How to iPhone Screenshot: All Models Explained

Taking a screenshot on an iPhone is one of the fastest ways to capture what’s on your screen — a text conversation, a receipt, a map, or anything else you need to save or share. The method depends on your iPhone model, but once you know the button combination, it takes less than a second. This guide covers every iPhone model, from the latest with Face ID to older ones with a Home button, plus how to edit, save, and fix common screenshot problems.

What You’ll Need

An iPhone (any model)
Your iPhone’s physical buttons (Side, Volume, Home) — they must be working
Enough storage space for the image (usually not an issue, but check if you get a storage warning)

Step-by-Step

Locate the buttons. On iPhones with Face ID (iPhone X and later, including all iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 models), the Side button is on the right edge, and the Volume Up button is on the left edge. On iPhones with a Home button (iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd gen, iPhone 8 and earlier), the Home button is at the bottom front, and the Side (or Top) button is on the right or top edge.
Press the correct combination. For Face ID iPhones: press the Side button (right side) and Volume Up button (left side) at the same time. For Home button iPhones: press the Home button and the Side (or Top) button simultaneously. The buttons don’t need to be held down — just press them together and release quickly.
Release immediately. Do not hold the buttons. A quick press is all it takes. If you hold them, you might trigger Siri (Side + Home on older models) or the power-off screen (Side + Volume Up on newer models).
Look for the flash and thumbnail. When the screenshot is taken, you’ll see a white flash on the screen and hear a camera shutter sound (if your ringer is on). A thumbnail of the screenshot appears in the bottom-left corner for a few seconds. Tap it to edit or swipe it away to dismiss.
Find the screenshot in Photos. The screenshot is automatically saved to your Photos app under the “Screenshots” album. Open the Photos app, tap Albums, then scroll to Screenshots to view all of them.
Edit or share (optional). Tap the thumbnail to open the markup editor. You can crop, draw, add text, or highlight parts of the screenshot. When done, tap Done, then choose Save to Photos or share via the share sheet.

Common Mistakes

Pressing the buttons one at a time. The buttons must be pressed together. If you press the Side button first, you might trigger Siri or the power-off screen. Press them simultaneously.
Holding the buttons down. A quick press is enough. Holding them will cause the power-off screen or Siri to appear, and no screenshot will be taken.
Using the wrong volume button. On Face ID iPhones, you must use Volume Up, not Volume Down. On older iPhones, the combination is Home + Side (or Top), not Home + Volume.
Forgetting to release the Home button. On Home button iPhones, if you press and hold the Home button, Siri will activate. Press and release quickly.
Accidentally triggering AssistiveTouch. If you have AssistiveTouch enabled, you might tap the on-screen button by mistake. That’s fine, but it doesn’t take a screenshot unless you’ve set it up to do so.

Tips

Use AssistiveTouch if your buttons are broken. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch, turn it on, then tap “Custom Actions” or “Single-Tap” and set it to “Screenshot.” This gives you an on-screen button to tap for screenshots.
Take a full-page screenshot. In Safari, after taking a screenshot, tap the thumbnail and select “Full Page” at the top. This captures the entire webpage, not just what’s visible, and saves it as a PDF.
Quickly share without saving. After taking a screenshot, tap the thumbnail and use the share icon to send it directly to Messages, Mail, or AirDrop without saving it to Photos.
Use Siri to take a screenshot. Say “Hey Siri, take a screenshot” and Siri will do it for you. This works on iPhones with Siri enabled, but it’s slower than the button method.
Change the screenshot save location. You can’t change where screenshots are saved — they always go to Photos. But you can create a smart album to organize them.
Disable the screenshot sound. If you want silent screenshots, turn off your ringer (silent switch) or lower the volume. The sound is tied to the ringer volume.

Troubleshooting

If your screenshot isn’t working, try these fixes in order:

Check your buttons. Make sure the Side, Volume, and Home buttons are not stuck or covered by a case. Remove the case and try again.
Restart your iPhone. A simple restart often fixes temporary glitches. Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button, then slide to power off. Turn it back on after a few seconds.
Check if AssistiveTouch is interfering. If you have AssistiveTouch on, the on-screen button might be covering the area where you’re pressing. Move it or temporarily turn it off in Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
Update iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if a new version of iOS is available. Bugs that affect screenshots are often fixed in updates.
Reset all settings. If nothing else works, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings. This won’t delete your data, but it will reset things like wallpaper and privacy settings. You’ll need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords.
If the screenshot is saved but not showing in Photos. Wait a few minutes and check again. If it still doesn’t appear, restart your iPhone. If it’s still missing, check if iCloud Photos is enabled — the screenshot may take a moment to sync.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn’t my screenshot work on iPhone 11?

On iPhone 11 and all Face ID models, you must press the Side button and Volume Up button simultaneously. If you’re pressing the Volume Down button or holding the buttons too long, it won’t work. Try pressing them quickly and releasing.

How do I take a screenshot on iPhone SE?

iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation) has a Home button. Press the Home button and the Side button (on the right edge) at the same time. For the original iPhone SE, use the Home button and the Top button.

Can I take a screenshot without pressing buttons?

Yes. Enable AssistiveTouch in Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch. Then tap the on-screen button and choose “Screenshot” from the menu, or set a custom action like “Single-Tap” to take a screenshot.

Where do screenshots go on iPhone?

Screenshots are saved to the Photos app under the “Screenshots” album. They also appear in your main Photo Library. You can find them by opening Photos, tapping Albums, and scrolling to Screenshots.

How do I take a scrolling screenshot on iPhone?

iPhones don’t have a native scrolling screenshot feature for all apps. However, in Safari, you can take a screenshot and tap the thumbnail, then select “Full Page” to capture the entire webpage as a PDF. For other apps, you may need to take multiple screenshots or use a third-party app.

Why is my screenshot blurry or low quality?

Screenshots are saved at the same resolution as your screen, so they should be sharp. If they appear blurry, it might be because you’re viewing them at a larger size or the original image on screen was low resolution. Check the screenshot in Photos and zoom in to see if it’s actually clear.

Sources: Apple Support. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.