How to Take a Screenshot on Any Device

Do you need to keep what is on your computer and phone's screen? Both desktop and mobile operating systems have powerful screen-capture features. You might wish to take a screenshot on your computer or phone for various reasons, such as documenting your progress in a video game, saving a website's design for future reference, and creating desktop background images from your favorite films. Regardless of the motivation, here you will see how to accomplish it on all popular operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Android:

Screenshot on Windows

A screenshot of the desktop will be saved to the clipboard on Windows when you click the print screen button, where it may then be pasted into an image editor. If your keyboard has a Windows key, there are additional keyboard shortcuts you should be aware of. When you press Windows+PrtScn, a screenshot is automatically stored in a folder called screenshots in the pictures folder under your account. In the meanwhile, Alt+PrtScn will only capture and copy the active window. 

Numerous utilities can also be used to your advantage. You can find the updated and improved Snipping tool on your computer using the taskbar search function or pressing Win+Shift+S to open a condensed version. When you use the crosshair tool to select a portion of your screen and then release the left mouse button, Windows will add the screenshot to your clipboard.

More options are available by using the buttons at the top of your screen. The Freeform Snip button enables you to choose any shape, the Window Snip button adds a screenshot of the currently open window to your clipboard, and the Fullscreen Snip button captures an image of your entire screen and saves it to the clipboard. 

However, if you search for the software, you can snap screenshots with three and 10-second delays, annotate images, crop them, and even measure them. You won't have access to some of Snip and also Sketch's functions, such as time delay when you open the tool using the keyboard shortcut. Alternatively, you can take screenshots from games using the Game DVR feature in the Xbox app that comes with Windows 10.

macOS

In macOS, there are several different ways to snap a screenshot. 

  • Press Shift+Command+3 to capture the complete screen of your Mac. The desktop is where the image is immediately saved. 
  • Press Command+Control+Shift+3 to copy the image rather than save it so it can be placed Windows-style into an editor. The practice will benefit your fingertips. 
  • You can use the built-in selection tool by pressing Command+Shift+4 to take more detailed screenshots. The selected desktop region will be transparent blue as you click and drag the selector over it. 

This range of options is quite adaptable. Holding Shift while dragging allows you to lock the selection vertically or horizontally, while having the option causes the selection to be created in a square from the center. To manually reposition a finished selection box, press the spacebar. Press Escape to remove the selection box and return to your default desktop.

Screenshot on an Android Phone or Tablet

Pressing the power and volume down buttons simultaneously will take a screenshot on an Android phone or tablet. If it is successful, you will hear a capture sound and get a screenshot preview in the lower left corner of the screen, where you can tap to edit and share it. A feature that allows users to take scrolling screenshots of an entire website or chat thread is available from several Android phone manufacturers. 

Even though they go by different names, they all entail taking a snapshot and then clicking a button when the preview shows. For instance, when using Scroll Capture on a Samsung phone, you should press the button that looks like two arrows in a box. Similar options are provided by LG and OnePlus, whereas Huawei has expanded screenshots, while LG gives an option named Extended.

Screenshots on iPhones and iPads

On iOS and iPadOS devices, taking screenshots of the screen is just as simple as on Android ones. 

  • Pressing and releasing the volume up and side buttons simultaneously on the phone with Face ID. 
  • Combine the side button and the home button on smartphones. The procedure is similar for iPads simultaneously press and hold the home button and top button or the top button and the volume up button. 
  • After the screen flashes, the image will be stored in a unique Screenshots album on your iPhone or iPad. 
  • Then, by opening Photos, you may evaluate and share them. Therefore these gadgets do not need several shortcuts, unlike Android, which runs on phones and tablets built by many vendors. It is guaranteed that the button combination for your model will function.

It is also feasible to open the display of your phone or tablet on a computer and take a screenshot from there. 

  • Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable, launch QuickTime, and select File > New Movie Recording. 
  • The device's display will show up if you choose iPhone or iPad from the drop-down menu by the red record button. 
  • Use the Ctrl+Shift+Cmd+4, spacebar, and click combo as specified in the macOS section above to grab the window.

Screenshot on a Chromebook

On a Chromebook, hold down the Control and Show Windows a rectangle with two lines to the right keys simultaneously to take a screenshot. Press the Shift, Control, and Show Windows keys, click and drag to mark the area you want, then release to take a screenshot of the selected screen area. The screenshot preview should appear in the lower right corner, where you can copy and edit it. To access screenshots later, pick Files from the menu on the left after clicking the Launcher button in the circle in the bottom left corner.

Screenshot on Linux

Depending on your Linux operating system, you might have access to a particular screenshot app. However, if not, as long as you have a print screen key, the same keyboard shortcuts as Windows should still function.

  • Take a screenshot of the complete screen by selecting Print Screen. 
  • Capture the active window by pressing Alt + Print Screen.
  • Capture a portion of the screen by pressing Shift and Print Screen.
Bottom Line

You may all know that technology has developed rapidly. So, everyone is using a laptop, mobile, or computer. You may search for an option if you want to save and upload your specific portion on your phone or laptop. The screenshot is the best option for that. The above listed are the way how to take a screenshot on any device.