The fastest way: use the buttons on your iPad
To take a screenshot on an iPad, press the Top button and the Volume Up button at the same time, then release both. Your iPad will make a camera shutter sound, and a thumbnail will appear in the bottom left corner of your screen for a few seconds. That thumbnail is your screenshot — it has already been saved to your Photos app.
This works on all current iPad models. The location of these buttons depends on which iPad you have: on newer models with flat edges, both buttons are on the right side of the device. On older iPads with rounded edges, the Top button is at the top center and Volume Up is on the right side.
If you do not hear a sound when you take a screenshot, your iPad may be in silent mode. Look for the mute switch on the left edge of your iPad — if it shows orange, your device is silenced. Flip it back to unmute, and you will hear the shutter sound on your next screenshot.
Key Takeaways
- Press the Top button and Volume Up button together to take a screenshot; your iPad will save it automatically to the Photos app.
- A thumbnail appears in the bottom left corner for a few seconds after you take a screenshot — tap it to edit or delete before it saves permanently.
- If your iPad is in silent mode, you will not hear the camera shutter sound, but the screenshot will still save.
- You can also take a screenshot using AssistiveTouch if your iPad's physical buttons are broken or hard to reach.
Edit or delete a screenshot right after you take it
After you press the buttons, a small preview of your screenshot appears in the bottom left corner. You have a few seconds to tap this thumbnail before it disappears. Tapping it opens the screenshot in edit mode, where you can crop, draw on it, add text, or magnify parts of the image.
If you want to delete the screenshot instead, tap the thumbnail and then tap Delete Screenshot at the bottom right. The image will be removed and will not save to your Photos app. This is useful if you took a screenshot by accident or if the image is not what you wanted.
If you do nothing and let the thumbnail disappear, your screenshot saves automatically to the Photos app in a folder called Screenshots. You can find it later by opening Photos, tapping the Albums tab, and scrolling down to find Screenshots.
Find your saved screenshots in the Photos app
All screenshots are saved to your Photos app by default. Open the Photos app and tap the Albums tab at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down until you see the Screenshots album — tap it to see all the screenshots you have taken.
From the Screenshots album, you can share a screenshot by tapping the share icon (it looks like a box with an arrow pointing out), or you can delete it by tapping Select in the top right, choosing the screenshot, and tapping Delete. You can also move a screenshot to a different album or add it to a favorite collection.
If you want to keep a screenshot but do not want it to clutter your main Photos view, you can hide it. Tap and hold the screenshot, then tap Hide from the menu. The screenshot will move to a Hidden album and will not appear in your main library.
Use AssistiveTouch if your buttons are hard to press
If your iPad's physical buttons are broken, stuck, or hard to reach, you can take a screenshot using AssistiveTouch, which is an on-screen button that lets you perform actions by tapping the screen instead.
To turn on AssistiveTouch, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn it on. A gray circle with a white dot will appear on your screen — this is the AssistiveTouch button. Tap it, then tap Device, then tap More, then tap Screenshot. Your iPad will take a screenshot the same way as if you had pressed the buttons.
Once AssistiveTouch is on, you can move the button around your screen by dragging it, or hide it when you are not using it by tapping and holding it and selecting Hide. The button will reappear when you need it.
Take a full-page screenshot of a website or document
When you take a screenshot of a website or PDF, your iPad offers the option to capture just what is on your screen or the entire page, even the parts you cannot see without scrolling. After you take the screenshot and the thumbnail appears, tap it to open the edit screen.
At the top of the edit screen, you will see two tabs: Screen and Full Page. Tap Full Page to capture the entire website or document. Your iPad will scroll through the page and stitch the images together into one long screenshot. This is useful for saving a complete article, a long email, or an entire web form.
Full-page screenshots work in Safari, Mail, Notes, and some other built-in apps, but not all third-party apps. If the Full Page tab does not appear, the app you are using does not support this feature, and you can only capture what is currently visible on your screen.
Share a screenshot without saving it first
After you take a screenshot, the thumbnail in the bottom left corner lets you share it immediately without waiting for it to save. Tap the thumbnail to open the edit screen, then tap Done in the top left. A menu will appear with options to Save to Photos, Delete Screenshot, or Share.
Tap Share to send the screenshot via Messages, Mail, AirDrop, or any other sharing method your iPad supports. You can also copy it to your clipboard by tapping Copy, then paste it directly into another app like Notes or a messaging app.
If you share a screenshot and then change your mind, you can still delete it from your Photos app later. Sharing a screenshot does not lock it in place — you have full control to remove it whenever you want.
Troubleshoot if your screenshot is not saving
If you take a screenshot but it does not appear in your Photos app, first check that you have enough storage space on your iPad. Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage and look at the available space. If your iPad is almost full, delete some photos, videos, or apps to free up room, then try taking a screenshot again.
If you have plenty of storage but screenshots still are not saving, restart your iPad. Press and hold the Top button and either Volume button until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off your iPad. Wait a few seconds, then press the Top button again to turn it back on. Try taking a screenshot once your iPad has fully restarted.
If restarting does not work, check that the Photos app has permission to save screenshots. Go to Settings > Privacy > Photos, find the Photos app in the list, and make sure it is set to Read and Write. If it is set to Read Only, tap it and change it to Read and Write.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot of my entire screen at once?
Yes. Press the Top button and Volume Up button together, and your iPad captures everything currently visible on your screen. If you want to capture a website or document that extends beyond what you can see, tap the thumbnail that appears and select the Full Page option instead.
Where do screenshots go after I take them?
Screenshots are saved to your Photos app in a folder called Screenshots. Open Photos, tap Albums, scroll down, and tap Screenshots to see them all. You can also find them in your main Photos library by scrolling through your recent images.
What if I take a screenshot by accident?
Tap the thumbnail that appears in the bottom left corner within a few seconds, then tap Delete Screenshot. If you miss that window, open the Photos app, go to the Screenshots album, tap Select, choose the screenshot, and tap Delete to remove it.
Can I take a screenshot if my iPad is locked?
No. You must unlock your iPad first before you can take a screenshot. Press the Top button or use Face ID or Touch ID to unlock it, then take your screenshot.
Why is my screenshot blurry or low quality?
Screenshots capture exactly what is on your screen at that moment. If the image looks blurry, the content itself may be low resolution, or your iPad's display may need adjustment. Try zooming in on the content before taking the screenshot, or check that your screen brightness is set high enough to see details clearly.