How to take a screenshot on almost any device? – Surfshark Customer Support

In this tutorial, you will learn how to take a screenshot on almost any device. Quite often, a screenshot is worth a thousand words. That's especially true when troubleshooting unspecified technical issues. A detailed screenshot will help our support agents identify your problem and suggest a perfect solution ASAP.

You'll learn how to take screenshots on the devices listed below. Choose your device from the list below and proceed to the suggested steps.

Windows 7 and Windows 8
Windows 8.1 and above
Windows Surface
macOS
Android
iOS
Linux
Chrome OS

Let's begin!

Windows 7 and Windows 8

Sadly, Windows 7 and 8 do not have an in-built feature for taking screenshots immediately. However, there are still a couple of ways to snap one.

The first way is to press the PrtSc button on your keyboard. This does not save an image but makes a copy of your screen to your clipboard. Once you press PrtSc, you'll need to open an app that supports pasting images, e.g., Paint, Paint.NET, Google Docs, etc.

For this example, we'll use Paint. You can open it by pressing the Windows Start or Search buttons and typing "paint."

Once you open Paint, press CTRL + V to paste your copied screenshot. Then, click on the floppy disk icon to save this picture. Choose to save it on your Desktop - it will be easier to find it later.

Windows Snipping Tool is a great way to make a screenshot as well. This app should already be installed on your Windows device.

Here you will find a quick tutorial on how to use the Snipping Tool.

Windows 8.1 and above

If you are using Windows 8.1 or a later version, press the Windows Button + PrtSc to take a screenshot of your whole screen. All screenshots will immediately appear in This PC -> Pictures -> Screenshots folder.

You can also make a partial capture of your screen. To do this, use the inbuilt Windows Snip & Sketch application. Press the Windows Button + Shift + S - this shortcut will start the Snip & Sketch app without further steps. Then select the area you'd like to capture.

Windows Surface

New Windows Surface models have an option to take screenshots with a combination of 2 buttons. Press the Power + Volume Down buttons at the same time to capture your screen.

Alternatively, if you have a keyboard connected, press the Windows + Space + Fn to take and save your screenshot.

macOS

If you have a macOS device, probably the easiest way to take a screenshot is by pressing Command + Shift + 3. A screenshot will automatically appear on your desktop.

Android

The majority of new Android devices use the same universal command to take screenshots.

If your Android has a physical Home button, press the Home + Volume Down buttons at the same time to capture a screenshot.

If your phone or tablet has no Home button, press the Power + Volume Down buttons at the same time to take a screenshot.

iOS

The iPhone 8 and older models still have the Home button. So, to take a screenshot, simply press the Home + Power buttons at the same time.

The process is similar for iPads with Home buttons. Press the Home + Power buttons to capture the screen.

For iPhone 10 and later models that no longer have the Home button, press Power + Volume Up at the same time to take a screenshot.

Linux

The commands below were tested on Ubuntu OS. However, they should work just fine with other distributions as well. All screenshots will automatically appear in the Pictures folder.

Press PrtSc to capture your whole screen.

To capture a specific part of your screen, press Shift + PrtSc, then select the part of your screen you'd like to capture.

Chrome OS

Even though Chromebooks have no PrtSc buttons, you can still easily take screenshots using a combination of two buttons.

Press Ctrl + Switch Window buttons at the same time. The screenshot will appear in the Downloads folder.

If you're using a standard keyboard, Ctrl + F5 will do the trick.

Congratulations! Now you know how to take a screenshot on your device. If you ever experience any issues with Surfshark, just take a screenshot, and send it over to our customer success team - they will help you via live chat or email 24/7!