How to take a screenshot on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and Chromebook

Knowing how to take a screenshot is one of the most useful everyday tech skills. A quick capture lets you save a booking confirmation, show a support team an error message, keep a recipe or share something funny, and every modern device has a built-in way to do it without installing anything.

This guide collects the shortcuts for Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Chromebook and Linux, explains where the images are saved, and covers partial, window and scrolling screenshots, plus what to do when the usual keys do not work.

How to take a screenshot on Windows

Windows offers several shortcuts, each suited to a slightly different job.

• Windows key + Shift + S: dims the screen and lets you capture a rectangle, a free-form shape, a single window or the whole screen. The image goes to the clipboard, and a notification lets you edit or save it.
• Windows key + Print Screen: captures the whole screen and saves it automatically to the Screenshots folder inside your Pictures folder. The screen dims briefly to confirm.
• Print Screen on its own: on recent versions of Windows 11 it opens the same selection tool as Windows key + Shift + S by default; on older setups it copies the entire screen to the clipboard.
• Alt + Print Screen: copies only the active window to the clipboard.
• Paste a clipboard capture into a document, chat or image editor with Ctrl + V.

Screenshots on laptops and when Print Screen is not working

Many laptop keyboards put Print Screen on a shared key, labelled PrtSc, PrtScn or similar. If pressing it does nothing, hold the Fn key at the same time. Some laptops have no dedicated key at all, in which case Windows key + Shift + S is the most reliable shortcut.

If Print Screen still does not respond, check the keyboard settings in Windows, where you can choose whether the key opens the screen capture tool. Background software that also uses the key, such as cloud storage or game overlays, can intercept it; closing those programs usually fixes the conflict.

Once you know the right shortcut, taking a screenshot takes a second on any device.

How to take a screenshot on a Mac

Macs use combinations of Command and Shift with a number key. By default, the images are saved to the desktop with the date and time in the file name.

• Command + Shift + 3: captures the entire screen.
• Command + Shift + 4: turns the pointer into crosshairs so you can drag to select an area.
• Command + Shift + 4, then Space: switches to window mode; click a window to capture it with a soft shadow.
• Command + Shift + 5: opens a toolbar with capture and screen recording options, a timer, and a setting to change where screenshots are saved.
• Add Control to any of these shortcuts to copy the screenshot to the clipboard instead of saving a file.

How to take a screenshot on iPhone and iPad

On an iPhone with Face ID, press the side button and the volume up button at the same time, then release. On an iPhone with a Home button, press the side (or top) button and the Home button together. iPads follow the same logic: top button plus a volume button on models without a Home button, top button plus Home on models with one.

A thumbnail appears in the corner. Tap it to crop, mark up or share, or swipe it away to save the image to your photo library. When capturing a web page, the edit screen may offer a full page option that captures the whole page as a PDF.

If pressing buttons is awkward, the accessibility settings let you trigger a screenshot by double-tapping the back of the phone or from an on-screen assistive menu.

How to take a screenshot on Android

On almost every Android phone, press the power button and the volume down button together for about a second. The screen flashes and a preview appears with options to share, edit or delete. Screenshots are saved to a Screenshots album in your gallery or photos app.

Many phones add alternatives: a screenshot button in the quick settings panel, a three-finger swipe down the screen, or swiping the edge of your hand across the display. The exact options vary by manufacturer and can be switched on in the settings under gestures or advanced features.

For long pages and conversations, look for a "capture more" or scroll button in the preview after taking a screenshot. It extends the image downwards to include content below the visible screen.

How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook and Linux

On a Chromebook, press Ctrl + Show windows (the key that looks like a rectangle with two lines) to capture the whole screen. Press Ctrl + Shift + Show windows to open the capture tool, where you can choose a partial area, a window or a screen recording. Screenshots are saved to the Downloads folder and copied to the clipboard. Chromebooks with a dedicated screenshot key make this a single press.

On most Linux desktops, pressing Print Screen opens a built-in capture tool or saves the full screen to your Pictures folder, depending on the desktop environment. Look in the keyboard shortcuts settings to see or change the exact behaviour.

Tips for better and safer screenshots

A few habits make screenshots more useful and less risky.

• Crop to what matters, so the reader sees the important part immediately.
• Blur or cover personal details such as addresses, account numbers and faces before sharing.
• Rename files you want to keep, since date-based names are hard to search later.
• Delete old screenshots now and then; they quietly fill storage and photo backups.
• Expect some apps and streaming services to block screenshots, which is intentional for security or copyright reasons.

Frequently asked questions

Once you know the right shortcut, taking a screenshot takes a second on any device. Learn the one or two combinations you use most, set the save location that suits you, and remember to crop and blur before you share.

How we research: Guides are written from established sources and checked for accuracy. They are general information, not professional advice.