I often snap screenshots on my smartphone, typically to create images for the articles I write. But sometimes I need to capture more of the screen than I can see at once. For instance, I may want to capture a scrolling web page, a long email, or another piece of content that can’t fit on the phone’s screen at one time.
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Android phones and iPhones (as well as iPads) let you take a full-page screenshot of certain content. The process varies slightly among different devices, but the end result is the same. Here’s how to take a scrolling screenshot on Android, iOS, and iPadOS.
How to take a scrolling screenshot on an Android device
To capture a long or scrolling screen on an Android device, you need to be running Android 12 or higher. The scrolling screenshot option is fairly versatile, as you’re able to capture just about any screen, such as your home screen, a web page, an app, or a document.
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On a standard Android phone, such as a Google Pixel, open the web page or other scrolling screen that you want to capture. Press the Power button and the Volume down button at the same time. Tap the “Capture more” button on the bottom toolbar. An image of the entire screen should open, with a box around the default area that normally would be captured. To include more of the screen, drag the bottom handle lower until you’ve captured all or as much of the screen as you want. Then tap Save.
Android should save the screenshot as an image in your Screenshots folder. To find it, open the Google Photos app and tap the Photos icon at the bottom. Alternatively, open the Files app and select the Images category. With either app, tap the screenshot you just took.
In the Photos app, you can edit the image to crop it, adjust it, mark it up, or apply filters. To share the image, tap the Share icon at the bottom and choose the person or app that you want to use for sharing.
How to take a scrolling screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy phone
The process for taking a scrolling screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy phone differs from the steps on a Pixel or other Android devices.
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Set up the scrolling screen you want to capture. Press the Power button and the Volume down button at the same time. At the bottom toolbar, press down on the icon with the double down arrow. As you press this icon, the screen will automatically scroll. Continue pressing down on the icon until you’ve captured the entire screen, or as much of it as you want. When you’re done, tap the image thumbnail on the left.
You should then be taken to either the Photos app or the Gallery app. In the Photos app, tap the Edit icon to modify or enhance the image. Tap the Share icon to share the image with another person or app.
In the Gallery app, tap the pencil icon to edit the image. Tap the Share icon to share it.
How to take a scrolling screenshot on an iPhone or iPad
To take a scrolling screenshot on an iPhone or iPad, you’ll need iOS/iPadOS 14 or higher. The feature is capable of capturing a long web page, an email message, or a document. Instead of capturing the screenshot as an image, however, iOS and iPadOS capture it as a PDF.
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On an iPhone or iPad with Touch ID, press the side button and the Home button. On an iPhone or iPad with Face ID, press the side button and the Volume Up button. Tap the thumbnail of the generated screenshot. In the editor window, tap the heading for Full Page. Tap or swipe through the smaller thumbnails on the right to view the entire screenshot.
Using the top toolbar, tap the pen icon and then use the different pen and pencil tools at the bottom if you wish to mark up the PDF. Tap the + (plus) icon to display a menu where you can add text or a signature, magnify any area of the screenshot, change its opacity, or add a square or other symbol. You can also undo or redo any action by tapping the appropriate icon at the top.
To delete the screenshot, tap X at the top left. To share the PDF, tap the iOS or iPadOS Share icon and then choose the app, service, or person with which you want to share it. When finished, tap the checkmark in the top right. You can then delete the screenshot, copy and delete it, save it as a PDF to the Photos app and the Files app, or save it as a Quick Note.
