How to take a scrolling screenshot on Android and iPhone

I often snap screenshots on my smartphone, typically to provide images for the articles I write. 

And sometimes I need to capture more of the screen than what I can see. 

For example, I may want to capture a scrolling web page, a long email, or another type of content that can’t fit on the screen at one time. 

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Android phones and iPhones (as well as iPads) offer the ability to take a full page screenshot of certain content. Here’s how this works.

How to take a scrolling screenshot on Android and iPhone 

Take a scrolling screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy phone

The process for taking a scrolling screenshot on a Samsung Galaxy phone is slightly different than for a stock Android device. Taking a screenshot this way works on older versions of Android prior to 12. For example, I was able to take a scrolling screenshot on a Galaxy phone running Android 9.

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 on 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 done, tap the image thumbnail on the left.

You’re then 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.

Take a scrolling screenshot on an iPhone or iPad

To take a scrolling screen shot on an iPhone or iPad, you need iOS 14, iPadOS 14, or higher. The feature is capable of capturing a long web page, email message, or document. However, instead of capturing the screenshot as an image, iOS and iPadOS capture it as a PDF.

To try this, set up the screen you wish to capture. To trigger a screenshot on an iPhone with Face ID, press the side button and Volume up button together. 

Also: Try this iPhone screenshot trick

On an iPhone with Touch ID, press the side button and the Home 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 bottom toolbar, tap the different pen and pencils tools if you wish to mark up the PDF. Tap the + 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 the trash can icon at the top. To share the PDF, tap the iOS or iPadOS Share icon and then choose the app, service, or person that you want to use to share it. When finished, tap Done. You can then delete the screenshot, copy and delete it, or save it as a PDF to your device or an online service via the Files app.