Taking a screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone is a simple task, but it’s a question we’re asked time and again. Whether you’ve got a Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Galaxy S5 or Samsung Galaxy S6, here’s how to take a screengrab. See also: How to take a screenshot on Android.
We’re using a Samsung Galaxy S4 to demonstrate the process, but you can also follow this guide to learn how to take a screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S5 or Samsung Galaxy S6. See also: The 24 best smartphones of 2015.
The easiest way to take a screenshot on your Samsung Galaxy smartphone is to simply press and hold both the Home and power buttons. You’ll know a screenshot has been taken because the screen will flash and you’ll momentarily see a white border around its edge, with the message ‘Saving screenshot’ appearing in the notification bar at the top of the screen. See also: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison review.
A much cooler (but more difficult to get the hang of) way to take a screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy smartphone is with a simple vertical side swipe of your palm. Go to Settings, choose the My device tab, then select ‘Motions and gestures’, Palm motion and ensure ‘Capture screen’ is toggled on. Note that you must keep your palm in contact with the screen at all times.
To access a screenshot you’ve captured on your Samsung Galaxy, simply pull down the notification bar and look for the item ‘Screenshot captured’.
Within the notification bar you’ll find options to Delete, Edit or Share the screenshot, or you can simply tap on the notification to open it in the Gallery.
Enter Edit mode to access menus for Crop, Rotate, Colour (Auto adjust, Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Adjust RGB, Temperature, Exposure, Hue) and Effect (Vignette, Grey-scale, Sepia, Vintage, Faded colour, Turquoise, Tint, Cartoon, Moody, Fisheye, Negative, Nostalgia, Engraving, Sketch art, Downlight, Blue wash, Yellow glow, Sharpen, Blur and Soft glow). Tap the save icon at the top right of the screen to save any changes, or use the forward- and back arrows to undo and redo any changes.
What you see when you press the Share icon will depend on which apps are installed on your Samsung Galaxy, but you can at very least expect to see Bluetooth, ChatOn, Drive, Email, Gmail, Google+, Group Play, Hangouts, Messaging, Photos, Picasa, S Memo, WhatsApp and Wi-Fi Direct.
If you lose the screenshot notification you can also access your screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy via the My Files app. Choose All Files, Pictures, Screenshots.
Author: Marie Black, Editorial Director
Marie is Editorial Director at Foundry. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she's worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our EMEA and LatAm editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry's transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.