To take a screenshot on a Face ID iPhone, including iPhone 15, 16, and 17, quickly press and release the side button and volume up button at the same time. A brief press is enough, so don’t hold them down. Tap the preview that appears to crop, mark up, or share the image.
What you see next depends on your iOS version. iOS 26 and 27 show a full-screen preview by default, while iOS 18 and earlier show a small thumbnail. Apple’s screenshot instructions for different iOS versions cover each one.
Take a Screenshot With the Buttons
- Open the webpage, app, message, or other screen you want to save. Position the content before capturing it.
- Briefly press side + volume up together, then release both. Use the upper of the two volume buttons, not a camera or Action button.
- If a full-screen preview opens, review it. Swipe up to save it to Photos, or use the completion control and choose a save option. Apple’s current screenshot guide describes both options.
- If a small thumbnail appears in the lower-left corner instead, tap it to edit. If you leave the thumbnail alone, the screenshot saves automatically. Swiping that thumbnail left dismisses the preview rather than deleting the saved image.
Check the preview or saved image to confirm the capture. Do not rely only on a shutter sound. If you see a power-off or emergency screen, you held the buttons too long; cancel it and try a quick press and release.
In the screenshot preview, drag the crop handles to keep the part you need. Tap Markup (the pen icon) to draw, highlight, or add text. To send it, tap the Share button, then choose a contact or an app such as Messages or Mail. Check the image for private messages or account details before you share it.
With the full-screen preview, finish by saving the image. If you use the cancel or delete control instead, do not expect a retained screenshot. Control icons and save menus can differ across iOS versions. For a screenshot already saved, open it in Photos to edit or share it.
Save a Full Webpage in Safari
A full-page capture can include more than what fits on the screen, such as an entire Safari webpage. Not every scrolling screen offers Full Page.
- Open the webpage in Safari and take a screenshot with side + volume up.
- Open the screenshot preview if you see a thumbnail, then choose Full Page when offered.
- Use the page preview on the right to check what was captured. Use the crop control if you need a smaller portion.
- Use the save control and choose Save to Photos for an image when that option is available. In the iOS 26 guide, Apple also documents Save PDF to Files; choose a folder and save the PDF there.
- Open Photos or the chosen Files folder to confirm the saved result. A PDF saved to Files will not appear in the Screenshots photo collection.
For the PDF and image choices in that version, see Apple’s iOS 26 full-page instructions. If Full Page is missing, try the webpage in Safari or take separate screenshots of each section. Full Page may not capture an app’s entire conversation or feed.
Use Thumbnail Previews or Choose a File Format
In iOS 26 and 27, open Settings > General > Screen Capture and turn off Full-Screen Previews if you prefer a temporary lower-left thumbnail. This can make repeated captures easier because you do not need to dismiss a full-screen preview each time. Turn the setting back on to restore full-screen previews.
The same settings let you choose SDR or HDR capture. Apple’s current Screen Capture guide lists PNG for SDR screenshots and HEIF for HDR screenshots. HDR needs a compatible display to show its full brightness and color; standard displays show an SDR appearance. Use SDR when a PNG is what your workflow needs. Older iOS versions may not have this settings screen.
Take a Screenshot Without Pressing Both Buttons
AssistiveTouch: use an onscreen button
AssistiveTouch is useful if pressing two buttons together is difficult or a hardware button is unreliable. Apple documents screenshots and custom menu actions in its AssistiveTouch guide.
- Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn on AssistiveTouch. A floating menu button appears.
- Choose Customize Top Level Menu. Tap an icon you want to replace, select Screenshot, and finish that selection. Note the previous action if you plan to restore it later.
- Return to the screen you want to capture. Tap the floating button, then Screenshot.
- Review and save the screenshot according to the preview mode described above.
You can also assign Screenshot to Double-Tap under AssistiveTouch’s custom actions. That action means double-tapping the floating button, not the back of the phone. Keep Single-Tap assigned to Open Menu if you still want normal access to the menu. To remove the floating button, turn AssistiveTouch off in the same settings.
Back Tap: tap the rear of the phone
- Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
- Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, then select Screenshot.
- Open the desired screen and tap the back of the iPhone the selected number of times.
If captures happen accidentally, return to the selected Back Tap action and choose None, or try the other tap count. Apple’s Back Tap instructions include the setup and removal steps. Siri is another documented alternative: with Siri available, ask it to take a screenshot, then check the result.
Find Saved Screenshots
In current Photos versions, open Photos > Collections, scroll to Media Types, and choose Screenshots. On older Photos layouts, look for Screenshots under Media Types in Albums. You can also find a saved screenshot among recent images in your library.
If you chose a Files location for a full-page PDF, open Files and browse that location instead. For moving saved captures to a Windows computer, our iPhone-to-PC file transfer guide covers the available methods.
Troubleshooting and Common Questions
Why does the button combination fail?
Press volume up and the side button together and release them quickly. Take off your case if it blocks a button. If a button does not work, try AssistiveTouch instead. For more on the onscreen controls, see taking a screenshot without the power button. If the problem happens in only one app, that app may block screenshots of some content, and a different capture method may not get around it.
Do I need Apple Intelligence to take screenshots?
No. Screenshots work on every iPhone 17 model whether Apple Intelligence is on or off. Visual Intelligence, which can explain what’s on your screen, is a separate optional feature; Apple’s Visual Intelligence guide covers it. Availability depends on your language, region and software.
Why isn’t the screenshot in Photos?
Check whether you saved a full-screen preview, discarded it, or saved a full-page PDF to Files. With thumbnail previews, capture again and let the thumbnail disappear, then check recent photos and Screenshots. If saving keeps failing, check your available storage and try a screenshot in another app.
Need a moving demonstration rather than a still image? See how to record your iPhone screen.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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