How to make screenshots on different operating systems and devices

This article explains how to make screenshots on different devices.
This is e.g. necessary if you need to provide us with screenshots of a certain issue with software on your computer, if you want to show us something etc.

Windows

On Windows, doing screenshots is quite easy. You can either do it manually or use tools for that purpose.

Manual

Do manually make a screenshot, press CTRL + PRINT on your keyboard.
This will capture your current screen and put it into the clipboard.
Now you need to paste it somewhere, e.g. in MS Paint (Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Paint) or run "mspaint".
When paint is open, select "Paste" from the menu or press CTRL + V on your keyboard.
The screenshot should now have been pasted into paint.
You might want to edit the file now, crop it, or add some notes.
When that is done, save the file as .JPG or .PNG file somewhere on your computer.
Now you can either send it to us via email or upload it somewhere, e.g. imgur.com or imageshack.us

Apps

There are hundreds of screencapture tools on the web.
Several good ones are listed here -> http://imgur.com/apps
I'm using Hyperdesktop -> http://gethyperdesktop.com/
It also automatically uploads the screenshot after capturing, and puts the link to into the clipboard.

Mac

Manual

In Mac OS X, you can use simple keyboard shortcuts to do all sorts of things, including capturing images of what’s on your Mac screen.
For example, you can take a screen shot of your entire screen by holding down the Command and Shift keys and pressing a 3.
If you hold down the Command and Shift keys and press 4, Mac OS X turns the cursor into crosshairs you can use to select whatever portion of your display you’d like to capture in a screen shot.
If you immediately hit the Spacebar after typing Command-Shift-4, Mac OS X replaces those crosshairs with a little camera.
Using the camera, you can take a screen shot of the Dock, the entire menu bar, a single open menu, the desktop, or any open window.

Apps

There are numerous tools to capture the screen on Mac OS, for example:

• http://www.yellowmug.com/download/SnapNDrag.dmg
• http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/11440/snapclip/
• Many more @ http://www.pure-mac.com/screen.html

iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod)

Capturing screenshots of course also works on all iOS devices. Either manually or via app.

Manual

You can capture screenshots on your iOS device without using a third-party-app. iOS 2.0 or higher is required for this.
To capture a screen shot:

1. Press and hold the menu button (the main button below the screen).
2. While the menu button is held down, press the power/lock button (the switch on the top edge of the device).

Note: You can also hold the lock button and press the menu button, or try to press the two buttons simultaneously.
Do whatever is easiest, but if you keep both buttons held down too long, you will get the power down confirmation.
Your screen will flash white for a second and make a camera shutter noise (if you have the volume turned up) to indicate that the screen shot has been taken.
The screen shots you take are automatically saved in the default Photos app under an album called "Saved Photos" or "Camera Roll" depending on your device.
From here you can email one or more screen shots or other pictures, by clicking the menu icon (a rectangle with an arrow coming out of it, in the bottom left corner of the screen).
Clicking the menu icon from a single picture will email the one image. If you click the menu button from an index page, you can select multiple pictures to email.
How-to video for iPhone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VpaHowHKX1E
How-to video for iPod touch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9TQ4IaEC_Vk

Apps

There are tons of apps on the market that allow you to capture screenshots. Just search for "screenshot" and try some.
For just making a screenshot to send it to our support, the manual method will do fine.

Android

When using original Android firmware, you should better use apps to take screenshots, since the manual way is quite complicated.

Manual

In case you have a modded custom Android firmware version, you may have an easy way to do screenshots already implemented. (so e.g. you can do it with a tap-combination)
If you're using the original firmware, this is quite complicated, because you need to install the Android SDK. Here are tutorials for it:
On Windows: http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-take-screenshots-of-android-device/
On Linux: http://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-take-screenshots-of-your-android-smartphone

Apps

Similar like iOS, there are also apps you can use on Android to capture the screen. For example:

• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ScreenCapture22
• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.tomorrowkey.android.screencaptureshortcutfree
• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.liveov.shotuxtrial
• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.geeksoft.screensho
• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.dinosoft.android.CaptureMeFree

For more, see: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=capture&c=apps

Linux

How to capture screenshots on Linux differs of course from distribution to distribution and from GUI to GUI.

• Gnome: The Gnome GUI has an integrated application for taking screenshots, it can be found at "Applications/Accessories/Take Screenshot"
• KDE: Try the command "ksnapshot".
• Manual way: You can also take a screenshot of the entire screen by pushing the "Print Screen" (PrtSc) button on your keyboard. To get a screenshot of only the active window, use Alt-PrtSc.
• More ways to do screenshots on Linux are explained here: http://tips.webdesign10.com/how-to-take-a-screenshot-with-ubuntu-linux