Quick answer
Press the power button (Apple calls it the side button) and volume up at the same time, then let go quickly. The screen flashes and your screenshot appears.
Which buttons does my iPhone use?
Find your model below. Not sure which one you have? Look at the front: if there is a round button under the screen, you have a Home button. Your exact model is in Settings > General > About.
| Your model | Press |
|---|---|
| iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone 16 series, 16e, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, XS, XR, X | Power + Volume up |
| iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), iPhone 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 6, 6 PlusThe power button is on the right side. | Power (right side) + Home |
| iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 5s, 5c, 5, 4s, 4 and olderThe power button is on the top edge. On iOS 10 and earlier there is no preview: the screen flashes and the screenshot goes straight to the Camera Roll. | Power (top edge) + Home |
All 6 methods at a glance
| Method | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone without a Home button | Power button + volume up. | All recent iPhones |
| iPhone with a Home button (Touch ID) | Power button + Home button. | iPhones with a round Home button |
| Full-page screenshot in Safari | Save an entire web page, including the part you'd have to scroll to. | Long web pages, articles, receipts and emails |
| Back Tap (double-tap the back of your phone) | Take a screenshot by tapping the back of the iPhone twice. | One-handed screenshots or broken buttons |
| AssistiveTouch (on-screen button) | A floating button that can take a screenshot without pressing any physical buttons. | Broken or hard-to-press buttons |
| Ask Siri | Say "Take a screenshot". | Hands-free |
iPhone without a Home button
iPhone X and later, including iPhone 17, iPhone Air and iPhone 16e
- Press the power button (right edge, called the side button by Apple) and the volume up button (left edge) at the same time.
- Let go of both straight away. Holding them too long turns on the power-off screen or Emergency SOS instead.
- On iOS 26 and later the screenshot opens full screen. Crop or draw on it if you like, then tap the checkmark and choose Save to Photos. On older versions a thumbnail appears in the corner and saves by itself.
iPhone with a Home button (Touch ID)
iPhone SE (all generations), iPhone 8 and earlier, back to the original iPhone
- Press the power button and the Home button at the same time. On iPhone 6 and later the power button is on the right side; on iPhone SE (1st generation), 5s and older it's on the top edge.
- Let go of both straight away. Holding them too long opens Siri or turns the phone off.
- On iOS 11 and later a thumbnail appears in the corner. On iOS 10 and earlier the screen just flashes and the screenshot saves straight to the Camera Roll in Photos.
On iPhone 7 and 8 the Home button doesn’t physically move, it clicks with a vibration. It still works for screenshots: press it at the same moment as the power button.
Full-page screenshot in Safari
- Open the page in Safari (this also works in Mail, Notes and some other apps).
- Take a screenshot as normal.
- In the screenshot editor, tap Full Page at the top.
- Tap Done, then Save PDF to Files. Full-page captures are saved as a PDF, not to Photos.
Back Tap (double-tap the back of your phone)
iPhone 8 and later
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
- Tap Double Tap (or Triple Tap) and choose Screenshot.
- Now tap the back of your iPhone twice, near the Apple logo, to take a screenshot. It works with most cases.
AssistiveTouch (on-screen button)
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn it on.
- Tap Single-Tap under Custom Actions and choose Screenshot.
- Tap the floating grey button whenever you want a screenshot. The button itself won't appear in the image.
Ask Siri
- Say "Siri, take a screenshot" (or "Hey Siri…"). The screenshot saves straight to Photos.
Where are screenshots saved?
Screenshots are saved in the Photos app. To see them all, open Photos, scroll down to Media Types (in Collections) and tap Screenshots. Full-page captures are saved as PDFs in the Files app instead.
Record your iPhone screen
- Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
- Tap the Screen Recording button (a filled circle inside a ring). If it isn't there, add it: tap + at the top left of Control Center, then Add a Control and choose Screen Recording.
- Recording starts after a three-second countdown. To stop, tap the red indicator at the top of the screen. The video saves to Photos.
To record sound from your microphone, touch and hold the Screen Recording button and tap Microphone.
Screenshot not working?
iOS 26 shows a big full-screen preview after every screenshot
That's the new default. To get the small corner thumbnail back, go to Settings > General > Screen Capture and turn off Full-Screen Previews.
My iPhone turns off or calls Emergency SOS instead
You're holding the buttons too long. Press both together and release immediately, like a quick click.
My old iPhone opens Siri instead
You’re holding the Home button too long. Press the power button and Home together like a quick click and release straight away. If the Home button is broken, turn on AssistiveTouch (iOS 5 and later) and use its Screenshot option under Device > More.
Pressing the buttons only changes the volume or locks the screen
The buttons must be pressed at exactly the same moment. Try pressing the power button a fraction earlier. If it still fails, set up Back Tap or AssistiveTouch instead.
Screenshots look washed out or won't open on other devices
iOS 26 can save screenshots in HDR (HEIF format). In Settings > General > Screen Capture, choose SDR (Most Compatible) to save PNG files instead.
Videos and some apps turn black in screenshots
Streaming apps (and some banking apps) block screenshots on purpose. This can't be changed.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I take a screenshot on iPhone 17 or iPhone 16?
- Press the power button and the volume up button at the same time, then let go. This is the same on every iPhone without a Home button.
- How do I take a screenshot on iPhone 6, 7 or 8?
- Press the power button and the Home button at the same time, then let go. On the iPhone 5s, SE (1st generation) and older, the power button is on the top edge, but it works the same way.
- How do I screenshot a whole web page on iPhone?
- Take a screenshot in Safari, tap Full Page at the top of the editor, then tap Done and Save PDF to Files.
- Where do my iPhone screenshots go?
- To the Photos app. Open Photos, scroll to Media Types and tap Screenshots to see them all in one place.
- Can I take a screenshot without the buttons?
- Yes. Turn on Back Tap (Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap) and assign Screenshot to Double Tap, or use AssistiveTouch, or ask Siri.