How to Quickly Take a Screenshot on Any iPhone

By Alex Cequea updated on 01/16/2020

* This post is part of iPhone Life's Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

Every iPhone user needs to know how to take a screenshot. A screenshot, or screen capture, is a photo of whatever is on your iPhone screen. If you can’t figure out how to save a photo, taking a screenshot is another way to save an image to your Photos app. If you haven't learned how to screenshot on your iPhone yet, don't worry, it's simple! How you take a screenshot is different on different model iPhones, so we’ll cover how to quickly take a screenshot on any iPhone.

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How to Take a Screenshot on an iPhone X & Later

By now, we’re all used to the presence of the Home button. So how do you get a screenshot on an iPhone without a Home buttons, such as the iPhone XS, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, or iPhone 11 Pro?

Navigate to the screen you want to capture.
Simultaneously press and the Sleep/Wake button on the right-hand side and the volume up button on the left side.
Quickly release both buttons.
When you see the screen flash white (and possibly hear the camera shutter), the screenshot has been captured and added to your Photos app.
You'll also see a thumbnail of the screenshot you've captured on your screen for a few seconds.
If you tap on this thumbnail, you can use Markup to draw and write on your screenshot.

How to Screenshot on an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus & Earlier Models

Locate your Sleep/Wake button.
Depending on the model of iPhone, your Sleep/Wake button may be at the top of your phone (older models) or on the right side of it (newer models).
To take a screenshot, simultaneously press both your Sleep/Wake and Home button, then quickly release them.
The screen will flash white, letting you know a screenshot was taken.
As with the iPhone X and later, a thumbnail of your screenshot will appear in the lower-left corner of your screen; you'll have the option to tap the thumbnail and use Markup.
Open your Photos app to see the screenshot you just took.

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Author Details

Alex Cequea

Alex is marketing consultant, regular contributor to the Huffington Post, and the host of a web series called Social Good Now, where he highlights social issues through short animated videos. Formerly, he was a Marketing Exec at Cisco, and Editor in Chief of iPhone Life magazine. His projects have been featured on TEDx Houston, CNN, TIME, ABC News, CBS, Univision, Fast Company, and the Huffington Post.