Have you ever wanted to capture something you were seeing on your iPhone, but couldn’t figure out how? If that’s the case, then you’re in luck! Taking screenshots on an iPhone is actually pretty easy. In this article, I’m going to walk you through exactly how to do it—and give you some clever tips to make the process even simpler.
By the end, you’ll be taking screengrabs like a pro. We’ll show you how to grab images of everything from a funny text exchange with a friend to an Instagram post. Plus, I’ll give you tips on when and why it’s helpful to take screenshots of your phone screen—so let’s get started!
What Is a Screenshot?
Have you ever wanted to quickly capture something on your iPhone screen and not know how? Whether that’s a photo of a texted message, an interesting social media post, or something else, screenshots are your secret weapon. A screenshot is simply an image of what’s currently being shown on your device’s display.
Taking them couldn’t be easier—no matter which generation of iPhone you have! All you need to do is press two buttons simultaneously and the image will instantly save to your Photos library. Depending on the buttons you press, you can also automatically send it off to friends or save it to various cloud storage services as well.
How to Take a Screenshot on iPhone 11, 12, and 12 Pro Models
Taking a screenshot on an iPhone 11, 12, or 12 Pro is simple and easy. All you need to do is press the side button and either the volume up or volume down button at the same time. You should instantly hear a camera shutter sound, accompanied by an animation in the top-left corner of your screen, indicating that the image has been saved to your Photos app. Your last step is to open the Photos app to view (and share!) your screenshot.
To make taking screenshots even easier on these models, you can also configure Assistive Touch to create a shortcut for capturing screenshots. To do this, you’ll need to open the Settings app, then navigate to Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch. There you can toggle AssistiveTouch on and customize it by adding a Screenshot button that appears as an icon in the menu.
How to Take a Screenshot on iPhone 8, 7, 6s, and SE
Taking screenshots on an iPhone 8, 7, 6s or SE is super easy! All it takes is the press of two buttons.
To take a screenshot, simply:
- Press the Side button and the Volume up button at the same time
- Quickly release them when you see the screenshot thumbnail at the bottom left of your screen
- Tap on the thumbnail to make changes to it or share it with your family and friends
- Save it to your Photos app for later viewing
That’s all there is to it! Now you can easily capture a screenshot from whatever app you’re in at any given time — whether that’s showing off something cool you saw in Instagram or capturing a funny moment in a FaceTime chat. Best of all, once you snap a screenshot, it will be automatically saved to your Photos app so you can view and share it whenever you want without having to take another one.
Screenshot Editing Tools
It’s actually really easy to screenshot on your iPhone, and there are lots of built-in options for editing your screenshots after you take them.
Mark Up
The Mark Up feature lets you add a signature or draw over your screenshot with various colors and thicknesses to highlight important details. You can also add text, magnify an area and more.
Crop Tool
The crop tool helps you make sure your screenshot looks just the way you want it before you share it; this tool allows you to zoom in, rotate and move the edges of your screenshot. Plus, if you mess up while editing, you can always hit the undo button!
Filters
If you’re looking for a bit more flair, iOS 12 has some amazing filters that let you adjust the color and brightness of your screenshots. You can also add shapes and frames to give it a unique look.
For those looking for something even more advanced, there are plenty of free third-party apps in the App Store that let you do even more with screenshots!
How to Share Screenshots on iPhone
It’s easy to share your screenshots with friends and family right from your phone. In order to do this, you first need to access the screenshot you have just taken. This can be done by clicking on the ‘Photos’ app icon which will take you directly to an album containing all of your screenshots.
From here, you can select the screenshot you wish to share:
- Tap the image once and select “Share”.
- Select the app through which you want to share it (e.g., Messages, Facebook, Twitter).
- You will be able to add a caption (optional) or a comment before sending it out.
- Once you hit “Send” or “Post”, your photo is ready for viewing!
Sharing a photo is quick and easy — so why not give it a try? Whether it’s a funny meme or an important document, screenshots make it a breeze to capture and share whatever image content you are looking at on your phone in seconds!
Troubleshooting Tips for Taking iPhone Screenshots
Sometimes, screenshots don’t always go according to plan. If you’re having trouble with taking the screenshot, here are some troubleshooting tips to help you out:
Check your buttons
One of the most common issues people have when taking a screenshot is that they’re pressing the wrong buttons. So, make sure you’ve got the right ones: for older models of iPhones, press the home button and the sleep/wake button. For newer models, press the volume up and sleep/wake buttons.
Charge your phone
Your phone needs some juice to power those screenshots, so make sure it’s charged enough before you try and take one.
Update your phone
Make sure you’ve updated your phone’s operating system to its latest version – this could be what’s stopping you from taking a screenshot. Try restarting your phone if it still doesn’t work, then update your software.
Restart your apps
If restarting and updating hasn’t helped yet, try restarting any apps where you’re trying to take a screenshot—sometimes these can cause issues with screenshots as well.
Conclusion
Taking a screenshot on your iPhone is a breeze and you don’t need a technical background to do it. Just remember the two-step process: press and release the Power and Home buttons at the same time, and then quickly tap on the preview of your screenshot in the bottom-left corner.
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to take screenshots in no time. You can use screenshots to help troubleshoot issues, share content with friends, and more. Now that you know how to take a screenshot on your iPhone, you can use this helpful feature anytime you need it.