The fastest way to capture your screen on Samsung
Samsung phones have a built-in screenshot tool you can reach in seconds without opening any app. Press the Power button and Volume Down button at the same time — hold them together for about a second until you see a flash or feel a vibration. The screenshot saves automatically to your Photos app in a folder called Screenshots.
If you have a newer Samsung (Galaxy S10 and later), you can also swipe the edge of your hand across the screen from left to right or right to left. This gesture takes a screenshot the same way, though some people find the button method more reliable because the gesture sometimes triggers accidentally.
Both methods work on any Samsung phone running Android 5.0 or newer. The screenshot appears in your notification bar at the top for a few seconds — you can tap it there to edit, share, or delete it when ready, or just let it save and find it later in your Photos app.
Key Takeaways
- Press Power and Volume Down together to take a screenshot on any Samsung phone; the image saves automatically to your Photos app.
- You can edit, crop, or draw on a screenshot right after taking it by tapping the notification that appears at the top of your screen.
- Recording your screen requires opening Settings, going to Advanced Features, and turning on Screen Recorder — then use the Quick Settings panel to start and stop recording.
- Screen recordings save as video files in your Photos app and include audio from your phone's speakers and microphone unless you turn the microphone off.
- Samsung's screenshot and screen recording tools are free and built into the phone; you do not need to read anything.
Editing and sharing a screenshot right after you take it
When you take a screenshot, a small preview appears in the notification bar at the top of your screen. Tap it within a few seconds and you can crop, draw on, or add text to the image before saving. This is useful if you only need part of the screen or want to highlight something with a pen or marker tool.
The editing menu shows a crop tool (to remove edges), a pen tool (to draw), a highlighter, an eraser, and a text tool. You can also add shapes or stickers. When you are done, tap Save or Share — Share sends the image directly to a contact, app, or cloud service without saving it to your phone first.
If you close the notification without editing, the screenshot still saves to your Photos app. You can edit it later by opening Photos, finding the Screenshots folder, and tapping the image to open the same editing tools.
How to record your screen on Samsung
Screen recording is different from a screenshot — it captures video of everything you do on your phone for as long as you record. To turn on screen recording, open Settings, scroll down to Advanced Features, and tap Screen Recorder. Toggle it on.
Once you turn on Screen Recorder in Settings, a new button appears in your Quick Settings panel (the menu you see when you swipe down from the top twice). Open Quick Settings and tap the Screen Recorder button to start recording. A countdown appears, then recording begins. Your phone records everything on your screen, including audio from speakers and your microphone if you leave the microphone on.
To stop recording, open Quick Settings again and tap the Screen Recorder button, or tap the floating control that appears on your screen during recording. The video saves automatically to your Photos app as an MP4 file, which you can play, edit, or share like any other video.
Turning the microphone on or off during screen recording
By default, Samsung records both screen video and audio from your phone's microphone and speakers. If you are recording a game, app, or video, you probably want the microphone off so viewers only hear the app's sound, not your voice or background noise.
Before you start recording, open Quick Settings and look for the Screen Recorder button. Press and hold it (do not just tap) — a menu appears with options to turn the microphone on or off. Choose your preference, then tap the button to start recording with those settings.
You can also change this setting in Settings under Advanced Features > Screen Recorder. Toggle the microphone option on or off there, and it will stay that way for all future recordings until you change it again.
Where your screenshots and recordings save
Both screenshots and screen recordings save to your Photos app in a folder called Screenshots (for images) or Videos (for recordings). Open Photos, tap the menu (three lines), and look for Screenshots or Videos to find them quickly.
The files also appear in your phone's file storage under DCIM > Screenshots or Movies > Recordings, depending on what you captured. If you use Samsung Cloud or Google Photos, these files may sync automatically to your cloud storage, though you can turn that off in Settings if you prefer to keep them only on your phone.
Deleting a screenshot or recording from Photos removes it from your phone. If it synced to cloud storage, you may need to delete it there separately, or it will redownload to your phone the next time you sync.
Troubleshooting when screenshots or recording do not work
If the Power and Volume Down button combination does not take a screenshot, make sure you are pressing both buttons at exactly the same time. If one button presses slightly before the other, it may open a menu instead. Try again with both buttons held down firmly for about one second.
If Screen Recorder does not appear in your Quick Settings, go back to Settings > Advanced Features and make sure the toggle is on. On some Samsung phones, Screen Recorder is under Settings > Apps > Screen Recorder instead. Once you turn it on in Settings, the button should appear in Quick Settings within a few seconds.
If your screen recording stops unexpectedly or does not save, check that you have enough free storage on your phone. Screen recordings use a lot of space — a one-minute recording can be 50 to 100 MB depending on your screen resolution. Delete old photos or videos if you are running low on space, then try recording again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot of just part of my screen?
Yes. After you take a full screenshot, tap the notification at the top and use the crop tool to select only the area you want. You can also use the built-in crop tool in your Photos app to trim any screenshot after the fact.
Does screen recording include audio from apps and videos?
Yes, screen recording captures audio from your phone's speakers by default. If you turn the microphone on, it also records your voice and background noise. Turn the microphone off in Quick Settings before recording if you only want to hear the app's audio.
How long can I record my screen?
You can record as long as your phone has storage space. Most phones can record for several hours before running out of room, but longer recordings create very large files. If your phone gets hot during recording, stop and let it cool down before recording again.
What if my Samsung phone does not have a Power button?
Newer Samsung phones have a power button on the side. If you cannot find it, check your phone's manual — some models have it in different locations. The Volume Down button is always on the side below the Volume Up button.
Can I edit a screen recording after I save it?
You can trim the beginning or end of a recording using your Photos app or a video editor, but you cannot edit the middle or add text the way you can with screenshots. For more detailed edits, you may need to use a third-party video editor from the Google Play Store.