Most smartphone users are probably familiar with the situation when you need to take a screenshot, but all the information you need doesn’t fit on one screen. As a result, you end up taking two, three, or five pictures, depending on the length of the page you need. Then you start to get confused in these images, lose track of their order, and get nervous. It’s really quite uncomfortable.

For such cases, smartphones and tablets on both Android and iOS have a long scrolling screenshot feature. Just imagine how much easier it is to read information when, for example, a message or a web page that spans several screens fits into a single image. So, why would you need a long screenshot and how to take one, read the article.

How to take a long scrolling screenshot?

A long screenshot is a very useful and practical thing. A webpage, instruction, chat, or document captured in a single image can be useful for:

personal use in a convenient format, such as creating visual bookmarks, saving emails;
creating tutorials for demonstrations or presentations;
generating detailed reports with a lot of information;
creating informative content for social networks;
creating a backup copy of important information.

By default, on any device, a screenshot will contain only the image that is visible at that moment. However, you can change this.

How to take long shots varies depending on your device and operating system. You can use both built-in and third-party programs to do this.

How to take a scrolling screenshot on Android

Press the standard combination of buttons to take a screenshot – Power + Volume Down.
A small thumbnail of the captured image appears in the lower left corner, and the Capture More button appears next to it. Click it.
You’ll see a preview of the entire web page or other image.
Adjust the edges or drag the handles up and down to capture the entire page.
Click Save, and the long shot will be saved to your gallery.

However, keep in mind that different Android devices work differently, so it may take some trial and error. For example, on Samsung Galaxy phones, to take a screenshot, you again need to press the Power + Volume Down combination, but the icon for a long image will be different. Next to the screenshot thumbnail, you’ll see two small arrows pointing down.

Press and hold them and the picture will stretch further down the screen. When you lift your finger or reach the bottom of a page or document, the image is saved to your smartphone’s gallery.

How to take a long screenshot on iPhone

You can also take scrolling screenshots on iOS. The standard keyboard shortcut for taking a standard screenshot is Power and Home on an iPhone with Touch ID or Power and Volume + on an iPhone with Face ID.

But to take a long screenshot on an iPhone:

Press the standard button combination.
Click the thumbnail that appears in the lower left corner.
Next, you’ll see a snapshot and a toggle between Screen and Full Page modes.
In full screen mode, the entire web page or document is selected by default. If you want to change this setting, tap the crop icon – to the right of the Done button at the top – and then use the stylus to change the contents of your screenshot. Tap Done to confirm your cropping choice.

If you’re satisfied with the result, save the snapshot as a photo to the gallery or as a PDF to the Files app. You can also delete the photo or copy it to the clipboard.

But note that you can only take screenshots of websites and documents using the built-in iPhone app. If you need to take a long screenshot in one of the messengers, such as Telegram, you can use the corresponding applications. To do this, follow these steps:

Download the program Tailor.
Take a series of screens in it, gradually scrolling the screen.
Once you’re in the app, select the photos you want to take to create a long screenshot.
Tailor will join them together into one long image.

Useful tips for working with screenshots:

to ensure a clear and high-quality image, set your smartphone screen to the highest resolution;
save the image in the most convenient format – JPEG, PNG – depending on how you plan to use it;
you can edit the screenshot using a graphical editor – resize, crop, add annotations, etc.

In general, a screenshot can be a convenient tool for saving information, communicating, and using for any purpose. The only thing you need to create a high-quality screenshot is the right method for your device.

How to take a long scrolling screenshot on Android and iOS

Maryna Pohorilko