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How to Take a Screenshot (Any Device)

The fastest way to take a screenshot on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone, and Android — plus how to grab a single window, a region, or a whole scrolling page.

Abdur Rahim Ratib··3 min read

Short version: Every device has a built-in screenshot shortcut. Windows: Win+Shift+S (region) or PrtScn (full screen). Mac: Cmd+Shift+4 (region) or Cmd+Shift+3 (full screen). Chromebook: Shift+Ctrl+Show-windows. iPhone: Side button + Volume Up. Android: Power + Volume Down. The image is copied to your clipboard and/or saved to a Screenshots folder.

A screenshot is the fastest way to show someone exactly what you’re seeing — an error message, a receipt, a design, a bug. This is the one-page guide to grabbing one on whatever you’re using, plus how to capture a single window, a precise region, or an entire scrolling page.

Windows

  • Whole screen to clipboard: PrtScn (Print Screen).
  • Region to clipboard + save: Win+Shift+S opens the Snip & Sketch overlay — drag to select, and the snip lands on your clipboard with a notification you can click to annotate and save.
  • Active window only: Alt+PrtScn.
  • Whole screen straight to a file: Win+PrtScn saves a PNG to Pictures > Screenshots.

The most useful one to memorize is Win+Shift+S — it gives you rectangle, freeform, window, and full-screen modes in one overlay. For the full walkthrough of every mode, see how to use the Snipping Tool.

Mac

  • Whole screen: Cmd+Shift+3.
  • Region: Cmd+Shift+4, then drag.
  • A single window (with a clean shadow): Cmd+Shift+4, then press Spacebar and click the window.
  • The capture toolbar (with options + screen recording): Cmd+Shift+5.

By default Mac screenshots save to the Desktop; hold Ctrl while capturing to copy to the clipboard instead.

Chromebook

  • Whole screen: Shift+Ctrl+Show-windows (the key that looks like a rectangle with two lines, usually above 6).
  • Region: the same shortcut, then choose Partial in the toolbar and drag.
  • On tablets: press Power + Volume Down.

Screenshots save to the Downloads folder and appear in Tote (the shelf).

iPhone and iPad

  • Face ID iPhone: press the Side button + Volume Up together.
  • Home-button iPhone: press the Home button + Side button.
  • iPad with Face ID: Top button + Volume Up.

A thumbnail appears in the corner — tap it to mark up or share, or ignore it and find the shot in Photos > Screenshots.

Android

  • Press Power + Volume Down at the same time (hold for a moment).
  • Many phones also offer a three-finger swipe or a Screenshot tile in the quick-settings shade.
  • Some skins (Samsung, etc.) add scrolling capture right in the preview bar.

Shots save to the Gallery/Photos app, usually under a Screenshots album.

When a screenshot isn’t enough

Screenshots are perfect for a single still. But a lot of what people try to capture is really a sequence — a bug that only shows up mid-click, a workflow you’re explaining, a UI that animates. A stack of screenshots can’t show motion, timing, or what you clicked.

That’s when you want a screen recording instead. A recording captures the whole flow — cursor, clicks, system sound, and your narration — in one file you can send. KeepCast is a local-first screen recorder for Windows that does exactly this: capture your screen (or a region you lock once and reuse), record system audio and your mic together, and everything stays on your machine. It also takes clean full-screen or region screenshots to PNG or JPEG, so one tool covers both. (Join the waitlist for early access.)

The bottom line

To take a screenshot, use your device’s built-in shortcut: Win+Shift+S on Windows, Cmd+Shift+4 on Mac, Shift+Ctrl+Show-windows on Chromebook, Side+Volume-Up on iPhone, Power+Volume-Down on Android. Grab a window or region when you don’t need the whole screen, reach for a scrolling capture when the content runs off-page — and switch to a screen recording when the thing you’re showing actually moves.

Frequently asked questions

What is the universal way to take a screenshot?＋

There isn't a single key that works everywhere, but the pattern is the same on every device: a modifier plus a capture key. On Windows it's Win+Shift+S, on Mac it's Cmd+Shift+4, on Chromebook it's Shift+Ctrl+Show-windows, on iPhone it's Side+Volume-Up, and on Android it's Power+Volume-Down.

How do I screenshot just one window instead of the whole screen?＋

On Windows, press Alt+PrtScn to copy the active window, or use Win+Shift+S and choose Window snip. On Mac, press Cmd+Shift+4 then Spacebar and click the window. This captures only that window, cleanly cropped.

Where do screenshots get saved?＋

On Windows, full-screen PrtScn goes to the clipboard, and Win+Shift+S also offers to save to Pictures > Screenshots. On Mac they save to the Desktop by default. On phones they land in the Photos or Gallery app. Most tools also copy the image to your clipboard so you can paste it immediately.

How do I capture a whole web page that scrolls?＋

A normal screenshot only grabs what's visible. For a full page you need a scrolling screenshot — your browser's built-in full-page capture, an extension, or a screen-capture tool that stitches the scroll into one long image.