How to Take and Edit Screenshots on Face ID iPhones

To take a screenshot on iPhone 15, 16, or 17, quickly press and release the side button and volume up button at the same time. Use the upper volume button on the left edge and the side button on the right edge. A brief simultaneous press is enough; do not hold them down.

This button method applies to the iPhone 15 family, including Plus, Pro, and Pro Max, and other Face ID iPhones. The preview depends on your iOS version and settings: iOS 26 and 27 offer a full-screen preview by default, while iOS 18 and earlier show a small thumbnail. Check your version in Settings > General > About if the examples look different.

The instructions below follow Apple’s documentation, including its screenshot instructions for different iOS versions. They describe documented behavior rather than a hands-on device test. The retained illustrations depict an iPhone 17; the same side and volume up combination works on an iPhone 15.

Take a Screenshot With the Buttons

1. Open the webpage, app, message, or other screen you want to save. Position the content before capturing it.
2. Briefly press side + volume up together, then release both. Use the upper of the two volume buttons, not a camera or Action button.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Save a Still Frame From an iPhone Video

For the screenshot method on an iPhone 12 or another Face ID iPhone, open the intended video in Photos, pause playback and drag its timeline to the frame you want. Apple documents video playback and scrubbing. Hide playback controls if your version allows it, then quickly press and release Side + Volume Up together as described above. Open the thumbnail or screenshot preview, crop away controls and black borders, and save to Photos using the version-specific controls below. Alternatively, open the saved screenshot in Photos and use Edit to crop it. Check the saved image and retain the original video. This captures the displayed screen, so its resolution and crop differ from a full-resolution exported video frame; a blurred frame remains blurred. Apple’s screenshot instructions distinguish older thumbnails from newer previews.

Crop, Mark Up, and Share the Image

In the screenshot preview, drag the crop handles to keep the part you need. Open Markup to draw, highlight, or add text. Use the share control to choose a recipient or app, then follow that app’s prompts. Review the image for private messages or account details before sharing.

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 the visible screen, such as an entire Safari webpage. This option is different from taking a normal screenshot of any app; not every scrolling screen offers Full Page.

1. Open the webpage in Safari and take a screenshot with side + volume up.
2. Open the screenshot preview if you see a thumbnail, then choose Full Page when offered.
3. Use the page preview on the right to inspect the captured content. Use the crop control if you need a smaller portion.
4. 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.
5. 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 absent, try the webpage in Safari or capture separate visible sections. Do not assume an app’s entire conversation or feed can be captured this way.

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.

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn on AssistiveTouch. A floating menu button appears.
2. 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.
3. Return to the screen you want to capture. Tap the floating button, then Screenshot.
4. 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

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap.
2. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, then select Screenshot.
3. 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?

Check that you press volume up and the side button together and release promptly. Remove a case temporarily if it obstructs a button. If one button does not work, try AssistiveTouch instead. For more on using the onscreen controls, see taking a screenshot without the power button. A problem limited to one app needs investigation in that app; changing capture methods does not guarantee it will allow every kind of content.

Can an Apple Pencil take an iPhone 15 screenshot?

No. Apple Pencil is designed for the compatible iPads listed in Apple’s Apple Pencil compatibility guide. An iPad’s Pencil corner gesture is not an iPhone screenshot method. Use the buttons or the accessibility options above.

Do I need Apple Intelligence to take screenshots?

No. Ordinary screenshot capture works on all iPhone 15 models. The optional tools for learning about screen content are separate. Apple’s Visual Intelligence guide lists iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 models or later with Apple Intelligence enabled. Standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus do not qualify. Supported language, region, and software also affect availability.

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 repeatedly fails, check available storage and the behavior in another app before assuming a particular power setting is responsible.

Need a moving demonstration rather than a still image? See how to record your iPhone screen.