Samsung devices, though the exact location can vary slightly depending on your phone model and Android version.
Once you have found a screenshot, you can edit it, share it, delete it, or move it to a different folder. Tap and hold the image to see options for cropping, drawing on it, or sending it to another app.
Taking a screenshot of more than what fits on one screen
If you need to capture a long webpage, email thread, or document that scrolls beyond what your screen shows, use the Scroll Capture feature. After you take a screenshot using Power and Volume Down, tap the thumbnail that appears at the bottom left and look for a button labeled Scroll or Capture More.
Tap that button and your phone will automatically scroll down and add more of the page to your screenshot. You can tap again to keep scrolling, or tap Done when you have captured everything you need. The final image combines all the sections into one long screenshot.
This feature is built into Samsung's screenshot tool on most Galaxy phones from the S20 and newer. If you do not see the Scroll option after taking a screenshot, your phone model may not have this feature.
What to do if the Power and Volume Down method does not work
If pressing Power and Volume Down does not take a screenshot, first make sure you are holding both buttons at the same time — not one after the other. Wait a full second before releasing. If nothing happens after several tries, restart your phone and try again.
Check your phone's settings to confirm screenshots are not disabled. Go to Settings > Advanced Features and look for any option related to screenshots or gestures. Some phones have a master toggle that turns off all gesture features.
If your phone is very old (Galaxy S10 or earlier), the button combination might be different. On those models, try pressing Power and Home together instead. Check your phone's user manual or Samsung's support website for your specific model number to confirm the correct method.
Using Samsung's built-in screen recording instead of screenshots
If you need to capture video of your screen rather than a still image, Samsung Galaxy phones have a Screen Recorder built in. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the full Quick Settings panel, then tap Screen Recorder. A countdown will appear, and recording starts automatically.
While recording, your screen works normally — you can open apps, scroll, type, and do anything else you would normally do. The recording captures everything including audio from your phone's speaker. When you are done, swipe down and tap the Screen Recorder notification to stop.
Screen recordings save to your Photos app just like screenshots. They take up much more storage space than still images, so delete old recordings you no longer need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot if my phone is locked?
No. You must unlock your phone first before the screenshot buttons work. This is a security feature to prevent someone else from capturing your private information if they have access to your locked phone.
Do screenshots include the notification bar at the top?
Yes, on most Samsung Galaxy phones the screenshot captures everything visible on your screen, including the notification bar, time, and battery indicator at the top. The only exception is some very old models that exclude the status bar from the capture.
Can I take a screenshot of a video while it is playing?
You can take a screenshot, but the image will show a black or blank area where the video is playing. This is by design — most video apps prevent screenshots of protected content for copyright reasons. The rest of the screen around the video will capture normally.
Where is the Screenshots folder if I cannot find it?
Open your Photos app and look for an Albums tab at the bottom. Tap it and scroll down — Screenshots should appear as a separate album. If it is not there, open your File Manager and go to Internal Storage > DCIM > Screenshots. You can also search for "screenshot" in your Photos app search bar to find all your screenshots at once.
How much storage do screenshots use?
A single screenshot typically uses between 100 KB and 500 KB of storage, depending on your screen resolution and what is on the screen. You can take hundreds of screenshots before they use a noticeable amount of space. If you want to free up storage, delete old screenshots you no longer need through your Photos app.