Use your device’s built-in screenshot control—no extra app or equipment is normally required. On Windows press Windows + Shift + S; on Mac press Shift-Command-3 or Shift-Command-4; on iPhone press the button combination for your model; on most Android phones press Power + Volume down; and on Chromebook use the Screenshot key or Shift + Ctrl + Show windows. Then open the resulting file from the platform’s usual Screenshots folder, Desktop, Downloads folder, Photos, or Gallery.
Screenshot shortcuts at a glance
| Device | Whole screen | Area or window | Usual save location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Print Screen copies the entire screen; Snipping Tool also offers full-screen capture | Windows + Shift + S, then choose rectangular, freeform, window, or full-screen | Screenshots folder when saved automatically; clipboard or a location chosen with Save as |
| Mac | Shift-Command-3 | Shift-Command-4; press Space to capture a window or menu | Desktop by default |
| iPhone | Side/top button plus the appropriate volume or Home button | Use the screenshot preview to mark up or share the captured screen | Photos > Collections > Media Types > Screenshots |
| Android phone | Power + Volume down, or Power menu > Screenshot | After capture, tap Capture more for a scrolling image where supported | Photos > Collections > On this device > Screenshots, or Gallery |
| Chromebook | Screenshot key, Screen Capture menu, or Shift + Ctrl + Show windows | Choose full-screen, partial-screen, or window capture | Downloads by default, unless changed in capture settings |
How to screenshot on Windows
Capture a selected area, window, or screen
- Press Windows logo key + Shift + S. The Snipping Tool overlay appears.
- Choose rectangular snip, freeform snip, window snip, or full-screen snip.
- For a rectangular or freeform snip, drag around the content. For a window snip, select the window.
- Open the notification or Snipping Tool editor to crop, draw, highlight, or add annotations.
- Use Save or Save as to choose a filename and folder. Windows can also automatically save captured snips in the Screenshots folder, depending on the current Snipping Tool configuration.
Copy the entire screen without opening the editor
Press Print Screen (PrtSc). Windows places a static image of the entire screen on the clipboard. Paste it into Paint, an email, a document, or another image-capable app, then save it. If your keyboard labels the key differently, look for PrtSc, PrtScn, or Print Scr.
When the shortcut does not respond
- On a laptop, hold Fn as well if Print Screen is a secondary key function.
- Click the desktop once and retry Windows + Shift + S if another app has focus or a full-screen game is intercepting keys.
- Open Start and search for Snipping Tool if the keyboard shortcut is disabled. Its toolbar provides the same capture modes.
How to screenshot on a Mac
Use the standard keyboard shortcuts
- Shift-Command-3 captures every display. With multiple monitors, each display is captured.
- Shift-Command-4 changes the pointer to crosshairs. Drag over the area you want, then release.
- After pressing Shift-Command-4, press Space to switch to window or menu capture, then click the target.
- Hold Control with a shortcut to place the image on the clipboard instead of creating a file. Paste it into the destination app.
Use Screenshot controls and timers
On macOS Mojave 10.14 or later, press Shift-Command-5 to open the Screenshot toolbar. It includes whole-screen, window, and selected-area capture, a timer, and options for the save location. The floating thumbnail can be opened for markup or dragged into another app. Screenshots normally save to the Desktop unless you select another destination.
Why a Mac window may not capture
Some applications block screenshots of their windows for privacy or content-protection reasons. Try capturing a different area, use the app’s own export command, or ask the software vendor whether screenshots are supported. A shortcut cannot override an application-level restriction.
#1 Best Overall
- Universal unlocked. Compatible with all major U.S. carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and other prepaid carriers.
- Super-bright, super-smooth 6.7" display. See your screen clearly even outdoors in sunlight, and enjoy seamless views with a fast-refreshing 120Hz display.*
- AI-powered camera system. Take stunning photos in any light with the 50MP camera**, look your best with a 32MP selfie cam*****, and capture extreme close-ups.
- Superfast 5G performance. Unleash your entertainment at 5G speed*** with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and up to 12GB of RAM with RAM Boost****.
- Long-lasting battery + TurboPower charging. Power through day after day with a 5200mAh battery, then get hours of power in just minutes.****
How to screenshot on an iPhone
iPhones with Face ID
Press and quickly release the side button and volume-up button together. A brief flash and shutter sound (when enabled) indicate the capture.
iPhones with a Home button
- Models with a side button: press and quickly release the side button + Home button.
- Models with a top button: press and quickly release the top button + Home button.
Find, edit, and share the image
Open Photos > Collections > Media Types > Screenshots. Tap an image to crop, draw, add text, copy, share, or delete it. The immediate review and save controls differ between iOS 26 and iOS 18 and earlier, so do not assume that the thumbnail behaves identically after an operating-system update.
If the buttons are difficult to press
Turn on an accessibility alternative such as AssistiveTouch in Settings > Accessibility > Touch. Its on-screen menu can be configured with a Screenshot action, avoiding simultaneous physical-button presses. Exact menu names can vary slightly by iOS release.
How to screenshot on an Android phone
Try the standard button combination
Press Power + Volume down at the same time, then release quickly. A preview or animation normally confirms the capture.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesUse the power menu when buttons fail
- Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds.
- Tap Screenshot if it appears in the power menu.
- If neither method works, use the phone manufacturer’s support instructions. Android button behavior is not identical on every model.
Capture a long, scrolling page
On Android 12 and later, take a normal screenshot and tap Capture more when the option appears. Move the crop guides to include additional content, then save. This works on most scrollable screens, but an individual app can disable scrolling capture or provide its own command.
Rank #2
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Locate and organize screenshots
In Google Photos, go to Photos > Collections > On this device > Screenshots. Phones without Google Photos commonly place images in the Gallery app instead. Manufacturer skins may add a separate Screenshots album or offer markup tools in the notification.
How to screenshot on a Chromebook
Open Screen Capture
Press the dedicated Screenshot key if your Chromebook keyboard has one. Otherwise open quick settings and choose Screen Capture, or press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows. Select full-screen, partial-screen, or window capture, then follow the pointer prompt.
Use an external keyboard
If an external keyboard has no Show windows key, Google specifies Ctrl + Shift + F5. If that combination is unavailable, open Screen Capture from quick settings instead.
Change the save folder
Chromebook saves screenshots to Downloads by default. In the Screen Capture controls, open the settings for the capture and choose another folder before taking the image. The notification that appears after capture can open the file for renaming, editing, or sharing.
Choose the right capture type
Whole-screen capture
Use this when the surrounding desktop, browser chrome, or status bar is part of the evidence. Close private windows and notifications first; a whole-screen image can include anything visible on every connected display.
Rank #3
- Charger NOT Included, 6.7" Super AMOLED FHD+, 90Hz Refresh Rate, 385 ppi, 800 nits (HBM), 1080x2340px, 5000mAh Battery
- 128GB, 4GB RAM, microSDXC, Exynos 1330 (5nm), Octa-Core, Mali-G68 MP2 or Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
- Rear Camera: 50MP, f/1.8 (wide) + 5MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 2MP, f/2.4 (macro), LED flash, panorama, HDR; Front Camera: 13MP, f/2.0, Android 14, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
- 3G: HSDPA 850/900/1700(AWS)/1900/2100; 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/13/14/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/48/66/71, 5G: 2/5/25/41/66/71/77/78 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - Nano-SIM + eSIM
- US Model – Global Connectivity – Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will Also work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Straight Talk.
Window capture
Window mode is cleaner for support tickets and tutorials because it excludes unrelated applications. Check the result for drop shadows, menus, or dialog boxes that may have disappeared before the capture completed.
Selected-area capture
Select only the information the recipient needs. This reduces accidental disclosure of account numbers, message previews, tabs, and other personal data. Crop again before posting publicly if the selection included more than intended.
Scrolling or full-page capture
A normal desktop shortcut captures what is currently visible, not an entire webpage below the fold. Android’s Capture more handles many scrollable screens. For a website on a computer, use the browser’s own full-page feature or an automated screenshot service rather than stitching many manual images and risking gaps.
After you capture: verify, edit, and share safely
- Check the image. Zoom in to confirm text is readable and that a menu, cursor, or loading spinner did not obscure the important area.
- Remove sensitive data. Crop or cover passwords, authentication codes, addresses, private messages, payment details, and browser tabs before sharing.
- Use a descriptive filename. Include the app or page and date, such as checkout-error-2026-09-29.png.
- Keep the original when evidence matters. Make a marked-up copy for explanation and retain the untouched capture separately.
- Choose an appropriate destination. Paste clipboard captures directly into a ticket, or save a file when you need an attachment that can be reopened later.
Common problems and fixes
Nothing happens when I press the shortcut
- Confirm the exact platform shortcut and whether your keyboard requires Fn.
- Try the on-screen capture utility (Snipping Tool, Screenshot toolbar, Screen Capture, or the Android power menu).
- Restart the app or device if a full-screen application has captured the keyboard focus.
The image is black or shows an error instead of content
Protected video players, banking apps, remote desktops, and some work-managed applications can block capture or deliberately return a blank image. Use the application’s export or sharing function, or ask an administrator whether a policy is preventing screenshots.
I cannot find the file
- Check the platform’s default location: Windows Screenshots, Mac Desktop, Chromebook Downloads, or the phone’s Screenshots album.
- Search for files created today and inspect the capture notification or editor history.
- If you used Print Screen or Control-plus-shortcut, paste from the clipboard into an image editor and save it; those modes may not create a file automatically.
The screenshot is blurry or too small
Capture at the device’s native resolution, maximize the target window, and avoid enlarging a low-resolution image after the fact. For a small region, use the original selected-area capture rather than cropping a whole-screen image repeatedly.
Rank #4
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
A scrolling capture stops early
Some pages use nested scroll areas, virtualized lists, or fixed-position elements that prevent the operating system from detecting the full length. Capture sections separately, use the app’s export option, or use a webpage screenshot service designed to load the complete page.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Or skip the browser setup
If what you need is a screenshot of a public or authenticated website—not the physical screen of your laptop or phone—ScreenshotNeo returns an image or PDF from one request. It accepts cookies and consent banners like a visitor, removes more than 60 known consent platforms plus newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture, and lets you turn each cleanup step off. Only clean shots are billed: bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
See the full parameter reference in the ScreenshotNeo documentation. This cURL request saves a WebP image:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython equivalent:
import requests
r = requests.get('https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot', params={'access_key': 'YOUR_API_KEY', 'url': 'https://stripe.com'}, timeout=90)
r.raise_for_status()
open('shot.webp', 'wb').write(r.content)Node.js equivalent:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
const fs = await import('node:fs/promises');
await fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));You can request full-page captures with lazy images loaded, a CSS-selected element, dark mode, any viewport or one of 12 device presets, retina scale, PDF paper and page-range settings, custom CSS or JavaScript, a click before capture, hidden selectors, waits for a selector, delay, or network idle, blocked ads and resource types, custom headers, cookies, user agent, Authorization, timezone, geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, a chosen cache TTL, signed links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, usage data, and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work for easier migration. An MCP server exposes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf to Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots each month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots; higher plans are Starter $5/3,000, Growth $15/15,000, Pro $39/60,000, Scale $99/250,000, and Business $249/1,000,000. Yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is included on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account to start without a card.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →What this guide does not standardize
Linux does not have one universal screenshot shortcut. The correct procedure depends on the distribution and desktop environment, so identify those first and follow their official documentation rather than applying a Windows, Mac, or Chromebook shortcut. The same caution applies to unusual Android hardware layouts and managed devices whose administrator has disabled capture.
Best Value
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Tracfone plan required, activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- DISPLAY: Immersive viewing on a 6.7-inch super-bright 120Hz display with powerful stereo speakers and Bass Boost for cinematic entertainment.
- CAMERA SYSTEM: Advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera captures sharp, detailed photos and videos in any lighting condition
- PERFORMANCE: Lightning-fast 5G connectivity paired with a powerful processor and RAM Boost for smooth multitasking.
- BATTERY LIFE: Long-lasting 5000mAh battery with TurboPower charging technology delivers hours of power in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot while a notification is visible?
Yes, but the notification becomes part of the image. Dismiss private notifications first, or wait for them to disappear and capture again.
Why does my screenshot include two monitors?
Whole-screen capture on a multi-display Mac or Windows setup can include every display. Use window or selected-area mode when you need only one monitor’s content.
Can screenshots prove exactly what an app displayed?
They record visible pixels, not hidden page state, network responses, or later changes. Keep the original file and record the capture time when using an image as incident evidence.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Where should I look if my phone has no Screenshots album?
Open the Gallery app or search the device’s file manager for a Screenshots folder. Manufacturer software may use a different album name or storage path.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
