How to Take a Screenshot or Record Your Screen on Android

The button shortcut that works on most Android phones, scrolling screenshots, and how to record your screen with sound on Pixel, Samsung and others.

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Published 4 min read
Checked against 2 sources
Illustration: How to Take a Screenshot or Record Your Screen on Android

The short answer

Press the Power and Volume down buttons at the same time. To record your screen, swipe down twice from the top to open Quick Settings, tap Screen record, choose whether to record audio, and tap Start. If you don't see the button, edit Quick Settings to add it.

Whether you’re saving a ticket, sharing a conversation or showing someone a problem, screenshots and screen recordings are built into every Android phone.

Take a screenshot

  1. Open the screen you want to capture.
  2. Press the Power and Volume down buttons at the same time.
  3. A preview appears. Tap it to edit or share, or let it disappear to save it.

If that doesn’t work, press and hold the Power button for a few seconds and tap Screenshot if it appears, or try the Recents screen, where many phones show a Screenshot button.

Other ways on some phones

  • Samsung: swipe the edge of your hand across the screen (turn on Palm swipe to capture in Settings › Advanced features › Motions and gestures).
  • Google Assistant or Gemini: say “Take a screenshot.”

Capture a scrolling screenshot

After taking a screenshot, look for Capture more (Pixel) or a scroll capture button (Samsung) in the preview. Tap it to extend the screenshot down a long page, then crop and save.

Record your screen

  1. Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings.
  2. Tap Screen record. If you don’t see it, tap the edit (pencil) icon and drag Screen record into your tiles.
  3. Choose what to record (the whole screen or a single app, on newer versions) and whether to include audio from the device, the microphone, or both.
  4. Tap Start. A countdown begins.
  5. To stop, swipe down and tap the screen recorder notification.

The video is saved to your Photos or Gallery app.

Tips

  • Turn on Do Not Disturb before recording so notifications don’t appear in your video.
  • Screenshots add up: clear old ones occasionally. Files by Google has a card for this. See how to free up storage on Android.

Screenshots add up. See how to free up storage on Android. On other devices: iPhone, Windows and Mac.

The bottom line

Power + Volume down takes a screenshot on almost every Android phone. For video, add Screen record to Quick Settings once and it’s always one swipe away.

Frequently asked questions

Where are my screenshots saved?

Usually in the Screenshots album in Google Photos or your phone's Gallery app, and in the Pictures/Screenshots folder in Files.

Can I take a screenshot of a whole web page?

On many phones, yes. After taking a screenshot, tap Capture more (Pixel) or the scroll capture button (Samsung) to extend the screenshot down the page.

Why can't I screenshot some apps?

Some apps, like banking and streaming apps, block screenshots and screen recording for privacy or copyright reasons.

Why you can trust this guide
  • Based on official sources. The steps here are checked against the 2 official sources listed below, such as the help pages of the companies involved.
  • Checked and dated. Last checked on November 10, 2026. We update guides when software or advice changes.
  • Independent. No company paid for or reviewed this guide. We don't sell products, and ads never influence our advice.
  • Open to corrections. Spotted an error? Tell us and we'll fix it. Read how we research.

Sources

  1. Android Help — Take a screenshot or record your screen on your Android device
  2. Android Help — Free up storage on your Android device

This guide is general information. Menus and features can change with software updates, and steps may differ on your device or version. Back up important data before making big changes. Read our disclaimer.

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