How to Take a Screenshot in Android

By Jake • June 1st, 2010 • 25 Comments

I actually like the big old clock widget

So, the iPhone OS has had the ability to take a screenshot since 2.0, simply hold down the sleep and home buttons for a couple seconds, and click, you’ve got a screenshot.

This is a great feature, and one lacking from Android’s base OS, i.e. there’s no button combination or included app that takes screenshots.

You can find apps that do this, but the easiest way is (h/t to this post):

  1. Download the Android SDK.
  2. Ensure you have the latest JDK installed.
  3. Connect the device to your computer via USB.
  4. Enable “USB Debugging” on the device in Settings – Applications – Development.
  5. Run the ddms app which lives in the Android SDK tools directory.
  6. Select the device in the left panel and press ctrl+s.

You can recapture the device’s screen by clicking Refresh in the resulting ddms window.

Step five could use a bit of detail. I simply ran ddms from the Mac’s terminal (i.e. ./ddms), but from what I’ve read, you can run it from Eclipse or another IDE. I went the easy route because don’t need to install an IDE just to take screenshots of my phone.

I posted this as much as a reminder for me, as a how-to for you.

This is an interesting deviation between what I’ve come to expect from iPhone and Android.

Screenshotting is a power user feature, exactly the kind that Apple would leave on the cutting room floor. Instead, it’s in the base iPhone OS. Maybe this was influenced by Mac’s native screenshot capabilities, which rule.

I would expect the opposite of Android, based on its geeky roots, i.e. screenshotting would be baked in and easy to use.

Interesting.

Update: Oliver (@osteinmeier) points out in comments, you can use an app call Shoot Me to take screenshots on rooted devices. It also happens to work on the EVO, no rooting required.

I tested it to be sure, and it’s actually quite fun to shout at your phone to take a screenshot. The screenshots go into a ShootMe directory on the SD card.

Thanks Oliver. Here’s his full comment:

I was quite surprised (when I was playing with my Droid) that I couldn’t take screenshots without jumping through the hoops you described.

But with the EVO there is now an (easier?) way: you can actually just use the “Shoot Me” app from the Market. On other devices is requires the phone to be rooted, but not on the EVO. It has quite interesting “trigger” mechanisms — either vigorously shake your phone or yell at it :) ”

Credit: some guy on oratweet pointing me to http://www.androidguys.com/2010/05/24/android-screenshots-root-required/


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  • http://twitter.com/osteinmeier osteinmeier

    I was quite surprised (when I was playing with my Droid) that I couldn't take screenshots without jumping through the hoops you described.

    But with the EVO there is now an (easier?) way: you can actually just use the “Shoot Me” app from the Market. On other devices is requires the phone to be rooted, but not on the EVO. It has quite interesting “trigger” mechanisms — either vigorously shake your phone or yell at it :)

    Credit: some guy on oratweet pointing me to http://www.androidguys.com/2010/05/24/android-s…

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    Oh that is too funny. Just tested it out by yelling, good fun. Thanks for the tip.

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    Oh that is too funny. Just tested it out by yelling, good fun. Thanks for the tip.

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  • AndroidCUrious

    You must be joking or you are insane. Can you search in the market for screenshoot?

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    No, no and yes. What’s your point?

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  • http://koowie.com Peter Shen

    I have been doing “accidental” screen shots and I didn’t even know it. lol. Thanks for letting us know!
    Peter, Founder Koowie.com

  • http://koowie.com Koowie

    Ha! I never knew this. Been taking screen shots by accident. Now I know. lol

  • http://www.uptomark.com jimmy

    I will recommend you batter solution to take screenshot on Android device. Simple install screenshot ER on your device. You can free download screenshot ER app from here http://goo.gl/wUzWB

  • tristan1749

    If you have 2.1 or older, you can see how to take screenshot in my tutorial video at freewifiphonecalls.com. It’s free. No gimmicks. 

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  • Dianneosu

    I have the EVO 4g and after downloading the shootme app and accepting the terms, it said I needed rooting. Help!

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    This could be new. Rooting isn’t difficult, but if you’re running the most recent version of Android on the EVO, you might have native screen capture, which was supposed to be added to Android in 2.3.3.

  • http://twitter.com/Arleneuc Arlene Murchinson
  • Naveed

    Back Button+Home Button.. Captures screenshot & Will be stored in Gallery/ScreenCaptures

  • http://theappslab.com Jake

    Nope, not working on my Nexus S or EVO.

  • Whatsoyoucansellit

    on my samsung galaxy S its the home + “back” key to take a screenshot

  • Jeremy Dekroon

    It doesn’t work on my galaxy

  • guest

    on the Evo 3d you can get it by holding down power button and pressing home

  • Firstgerti

    Don’t need all that hassel or expence, on an android : hold down the menu-button and tap the power-button, select .
    Works on several mobiles :-)

  • DannyP

    I keep getting a “Failed to get the ADB version” error… Any Ideas?

  • http://theappslab.com Jake