In the early days of Android taking a screenshot on a phone or tablet was a pain, but now the ability to take a screenshot is baked into the OS. In this article we show you how to take a screenshot on an Android smartphone or tablet.

For the vast majority of Android phones and tablets, to take a screenshot you simply press and hold the power and volume-down buttons together. There is a slight knack to this action: press the power button too soon and the display will switch off; press the volume-down button too soon and your screenshot may be marred by an onscreen volume slider. After a few seconds the screen will flash and a notification will appear in the drop-down bar at the top of the screen, giving you options to delete, share or edit the image. You can also access the screenshot from your Gallery.

If your device has a physical home button, as is the case with the Samsung Galaxy S6, you may find there is a different method for taking a screenshot. On the Galaxy S6 you press and hold the power and home buttons together.