How to Screenshot on iPhone

If your iPhone features Face ID and lacks a physical home button, taking a screenshot requires a simple simultaneous press of two external buttons. This method applies to iPhone X and newer models, including all recent generations running modern versions of iOS.

To capture your screen, press and quickly release the Side button on the right edge of your phone and the Volume Up button on the left edge at the exact same time. If done correctly, your screen will flash white briefly, and a small thumbnail preview of your screenshot will appear in the bottom-left corner of the display. You can tap this thumbnail to edit the image immediately, or swipe it away to automatically save it to your Photos app.

For iPhone models that feature Touch ID and a side power button but no top button (such as the iPhone 8, iPhone SE 2nd generation, and iPhone SE 3rd generation), the button combination shifts slightly to accommodate the physical home button.

To take a screenshot on these devices, press and quickly release the Side button and the Home button simultaneously. Just like with Face ID models, your screen will flash white, and a thumbnail preview will pop up in the lower-left corner. If you hold the buttons down for too long instead of quickly releasing them, you might accidentally activate Siri or trigger the Emergency SOS menu, so make sure your press is firm and brief.

If you are using an older device such as an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 7, the layout relies on the top edge of the device rather than the side. This traditional button combination has been a staple of iOS devices for many years.

To capture the screen on these legacy models, press and quickly release the Top (or Sleep/Wake) button and the Home button simultaneously. The screen will briefly flash white, confirming the capture. If your physical buttons are worn out or unresponsive due to hardware damage, do not worry—you can easily rely on software alternatives like AssistiveTouch to take screenshots without pressing any hardware buttons.

Sometimes a standard screenshot only captures what is visible on your immediate display, missing important details further down a long web page, document, or email. iOS includes a built-in feature that lets you capture an entire scrolling page.

First, take a normal screenshot using your preferred button combination. Next, tap the thumbnail preview in the bottom-left corner to open the full-screen markup editor. At the top of the editing screen, tap the Full Page tab instead of Screen. This switches the view to show the entire scrollable document. You can use the crop tool to adjust how much of the page you want to save, and then tap Done to save the entire document as a PDF file directly to your Files app.

If your physical buttons are broken or you simply prefer a one-handed navigation experience, you can configure AssistiveTouch to take screenshots with a tap. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and toggle the switch to turn it on.

Once enabled, a floating virtual button will appear on your screen. Tap this button, select Device > More, and then tap Screenshot. To make this even faster, you can navigate back to the AssistiveTouch menu and assign Screenshot to a custom action, such as a double-tap or a long-press on the floating button, allowing you to capture your screen instantly without fumbling for physical buttons.

When your hands are full or your phone is resting on a stand, you can use Apple's virtual assistant to capture your display completely hands-free. This method is particularly useful when you cannot reach the buttons.

Activate Siri by holding down your side button or by saying your wake phrase, then clearly state, "Take a screenshot." Siri will confirm the action and snap the picture instantly, saving it directly to your Photos library. Note that Siri may occasionally capture the Siri overlay interface at the bottom of the screen, so keep your request concise if you want to avoid capturing the assistant graphics.

Once you have captured your screen, managing and organizing the files is straightforward. Tap the thumbnail preview in the corner before it disappears to instantly crop, draw, add text, or highlight specific areas using the built-in Markup tools. Tap Done to save your changes to Photos or Delete.

To find all your past captures later, open the Photos app, tap Albums, scroll down to the Media Types section, and select Screenshots. iOS automatically categorizes your captures here so they do not clutter your main photo stream, making them easy to review, share, or delete when no longer needed.