The three ways to capture your screen on the S24
The Samsung Galaxy S24 gives you three built-in ways to take a screenshot, and the method you choose depends on what you're capturing and what you want to do with it afterward. The quickest route is the physical button combination: hold the Volume Down button and the Power button at the same time for about one second, then release. Your phone will flash, vibrate, and save the image to your Screenshots folder automatically. This works anywhere on your phone and requires no menu navigation.
If you find the button combination awkward or your hands are full, you can use the Palm Swipe gesture instead. Swipe the edge of your hand across the screen from left to right (or right to left) in one smooth motion. Your phone must have this feature turned on in Settings — go to Settings > Advanced Features > Motions and Gestures > Palm Swipe to Capture and toggle it on. Once enabled, the gesture works just like the button method and saves to the same Screenshots folder.
The third option is Scroll Capture, which lets you photograph content that extends beyond what fits on one screen — like a long webpage or a conversation thread. Use either the button combination or palm swipe, but hold it longer (about two seconds). A menu appears at the bottom asking whether you want a standard screenshot or a scrolling capture. Tap Scroll and your phone will automatically scroll down and stitch multiple images together into one long file.
Key Takeaways
- Press and hold Volume Down and Power together for one second to take a standard screenshot with no setup required.
- Enable Palm Swipe to Capture in Settings > Advanced Features > Motions and Gestures if you prefer swiping your hand across the screen instead of using buttons.
- Hold the button combination or palm swipe for two seconds to open the screenshot menu and choose Scroll Capture for long pages or conversations.
- All screenshots save automatically to your Screenshots folder inside the Gallery app, and you can share or edit them when ready from the notification that appears.
Where your screenshots are stored and how to find them
Every screenshot you take saves to a folder called Screenshots inside your Gallery app. To view them, open Gallery, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select Albums — you'll see Screenshots listed there. Alternatively, open Gallery and look for the Screenshots album in the main view. All your screenshots appear in reverse chronological order, with the most recent at the top.
When you take a screenshot, a notification appears at the bottom of your screen for a few seconds. You can tap that notification to open the image when ready, or swipe it away if you want to deal with it later. The notification also gives you quick options to share, edit, or delete the screenshot without opening Gallery.
Editing and sharing screenshots right after you take them
The notification that appears after you take a screenshot includes buttons for Edit and Share. Tap Edit to open the image in Samsung's built-in editor, where you can crop, draw, add text, blur sensitive information, or add shapes. These tools are basic but cover the most common edits — if you need advanced features, you can export the image to a third-party app like Snapseed or Photoshop Express.
Tap Share to send the screenshot directly to another app — Messages, Email, WhatsApp, social media, or cloud storage. You can also long-press the notification to pin it so it stays visible longer, giving you more time to decide what to do with the image. If you miss the notification window, open Gallery, find the screenshot, and use the share icon at the bottom of the screen.
Troubleshooting: when the button combination doesn't work
If pressing Volume Down and Power together doesn't take a screenshot, the most common cause is that you're releasing the buttons too quickly. The S24 requires you to hold both buttons down for about one full second before releasing — a quick tap won't work. Try again, counting to one in your head while holding, then release both at the same time.
If that doesn't help, restart your phone. Power it off completely, wait ten seconds, and power it back on. This clears temporary software glitches that sometimes block the screenshot function. After the restart, try the button combination again in a straightforward app like Messages or Notes.
If screenshots still don't work after a restart, check whether your phone is in Safe Mode, which disables some features. Restart your phone again and watch for the "Safe Mode" text at the bottom of the lock screen — if you see it, hold the Power button, tap and hold "Power Off," and confirm. Your phone will restart in normal mode. Once you're back to normal mode, the screenshot buttons should work again.
Disabling or adjusting the Palm Swipe gesture if it's too sensitive
Some users find that Palm Swipe to Capture triggers accidentally when they're holding the phone or resting their hand on the screen. If this happens to you, you have two options: turn the feature off entirely, or adjust its sensitivity. To turn it off, go to Settings > Advanced Features > Motions and Gestures > Palm Swipe to Capture and toggle it off. You'll still have the button combination available, so you won't lose the ability to screenshot.
If you like the gesture but want to reduce accidental triggers, check whether your phone offers sensitivity settings in the same menu. Not all S24 models have this option, but some do — if you see a slider or sensitivity option, lower it slightly and test whether the gesture still works when you intentionally swipe. You may need to experiment to find the right balance.
Using Scroll Capture for long content
Scroll Capture is useful when you want to photograph something that doesn't fit on one screen — a recipe that extends down a webpage, a long email thread, or a social media conversation. To use it, take a screenshot using either the button combination or palm swipe, but hold for about two seconds instead of one. A menu appears at the bottom with options for a standard screenshot or a scrolling capture.
Tap Scroll and your phone will automatically scroll down the page while capturing. It stitches the images together into one tall file. The process usually takes a few seconds, and you'll see the phone scrolling on its own — don't touch the screen while it's working. When it's done, the full scrolling capture saves to your Screenshots folder just like a regular screenshot.
Scroll Capture works in most apps, but not all — it depends on whether the app supports scrolling. If you try to use it in an app where scrolling isn't possible, your phone will just take a standard screenshot instead. There's no harm in trying; if it doesn't work, you'll get a regular screenshot as a fallback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot without using the physical buttons?
Yes. Enable Palm Swipe to Capture in Settings > Advanced Features > Motions and Gestures, then swipe the edge of your hand across the screen from left to right. You can also use voice commands if you've set up Bixby, though the button combination and palm swipe are faster for most people.
Where do I find my screenshots if they're not in the Gallery app?
Open Gallery, tap the menu icon (three lines), and select Albums — Screenshots should appear there. If you don't see a Screenshots album, try taking a new screenshot to create the folder. If screenshots still don't appear, check your phone's file manager and navigate to DCIM > Screenshots to see if they're stored there instead.
Can I change where screenshots are saved?
The S24 saves screenshots to a fixed location in the Gallery app's Screenshots folder, and you cannot change this default location. However, you can move or copy screenshots to other folders after you take them by opening Gallery, selecting the image, and using the move or copy option in the menu.
What's the difference between a regular screenshot and a Scroll Capture?
A regular screenshot captures only what's visible on your screen at that moment. Scroll Capture automatically scrolls down and stitches multiple images together so you can photograph long content like webpages or conversations in a single file. Use Scroll Capture when you need to capture something that extends beyond the screen.
Why does my screenshot notification disappear so quickly?
The notification stays visible for about three to five seconds by default. If you need more time, long-press the notification to pin it so it stays on screen longer. You can also always find your screenshot in the Gallery app's Screenshots folder, where it will remain until you delete it.