Know how to take a screenshot on all Android smartphones

Want to take a screenshot on your Android phone but don’t know how to? There are multiple ways to do it.

Take a screenshot on your Android smartphone this way. (Unsplash)

If you've ever switched your smartphone recently, you must have noticed how differently Android works, even on smartphones running on the same version of the OS. Since Android is an open-source platform, manufacturers tweak it to suit the needs of their particular devices. This means even though the Android version may be the same, certain functions work differently. Taking screenshots on a smartphone is an easy task, provided you know which buttons to press. This is where matters get complex as different Android phones use their own button configurations to take screenshots. Some require button presses while others can take screenshots with swipes.

So, if you've ever come across anything you wish to take a screenshot of, knowing the proper way to do it can go a long way in helping you capture it. You can take a screenshot and you can view, edit, and share the image as you please. Although there are different ways of taking screenshots on various Android smartphones, these few are known to work on every Android phone.

1. Using Button configurations

This method works on nearly all Android smartphones, regardless of the Android version you're on. Open the screen that you want to capture. Then, press the Power and Volume down buttons at the same time. At the bottom left, you'll find a preview of your screenshot. On some phones, at the top of the screen, you'll find Screenshot capture.

If you've got an older device, this method might not work. Instead, hold the home button and the volume down button to take a screenshot.

2. Use Google Assistant

Just like Siri on iPhones, Google Assistant can also do these tasks for you, instead of requiring your physical input. To take a screenshot via Google Assistant, simply say “Hey Google” and say “Take a screenshot”. Google Assistant will then take a screenshot and the screenshot preview will appear before it gets saved to your storage.