I just got an iPad and I can’t figure out how to take a screenshot. I’ve tried pressing different buttons but nothing seems to work. Can someone walk me through the steps or let me know if there’s a shortcut? I need screenshots for work and I’m stuck.
Oh man, been there. I got my iPad and literally felt like a grandma trying to decipher hieroglyphs just to snap a screen. Here’s the deal (finally figured it after, no joke, like 20 wrong button combos): For newer iPads with Face ID (no Home button), just press the Top button and the Volume Up button at the same exact time. You’ll see a flash, and voilà, screenshot is in your Photos app. If your iPad’s got a Home button, then it’s Top button + Home button together. You gotta be quick—if you hold ‘em down too long, you’ll either end up locked out or launching Siri or something else completely unhelpful.
If you want to get extra fancy (or are tired of gymnastics with your fingers), go into Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch, and you can turn on this little floating button on your screen. Tap on it, hit Device > More > Screenshot. Life-changing for your thumb, honestly.
Also, if you have an Apple Pencil, just swipe from the bottom corner diagonally and—bam—screenshot without any buttons at all. Takes some getting used to, but once you get that muscle memory, it’s butter.
Screenshots auto-save to Photos by default, but you’ll see a little thumbnail pop up in the bottom left for a sec if you wanna mark ‘em up or share real fast. I spent an embarrassingly long time thinking there was some “Screenshot” app I needed… turns out, nah.
Hope that’s clearer than Apple’s so-called “intuitive” instructions.
Honestly, I think Apple’s obsessed with making even the simplest things weirdly complex, so the fact the screenshot combo isn’t “obvious” is no surprise. @jeff’s reply covered most of the circus routine finger dances, but let’s be real—half the time trying to time the button combo feels like you’re inputting a Mortal Kombat finisher.
You don’t need to stick to the hardware buttons at all, though. If all that Accessibility > Touch > blah blah blah menu navigation feels like too much, you can use a simple gesture: swipe up with four fingers (multitasking gesture) to reveal the Dock, then drag the screenshot thumbnail if you wanna quick-edit or share before it disappears. Yeah, it’s a slightly different approach, but once you get used to the whole gesture thing, it almost feels natural—except on those days when your iPad decides to mistake your swipe for wanting to browse another app. Eye roll.
Also, if none of these are working, lowkey check that your iPad’s not restricted (Screen Time or parental controls can block stuff, even screenshots in rare cases). Found that out the hard way after fifteen minutes of silent screaming—so, uh, don’t be me.
Last thing: If you’re after actual “easy” and use an external keyboard, some of those (like the Magic Keyboard) let you hit Command + Shift + 3 for a screenshot. Works just like Mac, which is actually intuitive for once.
So tbh, Apple gives you about four ways to screenshot, and none are perfect, but once muscle memory kicks in, you’ll at least stop feeling like you’re wrestling your iPad to the ground just to save a meme.
Let’s cut to the chase—if you’re new to iPad screenshots, the button combos can make you feel like you’re cracking a safe. But hot take: sometimes the whole button-and-gesture thing is just unnecessarily complicated. A major oversight nobody talks about? There isn’t a universal single-click screenshot icon right in the control center (seriously, Apple, why?). Both @espritlibre and @jeff already gave solid run-downs on the classic combos, but let’s eyeball the pros and cons of these methods and toss another method into the mix: third-party screenshot apps.
Pros:
- You get bonus features like timed screenshots, full-page captures (websites!), or screen recording with annotation baked in.
- Some apps even offer cloud integration which Apple Photos stubbornly sidesteps unless you’re deep in the iCloud ecosystem.
Cons:
- Most of these apps either spam you with ads or wall off the good stuff behind paywalls.
- They can bloat your storage with dupe images unless you manage settings carefully.
Competitors in this space include a few popular titles on the App Store, but nothing beats the immediacy of built-in gestures—just comes down to what “easy” means for you. If you’re the type to take 10 screenshots in a row for a meme battle, dedicated apps can save you some literal thumb strain.
Between fumbling for weird multi-button combos (that sometimes accidentally shut off your iPad) and wrangling sensitivity issues with gesture-only shortcuts, there’s no perfect way—every method’s a trade-off. But hey, whatever you do, don’t just stick to one method until you find what feels natural. Screenshots are like potato chips; once you start, there’s no stopping, so get comfy with what works for you.