How to take a screenshot on an iPad (any generation)

Sometimes there’s no easy way to download and share something. You’ve stumbled across the perfect picture online, but there’s no way to save it. There’s an excellent recipe on a cooking app, but you won’t have an internet connection later to look it up again and there’s no option to save it for offline access. Or you just want to show off your game-winning Scrabble word to your friends. All of these small problems can be solved with a simple screenshot.

The iPad has a great built-in feature where you can take screenshots of anything as an image file, which can then be shared with anyone. In this guide, we walk you through all the steps on how to take a screenshot on your iPad.

How to take a screenshot on an iPad using the Top and Home or Volume up buttons

Step 1: Locate the Home and Top (Power) buttons. The Home button is located directly below your iPad’s display and is the only button on the front side of the iPad. The Top button, on the other hand, is the oval-shaped button atop the iPad in the right-hand corner. If you have a new 2020 iPad Pro, then you need to find the Volume Up button, since there is no Home button.

Step 2: Press and hold the Top button when viewing the screen you want to capture, then tap the Home button and release both. For the 2020 iPad Pro, press and hold the Top button and then tap the Volume up button and release both. Your iPad screen will then flash momentarily if done correctly, and you’ll hear a faint shutter noise, assuming your device isn’t in silent mode.

Step 3: Once captured, your iPad will automatically save the screenshot directly to your camera roll in the Photos app. Tap the Photos app as you would normally — the app icon resembles a multicolored flower — and swipe to the bottom of the screen to view your recently captured screenshot.

How to take a screenshot on an iPad using AssistiveTouch

AssistiveTouch offers an on-screen menu that enables you to trigger various actions that usually require button combinations, such as taking a screenshot. If you’re reading this and you are unable to press multiple buttons at the same time for whatever reason, then taking a screenshot with AssistiveTouch is the way to go.

The first thing you have to do is to turn AssistiveTouch on. To do so, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch.

Step 2: Make sure AssistiveTouch is toggled on at the top of the menu.

Now that AssistiveTouch is active, we can start taking screenshots using the AssistiveTouch menu.

Step 1: Tap the AssistiveTouch menu button.

Step 2: Go to Device > More.

Step 3: Tap Screenshot. Your iPad screen will then flash for a moment, and you’ll hear a faint shutter noise, as long as your device isn’t in silent mode.

Step 4: Once captured, your iPad will automatically save the screenshot directly to the Photos app. Tap the Photos app as you would normally and swipe to the bottom of the screen to view your recently captured screenshots.

How to take a screenshot with an Apple Pencil

If you’re a graphic designer or just like to doodle with an Apple Pencil, it’s very easy to take a screenshot with it. Simply swipe your stylus from the bottom corner of either side towards the center of the display. The screenshot editing tools should appear, allowing you to take a quick screenshot without dropping your Pencil.

How to share a screenshot

There is a multitude of reasons why you might want to share your recently captured screenshots. Thankfully, sharing with a friend, family member, coworker, or tech support is relatively easy to do, whether you want to do so via social media, AirDrop, or email. Read on to find out how.

Step 1: To share a screenshot from your iPad, tap the image to enlarge it and tap the share icon in the lower-left corner.

Step 2: Next, choose the social network you’d like to post to — Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc. — or share your screenshot via the corresponding AirDrop or email icons at the bottom. Keep in mind that AirDrop requires iOS 7 or later, and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must be turned on.