How to Take a Screenshot on Your iPhone to Save What's on the Screen
August 24, 2026 · by Porchswing Technology
Like a Photocopy of Your Screen
Remember the old copy machine at the library? You'd lay a page down, press a button, and out came a copy you could take home. Your iPhone can do something very similar — except instead of copying a page, it copies whatever is showing on the screen right now.
That "copy" is called a screenshot. It gets saved into your Photos, right alongside your pictures of the grandkids. And it comes in handy more often than you'd think.
Why You Might Want One
A screenshot is useful any time you want to keep or share something you're looking at on your phone. Here are a few examples:
- A confirmation number after booking an appointment
- A recipe a friend sent you in a text
- Your airline boarding pass
- A funny message you'd like to show someone
- Driving directions, in case you lose your signal
Once it's saved as a screenshot, you can look at it later without having to search through your emails or texts to find the original.
How to Take One
Nearly every iPhone made in the last several years takes a screenshot the same way. You press two buttons at the same time — quickly, then let go.
On most iPhones (those without a Home button): Press the side button (on the right edge of the phone) and the volume up button (on the left edge) at the same time. Press them together, then release right away. Don't hold them down.
On older iPhones (those with a round Home button at the bottom): Press the side button and the Home button at the same time, then let go.
You'll know it worked because the screen will flash white for a split second, and you may hear a little camera shutter click. A small copy of your screenshot will appear in the bottom-left corner for a few seconds.
If you'd like, you can tap that little preview to write on it or crop it. Or you can just ignore it — it'll tuck itself away on its own.
Finding It Later
Every screenshot you take is saved in the Photos app, the same place your pictures live.
Open Photos, then tap Albums at the bottom. Scroll down until you see an album called Screenshots. Every screenshot you've ever taken lives there, newest first. Tap one to open it.
From there, you can share it just like any photo — text it to your daughter, email it to yourself, or simply keep it for your own reference.
A Common Snag
If the two buttons trip up your fingers, don't be discouraged. The most common mistake is holding the buttons down too long instead of a quick tap-and-release. If you hold them, the phone thinks you want to turn it off and shows the "slide to power off" screen. Just tap Cancel and try again with a quicker press.
It usually takes two or three tries to get the timing. After that, it becomes second nature.
Try It Today
Open something on your phone right now — the weather, a text message, anything at all. Give the two buttons a quick press together. Watch for the little flash and the small preview in the corner.
Then head to your Photos app, tap Albums, and find your new screenshot waiting in the Screenshots album. That's it — you've made a copy of your screen.
Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.