There are two different ways to take screenshots on most Samsung Galaxy phones, depending on which model you’re using.
How to take Screenshots on the Galaxy S8 and S9
There are three different ways to take screenshots on the S8 and S9, and multiple options within those ways.
Taking Screenshots with Hardware buttons
Taking screenshots with Hardware buttons as it is on most other Android phones: press the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time. Hold them for about half a second then release.
Because of the button layout (volume on one side, power on the other), it’s really easy to take screenshots with one hand.
Taking Screenshots with a Palm Gesture
- Slide the side of your hand across the display. It works on any screen, except if the onscreen keyboard is showing. This is called “Palm swipe to capture” and is unique to modern Samsung phones.
To disable this feature,
- Go to Settings > Advanced Features > Palm Swipe to Capture if you don’t like it.
Taking Selective Screenshots or Capture GIFs
If you take advantage of Samsung’s Edge Panels, you can use a set of tools in the Smart Select panel to do a few things with screenshots, like capture specific parts of the screen in rectangular or oval shapes, capture a GIF, or even pin part of an image to the screen as an overlay for quick reference.
To enable this feature,
- Go to Settings > Display > Edge Screen > Edge Panels, and make sure “Smart Select” is turned on.
- Swipe in from the right side of the display to open the Edge Panel.
- With the Smart Select panel open, simply tap the capture option you’d like to use, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
How to Take Screenshots on the Galaxy S7 (and Older)
In the models prior to the S8, the method of taking screenshots is different. Instead of using Volume Down and Power, you’ll use the Power and Home buttons. Press both and hold for about half a second.
The S7 also features the “Palm Gesture” tool discussed above in the S8/S9 section.
Other Screenshot Tools on Galaxy Devices
When you take a screenshot, it appears as a brief overlay on top of the current screen, telling you that the shot was taken successfully. The Smart Capture tool also shows up at the bottom of the screen.
With the Smart Capture tool, there’s an option to take a “scrolling screenshot” that scroll through the screen and captures everything (not just what you see), a draw tool to annotate, a crop tool to quickly cut out irrelevant parts of the shot, and a shortcut for sharing the shot immediately.
If you want to disable the Smart Capture tool,
- Go to Settings > Advanced Features > Smart Capture.
Where to Find Your Screenshots
By default, all screenshots are saved in the DCIM > Screenshots folder, but there are a few ways to access your shot.
If you just took the screenshot, swipe down on the navigate bar and you’ll see notification about the screenshot. Tap it for quick access to the image. You also can share, edit, or delete your screenshot directly from this notification.
If you have multiple apps installed that can open images, the app picker will show up when you tap a screenshot notification.
Otherwise, you can open the Gallery or Photos apps to see all of your screenshots.
