Quick answer
On an iPhone with Face ID, press the Side button and Volume Up together, then release them immediately. On an iPhone with a Home button, such as the iPhone SE, press the Home button and the Side button together. The screen flashes, a thumbnail appears in the bottom-left corner and the screenshot saves to Photos.
Which method does your iPhone use?
The buttons depend on one thing: whether your iPhone has a Home button below the screen.
| Your iPhone | Buttons to press |
|---|---|
| Every iPhone with Face ID and no Home button: iPhone X and later, apart from the iPhone SE models | Side + Volume Up |
| iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), iPhone 8, iPhone 7 and other Home button models with a side power button | Home + Side |
| iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 5s and older | Home + Top |
How to take a screenshot on an iPhone with Face ID
If your iPhone has a notch or the Dynamic Island at the top and no Home button, use the Side button and Volume Up.
- Open whatever you want to capture.
- Press the Side button on the right and the Volume Up button on the left at the same time.
- Release both straight away.
The common mistake is holding the buttons. Hold them for more than a moment and the iPhone shows the power-off and Emergency SOS screen instead. Think of it as a quick click. When it works, the screen flashes white, you hear the shutter sound if your ringer is on, and a thumbnail slides in at the bottom-left.
How to take a screenshot on an iPhone with a Home button
On the iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation) and other Home button models, the Home button replaces Volume Up.
- Get the screen ready.
- Press the Home button and the Side button at the same time.
- Release both quickly. Do not hold them.
On the original iPhone SE and the iPhone 5s, the power button is on top, so press Home with the Top button instead. Those older models do not run current iOS versions, but the method still works on them.
What to do with the screenshot thumbnail
The thumbnail in the corner gives you three choices, and each one is a single gesture.
- Ignore it. After a few seconds it slides away and the screenshot saves to Photos. Look in your recent photos or in the Screenshots album under Media Types in the Photos app.
- Tap it. This opens the editor, where you can crop, draw with Markup, add text or a signature. Tap Done to save to Photos or Files, or delete it.
- Touch and hold it. This opens the share sheet right away, which is the fastest way to send a screenshot. You can delete it afterwards so it does not stay in your library.
Screenshots add up over time. If they are taking space, our guide to cleaning up iPhone storage shows how to find and remove them in bulk.
How to take a full-page screenshot
A full-page screenshot captures an entire web page or document, not just the part on screen.
- Open the page in Safari and take a screenshot as usual.
- Tap the thumbnail.
- At the top of the editor, tap Full Page instead of Screen.
- Scroll to check it, then tap Done and save it as a PDF to the Files app.
Full Page is also available in some other apps, including Notes and when you are viewing a PDF.
How to take a screenshot with Back Tap
Back Tap lets you take a screenshot by tapping the back of the iPhone. It is useful if pressing two buttons together is hard or if a button is worn.
- Open
Settings › Accessibility › Touch. - Scroll to the bottom and tap Back Tap.
- Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
- Select Screenshot from the list of actions.
Now two or three firm taps on the back take a screenshot. It works through most cases. Back Tap is one of several useful but easy-to-miss options covered in our list of iOS hidden features and settings.
Why screenshots are not working
When nothing happens, the cause is usually one of three things.
- Timing. Both buttons have to go down at the same moment. If you press one slightly early, the iPhone treats it as a single press, such as turning the volume up or locking the screen.
- The buttons. A tight or thick case can stop a button from registering. Take the case off and try again, and clean around the buttons if they feel stiff.
- A software glitch. Restart the iPhone. If it is frozen and will not respond, our guide on how to force restart an iPhone walks through the button sequence.
If the buttons themselves have failed, set up Back Tap so you can keep taking screenshots until the iPhone is repaired.
A note on sharing screenshots
Screenshots capture things apps do not otherwise let you save, including other people's messages. Ask before you share a private conversation or someone's personal details. If you would not want your messages passed around, apply the same rule to theirs.
What to do next
If you also need to capture video, the Mac can record your iPhone's screen through a cable; our guide on how to screen record on Mac covers that and the Mac's own screen. For more settings worth changing on a new phone, see the best iPhone settings to change.
Frequently asked questions
How do I take a screenshot on an iPhone without a Home button?
Press the Side button and the Volume Up button at the same time, then let go straight away. The screen flashes and a thumbnail appears in the bottom-left corner. This works on every iPhone with Face ID, from the iPhone X to the newest models. Holding the buttons too long opens the power-off and Emergency SOS screen instead.
How do I take a screenshot on an iPhone SE?
On the iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation), press the Home button and the Side button together and release them quickly. The same method works on the iPhone 8 and other Home button models. On the original iPhone SE and iPhone 5s, use the Top button with the Home button instead.
Where do my iPhone screenshots go?
They save to the Photos app automatically. You will find them in your recent photos and in the Screenshots album under Media Types. If you tap the thumbnail before it disappears, you can edit the screenshot first and choose whether to save it to Photos or Files, or delete it.
How do I take a screenshot of a whole web page on iPhone?
Take a normal screenshot in Safari, then tap the thumbnail. At the top of the editor, switch from Screen to Full Page. You can scroll through the whole page and save it as a PDF to the Files app. Full Page also appears in some other apps, such as Notes and when viewing PDFs.
Can I take a screenshot on iPhone without pressing buttons?
Yes, with Back Tap. Go to Settings › Accessibility › Touch › Back Tap, choose Double Tap or Triple Tap and select Screenshot. From then on, tapping the back of the iPhone two or three times takes a screenshot. It usually works through a case, and it helps if pressing two buttons at once is awkward.
Why is my iPhone not taking screenshots?
The most common reason is timing: both buttons must be pressed at the same moment and released quickly. A thick case can also stop a button from registering, so try without it. If nothing works, restart the iPhone. As a fallback, set up Back Tap so you can take screenshots while you sort out the buttons.