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Android has no single screenshot endpoint for every use case. Use MediaProjection when you need the device display or a user-selected app window, and PixelCopy when you need a still image of your own app’s Window or SurfaceView. Both approaches have different permissions, capture scopes, and lifecycle requirements. If by “screenshot API” you mean capturing a website from an Android app or service, that is a different job: ScreenshotNeo captures a URL, not the Android device’s screen.
Choose the Android capture API for the job
Start with the pixels you need. A screenshot of one of your app’s views is not the same as a screenshot of the whole device. Android’s MediaProjection APIs, introduced in Android 5 (API 21), provide user-approved display capture as a media stream. PixelCopy, available from API 24, asynchronously copies pixels from a Window, Surface, or SurfaceView into a Bitmap.
| Need | Use | Capture result | Consent and availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capture the device display or a user-selected app window | MediaProjection |
A stream of frames delivered to an output surface; you can take a still from a frame or record/process frames. | Requires explicit user approval for each new projection session. Available from API 21. |
| Capture a still of your own Activity window or rendered SurfaceView | PixelCopy |
An asynchronous copy into a supplied Bitmap. |
No MediaProjection consent flow. Available from API 24; the source must be ready and have rendered content. |
| Capture a small view hierarchy that does not depend on hardware-only rendering | Software Canvas with View.draw() |
A drawn view snapshot. | May omit hardware-only rendering features; not the modern general-purpose screen-capture API. |
Android’s View reference recommends PixelCopy for UI screenshots used in feedback reports or unit testing. The old View drawing-cache APIs are deprecated from API 28, so do not start a new screenshot implementation around them.
Capture the device or selected app with MediaProjection
Use this path for screen sharing, recording, OCR across screens, streaming, or another task that genuinely needs display pixels outside your own view hierarchy. Android’s system consent flow is part of the design, not an optional permission to work around. On Android 14 (API 34), the user can choose to share a single app window; that capture excludes system bars, notifications, and other system UI.
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Declare the foreground service for apps targeting Android 14 or later
For apps targeting API 34 or later, declare both the general foreground-service permission and the media-projection-specific permission, and mark the service with the mediaProjection type. This is the manifest shape:
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PROJECTION" />
<application ...>
<service
android:name=".ScreenCaptureService"
android:exported="false"
android:foregroundServiceType="mediaProjection" />
</application>The service also needs to enter foreground state with an appropriate notification when it starts. The manifest declarations alone do not start a foreground service or grant capture consent.
Request consent, then create exactly one projection session
Obtain MediaProjectionManager from Context.MEDIA_PROJECTION_SERVICE, launch its screen-capture consent intent, and wait for the activity result. The following Kotlin shows the core Activity-side handoff using the Activity Result API:
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private val captureRequest = registerForActivityResult(
ActivityResultContracts.StartActivityForResult()
) { result ->
if (result.resultCode == Activity.RESULT_OK && result.data != null) {
val serviceIntent = Intent(this, ScreenCaptureService::class.java).apply {
action = ScreenCaptureService.ACTION_START
putExtra(ScreenCaptureService.EXTRA_RESULT_CODE, result.resultCode)
putExtra(ScreenCaptureService.EXTRA_RESULT_DATA, result.data)
}
ContextCompat.startForegroundService(this, serviceIntent)
}
}
private fun requestCapture() {
val manager = getSystemService(Context.MEDIA_PROJECTION_SERVICE)
as MediaProjectionManager
captureRequest.launch(manager.createScreenCaptureIntent())
}Use the result code and returned intent in the service to call getMediaProjection() once for that session. On Android 14 and later, treat the consent result and projection token as single-use for creating a VirtualDisplay. If the user stops the projection or you need a new session, request consent again; do not reuse the old result to create another VirtualDisplay.
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For a still image or frame processing, create an ImageReader in RGBA_8888 and pass its surface to createVirtualDisplay(). Choose display dimensions and density from the current display configuration; WindowManager.getMaximumWindowMetrics() and WindowMetrics.getBounds() provide display bounds for this purpose. A selected app window can have different dimensions from the full display.
val imageReader = ImageReader.newInstance(
width,
height,
PixelFormat.RGBA_8888,
2 // A small queue; promptly close frames you acquire.
)
val projection = projectionManager.getMediaProjection(resultCode, resultData)
projection.registerCallback(object : MediaProjection.Callback() {
override fun onStop() {
virtualDisplay?.release()
imageReader.close()
projectionRef = null
}
}, handler)
val virtualDisplay = projection.createVirtualDisplay(
"Screenshot",
width,
height,
densityDpi,
DisplayManager.VIRTUAL_DISPLAY_FLAG_AUTO_MIRROR,
imageReader.surface,
null,
handler
)
imageReader.setOnImageAvailableListener({ reader ->
val image = reader.acquireLatestImage() ?: return@setOnImageAvailableListener
try {
val plane = image.planes[0]
val pixelStride = plane.pixelStride
val rowStride = plane.rowStride
val rowPadding = rowStride - pixelStride * width
val paddedWidth = width + rowPadding / pixelStride
val padded = Bitmap.createBitmap(
paddedWidth, height, Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888
)
plane.buffer.rewind()
padded.copyPixelsFromBuffer(plane.buffer)
val bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(padded, 0, 0, width, height)
padded.recycle()
// Save, display, or process bitmap here.
} finally {
image.close()
}
}, handler)This is the capture core, not a complete service class: your service must establish its foreground notification, retain and release its projection/display/reader references, and handle its own bitmap output destination. The padded row width matters because a plane’s rowStride can exceed width × pixelStride. Copying it as though every row were tightly packed can produce skewed pixels or buffer errors. Acquire the newest available image for still capture, and close each acquired Image promptly so the reader’s limited image queue does not fill.
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- 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
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Handle stop, resize, and visibility changes
Register a MediaProjection.Callback before creating the VirtualDisplay. When onStop() fires, release the VirtualDisplay, close the ImageReader, and discard the projection reference. The system can stop capture when the user ends it, the screen locks, another projection starts, or the process dies; cleanup is necessary in every case.
For Android 14 app-window sharing, also handle onCapturedContentResize() and onCapturedContentVisibilityChanged(). Resize both the VirtualDisplay and its output surface when the selected window changes dimensions, or the output can be letterboxed. The visibility callback lets you hide or show a preview when the shared app is fully covered.
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For a feedback attachment or UI test that needs one still from your app, PixelCopy is usually the narrower, simpler fit. The callback is asynchronous: supply a destination Bitmap, request a copy, and check the result code before using the bitmap.
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Copy an Activity window
Wait until the window has a non-null DecorView and has drawn at least once so it has an acquired backing surface. For example, initiate the request after the view is laid out or after a draw callback rather than immediately during Activity creation.
val bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(width, height, Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888)
PixelCopy.request(window, bitmap, { result ->
if (result == PixelCopy.SUCCESS) {
// Use or save bitmap.
} else {
// Handle the error; do not treat bitmap as a valid screenshot.
}
}, Handler(Looper.getMainLooper()))Copy a SurfaceView or only a region
For a rendered SurfaceView, use the SurfaceView overload and make the request after its surface has produced content. PixelCopy can also take a source rectangle when you need only part of the window or surface. The selected source is scaled to the destination bitmap and converted to that bitmap’s configuration, so allocate dimensions and memory for the output you actually need.
Troubleshoot failed or incorrect captures
- MediaProjection consent was canceled: Do not call
getMediaProjection()without a successful activity result. Let the user retry by launching the consent intent again. - Android 14 rejects a reused projection result: Request fresh consent for a new session and create only one VirtualDisplay from that session’s token.
- The app fails to start projection on Android 14: For an app targeting API 34 or later, check both foreground-service permissions, the service’s
mediaProjectiontype, and that it enters foreground state as required. - Capture is letterboxed or has the wrong dimensions: A selected app window can differ in size from the full display. Use current metrics and update the VirtualDisplay and output surface from
onCapturedContentResize(). - The ImageReader callback stops producing usable frames: Ensure each acquired
Imageis closed in afinallyblock and that your app is not holding multiple frames open. - PixelCopy returns
ERROR_SOURCE_INVALID: The source is not available as a valid copy source. For a Window, verify its DecorView and backing surface exist before requesting the copy. - PixelCopy returns
ERROR_SOURCE_NO_DATA: The source has not supplied content yet. Wait for at least one draw or for the SurfaceView to render, then request again. - PixelCopy returns
ERROR_DESTINATION_INVALID: Check that the destination bitmap is valid and correctly created before passing it to PixelCopy. - PixelCopy returns
ERROR_TIMEOUTorERROR_UNKNOWN: The copy did not complete successfully. Do not assume the destination is a valid capture; retry only when the source and destination are ready, and handle repeated failure in the calling flow. - Capture stops unexpectedly: Treat
onStop()as a normal lifecycle event. Release the display and reader there and require a new consent flow for another projection session.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is to capture a website from Android code—not the Android display—ScreenshotNeo takes a URL through one GET request. It is a website screenshot API, not a replacement for MediaProjection or PixelCopy. Here is a cURL request; the Android client can make the equivalent HTTPS request from its own app or backend. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot"
-d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY
--data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com
-o shot.webpScreenshotNeo accepts cookie and consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server offers take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf for AI agents using Claude, Cursor, or another MCP client. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. These are website captures, not captures of private Android screen content. Learn more at ScreenshotNeo, or sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
Neither Android API requires buying a screenshot service for local capture. With MediaProjection, the work and resource lifetime belong to your app: keep the number of queued frames small, close images quickly, and release the virtual display and reader on stop. PixelCopy is asynchronous and returns into a bitmap you allocate, so its memory use depends on the destination dimensions and bitmap configuration. Do not retain large bitmaps longer than needed. There are no performance benchmarks here that support a universal claim that one API is faster; the right choice is primarily dictated by capture scope and output model.
If your workflow actually involves remote website URLs, use a website screenshot service rather than opening a browser on-device and attempting to screenshot its UI. ScreenshotNeo bills only clean captures; rejected or failed page outcomes listed above and cache hits are not billed. Its plans include Free (1,000 per month), Starter ($5 for 3,000), Growth ($15 for 15,000), Pro ($39 for 60,000), Scale ($99 for 250,000), and Business ($249 for 1,000,000); yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is available on every plan. Those service prices apply to URL captures, not Android display capture.
Decision checklist
- Use MediaProjection if you need the whole device display or a user-selected app window, or need repeated frames.
- Use PixelCopy if you need a still Bitmap from your own Window or SurfaceView.
- Use a software Canvas draw only for a limited view snapshot where hardware-only rendering is not essential.
- Use a website screenshot API only when the input is a URL; it does not take over Android’s protected user-consent screen-capture flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use MediaProjection to capture just one app on every Android version?
No. User-selectable app-window sharing is an Android 14 (API 34) capability; behavior and available capture scope depend on Android version.
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No. ScreenshotNeo takes a website URL and returns a website screenshot or PDF. For the device display, use Android’s MediaProjection consent flow.
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