Take Android screenshots with a single swipe or no buttons at all

Android OS includes a wide range of phone choices – the Samsung Galaxy S22, Motorola Edge and Google Pixel 6 offers custom Android experiences with their own special quirks. They also provide all of their own unique ways to take a phone screenshot, except for the standard Android method of pressing home and power buttons at the same time.

Taking screenshots with Android can be difficult and sometimes frustrating, especially if you’re trying to capture a specific scene in motion, like in a video clip or game. And if you are not careful with your buttons, you may accidentally end up shutting down your phone or restarting it.

Read on to learn all about the best ways to take screenshots on Android phones as well as a complete list of screenshots for screenshots on Samsung, Google Pixel and Motorola devices.

For more, check it out latest rumors about Samsung Galaxy Watch 5a new review of Samsung Galaxy A53 5G and all about updating your old Samsung phone.

How to take a screenshot on your Android device

Almost all Android phones or tablets allow you to take a screenshot quickly press the volume down and power buttons. Just press them down at the same time – just a brief moment – and when you release, you will hear a camera shutter sound, your screen will flash, and you will see a thumbnail of your screenshot appear at the bottom of your screen.

If for some reason it does not work, press and hold power button for a few seconds, then press Screenshot when it appears on your screen.

If you want a long, scrolling screen (available on Android 12 only), take a screenshot as usual, but this time press icon with two arrows in the preview of the screen. It may also be labeled “Catch More”. Each time you press the two arrows, it will extend the length of the screen until you reach the bottom of the page.

It is also important to get the timing right. If you hold down the buttons for too long or let go too quickly, you may find yourself staring at your phone and waiting for it to do something, and yet nothing happens. Or worse, you may get to the restart screen and not know how to go back (just press the start button). Spend a few minutes practicing both methods if you have difficulty triggering the functionality of the screen image on your phone. It will save you from headaches in the future.

Samsung’s long list of screen capture tools

Samsung has additional ways in which you can take a screenshot on a Galaxy phone.

Swipe to record: To activate the palm movement, go to Settings > Advanced features > Movements and gestures and slide the switch next to it Swipe with the palm of your hand to catch to On position. With this option turned on, slide the edge of your hand from the left edge of the screen to the right side to take a screenshot. It may feel a little strange at first, but it’s a more reliable method for someone struggling with the timing of button-pressing combinations.

Use your voice: As long as you have Bixby Voice or Google Assistant enabled, you can use a voice command to take a screenshot. Just say, “Take a screenshot” and one of the two assistants should be able to capture your screen without you having to use your hands.

S Pen: Remove the S Pen and go to the screen you want to capture. Now press Air command menu icon > Type on the screen to take a screenshot of the page you are on. You can then use the S Pen to type or draw on the screen. Press Saving icon when done.

Pixel 6’s own trick

As long as you are running Android 12, you can use a unique swipe motion to take a screenshot of Pixel 6. All you have to do is swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold your finger on the screen for a second. This opens your app drawer where all your recently opened apps are displayed. Tap to capture your screen Screenshot.

Additionally, you can use Google Assistant to take a screenshot of Pixel with only your voice. And it does not have to stop at just that. You can say something like “Hey Google, take a screenshot and send it to mom” to perform multiple actions with just a single voice command.

And Motorola’s unique screenshot feature

The owner Motorola phone? It’s full of special movements for things like opening the camera with a quick turn of the wrist or, it turns out, taking a screenshot.

You need to turn it on by opening the Moto app in your app drawer and then selecting Moto actions and bottling Screenshot with three fingers from the list of options. There is a quick demo built into the settings section that lets you try it out before activating the feature. The process is to place three fingers, slightly spread, on the screen at the same time until you see a screenshot taken.

If your Android phone has a favorite screenshot method you want to share, leave a comment below and we’ll add it to this post.

And if you want to stay up to date with Google’s latest offerings, take a first look Android 13, which includes updated privacy features, theme icons and new language controls. However, Android 12 is still here and you can dive with your head in first our favorite hidden Android 12 features. For more on the latest in the world of Android devices, check it out CNET’s first look at the Galaxy S22, S22 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S8. They were all unveiled at Samsung’s February Unpacked Eventand if you’re interested in how the three phones measure up, check out ours comparison of lineup.