The fastest way to capture your screen
On most Samsung phones, press the Power button and Volume Down button at the same time. Hold them both for about a second until you see a flash, hear a shutter sound, or see a notification at the top of your screen. That's it — your screenshot is saved.
The exact buttons depend on your phone model. On older Samsung phones or tablets, you might press Power and Home instead. On the newest models, Power and Volume Down works on almost everything made in the last five years.
Your screenshot goes straight to your Photos app or Gallery, usually in a folder called Screenshots. You can open it right away, edit it, or share it without leaving the camera app.
Key Takeaways
- Press Power and Volume Down together for one second to take a screenshot on most Samsung phones.
- Your screenshot saves automatically to your Photos app in a Screenshots folder.
- A notification appears at the top of your screen immediately after you capture, and you can edit or share from there.
- If Power and Volume Down does not work, your phone may use Power and Home instead, or you can use the palm swipe method by swiping the edge of your hand across the screen.
- Samsung phones also let you take scrolling screenshots to capture content that extends beyond one screen.
What to do if the button method does not work
If pressing the buttons does nothing, your phone might have a different button combination. Try Power and Home instead — this works on some older Samsung models. Hold both for about a second, the same way you would with Power and Volume Down.
If neither button combination works, you can use a gesture instead. Swipe the edge of your hand (the side of your palm) across the screen from left to right or right to left. Your phone must have this feature turned on in Settings. Go to Settings, then Advanced Features, then Motions and Gestures, then Palm Swipe to Capture, and turn it on. Then swipe across your screen with the side of your hand to take a screenshot.
You can also use Samsung's built-in assistant. Say "Hi Bixby" or press and hold the Bixby button (usually on the left side of your phone), then say "Take a screenshot." This works on phones with Bixby enabled, though the button method is faster for most people.
How to capture more than one screen at a time
Samsung phones can take scrolling screenshots that capture content longer than your screen — like a long webpage or a conversation thread. Take a regular screenshot first using Power and Volume Down. A notification appears at the top with options. Tap Scroll Capture or Capture More (the exact wording varies by model).
Your phone will automatically scroll down and add more content to your screenshot. It keeps scrolling until it reaches the bottom of the page or until you tap to stop. The final image saves as one long screenshot in your Photos app.
This feature works on most Samsung phones from the last several years, but not all. If you do not see the Scroll Capture option after taking a screenshot, your phone does not have this feature.
Where your screenshots go and how to find them
Screenshots save to your Photos app (sometimes called Gallery on older phones) in a folder called Screenshots. Open Photos, look for the Screenshots folder, and your images are there in order from newest to oldest.
If you cannot find the Screenshots folder, your phone might be saving them somewhere else. Open your file manager (usually called Files or My Files), go to the Pictures folder, and look for a Screenshots subfolder there. Some Samsung phones also let you choose where screenshots save — check Settings, then Advanced Features, then Screenshots, to see if you can change the location.
You can also search for screenshots right from your Photos app. Open Photos, tap the search icon (usually a magnifying glass), and type "screenshot." Your phone will show all screenshots it has found.
Editing and sharing your screenshot right away
After you take a screenshot, a notification appears at the top of your screen for a few seconds. Tap it to open a quick menu where you can edit, crop, or share the image without opening your full Photos app.
From this menu, you can draw on the screenshot with a pen or highlighter, crop out parts you do not need, or add text. You can also share it directly to Messages, Email, or social media apps. If you do not tap the notification, it disappears after a few seconds, but your screenshot is still saved in your Photos app.
If you want to edit later, open your Photos app, find the screenshot, tap it, and look for an Edit button (usually a pencil icon). From there you can crop, rotate, adjust brightness, or add filters.
Troubleshooting when screenshots are not working
If your screenshot buttons are not responding, first check that you are pressing both buttons at exactly the same time. Press them together, not one after the other. Hold them for about one full second — pressing too quickly sometimes does not register.
If that does not work, restart your phone. Turn it off completely, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. Then try taking a screenshot again. This fixes most button-related problems.
If your phone is very low on storage, screenshots might fail silently. Go to Settings, then Storage, and check how much space you have left. If you are below 500 MB of free space, delete some photos or videos, then try again.
On some Samsung phones, certain apps or screens block screenshots for security reasons — banking apps, Netflix, and some messaging apps do this. If you see a message saying "Unable to capture screenshot," that app is preventing it. You can take a screenshot of anything else on your phone, just not that specific app.
Using Samsung's screenshot tools on tablets
Samsung tablets work the same way as phones. Press Power and Volume Down at the same time to take a screenshot. On some older tablets, you might need to press Power and Home instead.
Tablets also support the palm swipe method if you turn it on in Settings. The scrolling screenshot feature works on tablets too, which is especially useful because tablet screens are larger and you might want to capture long documents or webpages.
Screenshots on tablets save to the same Photos or Gallery app as on phones, organized in a Screenshots folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot without using buttons?
Yes. You can swipe the edge of your hand across the screen if you turn on Palm Swipe to Capture in Settings, or you can use Bixby voice commands. You can also use Samsung's Quick Settings panel — swipe down twice from the top and look for a Screenshot button, though not all phones have this option.
Why does my screenshot show the notification bar at the top?
That is normal. Screenshots capture everything visible on your screen, including the status bar with the time and battery. If you do not want it in your final image, open the screenshot in your Photos app, tap Edit, and crop the top part out.
Can I take a screenshot of a video while it is playing?
Most video apps block screenshots for copyright reasons. You will see a message saying the screenshot could not be taken. Some apps like YouTube and Netflix specifically prevent this. You can take screenshots of other content on your screen, just not the video itself.
How do I take a screenshot of my entire conversation or webpage?
Use the scrolling screenshot feature. Take a regular screenshot first, then tap Scroll Capture from the notification that appears. Your phone will scroll down and add more content to one long image. Keep tapping to add more, or let it scroll automatically until it reaches the bottom.
Where do I find my old screenshots?
Open your Photos app and look for a Screenshots folder. If you do not see one, open your file manager, go to Pictures, and look for a Screenshots subfolder there. You can also search for "screenshot" in your Photos app to find them all at once.