Taking Screenshots & Screen Recordings

How to Take a Screenshot (Static Picture)

Depending on how old your iPhone is, you will use one of two methods:

Method A: If your iPhone has a Home Button (the round physical button at the bottom of the screen)

1. Press the Home Button (at the bottom) and the Power Button (on the top or side) at the exact same time.
2. Let go of both buttons immediately.
3. Your screen will flash, and a small picture will briefly appear in the bottom-left corner. Your picture is saved in your Photos app.

Method B: If your iPhone does NOT have a Home Button (newer models)

1. Press the Side Button (power button on the right) and the Volume Up Button (on the left) at the exact same time.
2. Let go of both buttons immediately.
3. Your screen will flash. Your picture is saved automatically in your Photos app.

How to Record your Screen (Video)

To record a video of your iPhone screen, you must first make sure the record button is visible in your control menu:

Step 1: Set up the Recording Shortcut (You only need to do this once)

1. Open your phone's Settings app (the grey gear icon).
2. Scroll down and tap Control Centre.
3. Scroll down to find Screen Recording and tap the green plus (+) sign next to it.

Step 2: Start Recording

1. Open the menu:
   • If your iPhone has a Home Button: Swipe up from the very bottom edge of the screen.
   • If your iPhone does not have a Home Button: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
2. Tap the Screen Recording button (it looks like a solid white circle inside a thin white ring).
3. A 3-second countdown will start, and the button will turn red. It is now recording!
4. To Stop: Tap the red bar or red clock at the top of your screen, then tap Stop. Your video will save to your Photos app.

How to Take a Screenshot (Static Picture)

Method A: For almost all Android devices (New & Old)

1. Press and hold the Power Button and the Volume Down Button at the exact same time.
2. Hold them for about 1 second until the screen flashes.
3. Your photo is saved in your Photos or Gallery app under a folder named "Screenshots".

Method B: For older Android devices (if the button trick is tricky)

1. Press and hold the Power Button for a couple of seconds until a menu pops up on the screen.
2. Tap the option that says Screenshot or Take Screenshot.

How to Record your Screen (Video)

Note: Built-in screen recording is officially available on Android devices running Android 11 or newer (released within the last 5–6 years). Older devices may require downloading a trusted app from the Google Play Store (such as "AZ Screen Recorder").

1. Swipe down twice from the very top of your screen to pull down your full settings menu.
2. Look for the Screen Record (or Screen Recorder) button.
   • If you do not see it: Swipe left to check the next page, or tap the Pencil icon (Edit) to find and drag the Screen Record button into your main menu.
3. Tap Screen Record.
4. Choose if you want to record sound, then tap Start.
5. To Stop: Swipe down from the top of your screen and tap the red Tap to stop notification. Your video is saved in your Photos or Gallery app.

How to Take a Screenshot (Static Picture)

Method A: The Quick Key shortcut (Saves instantly)

1. Press the Windows Key (looks like four window panes) and the Print Screen Key (often written as PrtScn or PrtSc near the top right of your keyboard) at the same time.
2. Your screen will dim for a brief second.
3. Your picture is saved. To find it, open your files and go to Pictures, then open the Screenshots folder.

Method B: The Snipping Tool (Select a specific area)

1. Press the Windows Key + Shift + S at the same time.
2. Your screen will go dark, and your mouse pointer will turn into a cross.
3. Click and drag your mouse over the area you want to capture.
4. A notification will appear in the bottom-right corner. Click it to save or edit the picture.

How to Record your Screen (Video)

Please choose one of the two options below to record your screen:

Method A: Using the Built-in Windows Game Bar (Windows 10/11)

Note: This tool comes pre-installed on Windows, but some users may have uninstalled it. If these steps do not work for you, please use Method B below.

1. Press the Windows Key + G at the exact same time. This opens a menu overlay.
2. Look for the small Capture window (usually in the top-left corner).
3. Look just below the record buttons in that small window. You should see the name of the webpage or the web browser you are currently using (for example, "Google Chrome" or "Microsoft Edge"). This confirms Windows knows which window it is about to record.
4. Click the Record button (a solid circle).
5. A small timer will appear on your screen showing that it is recording.
6. To Stop: Click the solid Stop button (a white square inside a circle) on that timer.
7. Where to find your video:
   • Open your computer's files (File Explorer) and go to your Videos folder, then open the Captures folder. Your recording will be saved there as a video file.
   • Alternatively, right after you finish recording, you can click the "See my captures" button that pops up on your screen.

Method B: Using ScreenPal (Windows 7 or newer)

Disclaimer: ScreenPal is a third-party software tool and is not owned or run by Recon. We highly recommend it because it is free, and incredibly simple for beginners to use.

1. Open your internet browser and go to the website: screenpal.com/screen-recorder. 
2. Click the blue button that says Launch Free Recorder. (If this is your first time, it will ask you to download a small helper file to start up—simply click "Download" and follow the quick prompts on your screen).
3. Once open, a black-and-white dashed frame will appear on your screen. Only what is inside this frame will be recorded. You can drag the corners of this frame to make it bigger or smaller.
4. Click the red “Rec” button in the bottom-left corner to start.
5. To Stop: Click the blue Pause button in the bottom-left corner, then click Done.
6. Where to find your video: After clicking Done, select Save/Upload. Click Save as Video File, choose where you want to keep it on your computer (like your Desktop or Documents), and click Publish.

How to Take a Screenshot (Static Picture)

1. Press these three keys together: Command (⌘) + Shift + 3.
2. A small thumbnail will appear in the corner of your screen.
3. The picture will automatically save directly to your Desktop.

(If you only want to capture a specific section of your screen, press Command (⌘) + Shift + 4 instead. Your mouse pointer will turn into a crosshair; click and drag it over the area you want to save).

How to Record your Screen (Video)

1. Press these three keys together: Command (⌘) + Shift + 5.
2. A small menu bar will appear at the bottom of your screen.
3. Click the Record Entire Screen button (it looks like a screen with a solid circle in the corner).
4. Click Record on the right side of the menu bar.
5. To Stop: Look at the very top-right of your computer screen (near the clock) and click the small circle button containing a square (the Stop button).
6. Where to find your video:
   • By default, your recording will automatically save directly to your Desktop as a video file.
   • Look for a file name starting with "Screen Recording" followed by the date and time.