There are plenty of advantages to being able to screen capture, as it will allow you to easily create tutorial videos for work or your friends and family. That’s only one of the many reasons why you should know how to screen capture on your operating system of choice.
In today’s guide, we’re going to discuss how you can record or screenshot your screen on Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. We’ll discuss things like the required keyboard shortcut to take screenshots and how you can use system-specific tools to more easily record your screen.
Take Screenshots of Your Entire Screen and Screen Capture on PC
The screenshot feature on desktop computers has been slightly hidden but has worked the same way for a long time. The classic keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot on Windows has been the PRTSC (print screen) key. However, this won’t automatically save a screenshot, it will just add it to your clipboard.
Now that the image of your screen is on your computer’s clipboard, open up a notepad file to paste it in there and then save the file. Even though it’s easy to do this, it’s still a lot of work, and Windows 10 has presented a few new ways to take a screenshot more efficiently.
For example, the rectangular snip tool allows you to crop an area of your screen out as a screenshot. You can also use the Game Bar that comes included with Windows 10 to make a video recording.
While Windows Desktops have historically been unable to record video of the screen without additional software, the Game Bar has made it possible. All you have to do is simultaneously hit the Windows key, the R key, and the ALT key at the same time. This will start your recording. To stop the recording, all you have to do is hit that combination of keys again.
Take a Screenshot and Screen Capture on Mac
If you have a version of macOS beyond Mojave, then you’ll be able to use the built in screen capture feature to take a screenshot or to record your entire screen. You’ll be able to see the recording options at your disposal by holding command, shift, and number 5. The menu will then pop up.
If you’d like to record your entire screen, you just have to click the “record entire screen” button. This will transform your mouse cursor into a little camera that will allow you to select which of your screens you’d like to record. This feature is included just in case you have multiple monitors.
Another choice at your disposal is the ability to record only a cropped part of your screen instead of the entire screen. Press the record selected portion option if you’re trying to only capture a single part of your screen. Crop out the part of the screen that you’re trying to record and then click record.
You also have a range of options at your disposal when it comes to screen recording on Apple. You can set your recordings to begin either 5 or 10 seconds after you hit record, and you can also select a microphone so that you can include your voice alongside the recordings that you take. This is ideal for creating tutorials on the fly without having to superimpose audio afterward.
Screen Capture on iOS
Taking screenshots on iPhones has changed a little bit since the phone brand got rid of its home button. On older models that still have a home button, you can take a screenshot by pressing the power button and the home button at the same time. You can then either crop or save that image.
If your iPhone instead has FaceID and no home button, you can take a screenshot by pressing the volume up and power button at the same time. Much like with older iPhones, you can then open up the screenshot editor by tapping on the little image that pops up in the bottom corner of your screen.
To record the screen of your iOS device, add the screen recording option to your control center through your settings. Once you’ve done this, all you have to do is swipe open the control center and then tap the recording button. You can choose whether you leave your microphone on or off.
Screen Capture on Android
To take a screenshot on an Android device, hit the power button and the volume down button at the same time. Additionally, Android devices made by LG, Samsung, and OnePlus allow you to record your screen directly from the quick settings just above your notification center.
