I’m trying to take a screenshot on my iPad, but I can’t figure it out. I need to save something from an app for later, and I can’t find the correct buttons or instructions. Can someone guide me through it?
Oh boy, screenshots on an iPad—it’s like Apple wants to test your patience or something. Here’s the deal: if you have an iPad with a Home button, you press that little circle button (yeah, the Home button) and the power/lock button at the same time, then let go quickly. Don’t hold it too long unless you want to bring up Siri or accidentally send out an SOS or something—you don’t want a firetruck showing up while you’re trying to save a meme.
If your iPad doesn’t have a Home button because, you know, Apple decided buttons are so last season, then you gotta press the power/lock button and the volume up button simultaneously. Again, quick press—don’t long-press or you’ll end up with all kinds of nonsense on your screen. Bam, screenshot saved right to your Photos app.
Alternatively, if you’re feeling fancy or just can’t deal with buttons, swipe up from the bottom of the screen with the Apple Pencil (or your finger, if you’re like me and can’t justify spending $130 on a stylus). There should be a screen recording/screenshot button in your Control Center if you’ve set it up—but hey, that would require pre-planning, and who even has time for that?
Anyway, now you can immortalize whatever nonsense is on your screen for future generations to judge you by. Or, you know, save that important thing from the app. Same diff.
Look, @mike34 covered the button thing pretty well. They’re not wrong, but if we’re being honest, remembering which buttons to press feels like a test of your reflexes. Here’s another option: AssistiveTouch. It’s kind of like training wheels for screen interactions. Go into Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn it on. Now, you’ll get this little floating circle (yes, it can be annoying, but stay with me). Tap it, choose Device > More > Screenshot, and voilà—no awkward hand contortion required.
And before anyone says it, yes, this is the “slow but foolproof” method. If you don’t want to deal with button timing or Control Center layouts, this is probably your best bet. Also, don’t let anyone tell you swiping with the Apple Pencil is the easiest way—unless you like spending extra for what your finger can already do for free.