How to screenshot on your iPad or iPad Pro

How to screenshot on your iPad or iPad Pro
(Image credit: Apple)

If you want to know how to take a screenshot on your iPad or iPad Pro, it's quite an easy process once you have figured it out. From getting a quick snap of you winning a game, to highlighting your favorite bits in a TV show or film, there are plenty of reasons you might want to screenshot them and send them to your mates. 

It can also be a very valuable tool for pointing out problems or bugs with iPadOS 18 when it eventually arrives. Though many know how to take a screenshot on iPhone, the number of iPads means that the process can be a tad trickier to figure out. It depends on which model you use so taking a quick snap with the iPad Pro with M2 will be significantly different from the home button found on the iPad 9.

If you've got your hands on one of the best iPads and want to show off its shiny new storage options or how well it runs certain apps, you are only moments away. Here is everything you need to know to take a screenshot on iPad or iPad Pro.

How to take a screenshot on an iPad without a Home button

If you're using one of Apple's modern iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad mini, or the latest iPad 10th generation, you may be wondering how to take a screenshot without a Home button. Don't worry, Apple has thought of this and moved the functionality to the volume buttons. Here's how to take a screenshot on iPad models without a Home button.

  1. On the screen you want to capture, click the top button and either volume button at the same time.
  2. Quickly release both buttons.

The screen will flash white and you will hear the sound of the camera shutter clicking (if your sound is enabled). You will see a thumbnail temporarily appear in the lower-left corner of your screen if you've done this correctly. You can tap this thumbnail to view your screenshot, edit it, share it, or apply Instant Markup annotations.

How to take a screenshot on an iPad with a Home button

If you are running an older iPad model such as the iPad 9th generation and still have a Home button at your disposal, this is used instead of a volume button for screenshotting purposes.

  1. On the screen you want to capture, click the top button and Home button at the same time.
  2. Quickly release both buttons.

As with the Home button-less iPad models, you'll see the screen flash white, hear the camera shutter sound, and notice a temporary thumbnail of your screenshot appear in the lower-left corner of your screen.

How to take a screenshot on an iPad with a swipe gesture

In iPadOS, Apple has implemented the ability to use your finger or Apple Pencil to take a screenshot, including turning full web pages into PDFs that you can immediately edit with Instant Markup tools. This works on all current models of Apple Pencil from the 2nd generation Apple Pencil to the USB-C Apple Pencil.

First, you'll need to make sure the feature is turned on. Here's how to do that.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Multitasking & Gestures.
  3. Turn on Swipe Finger from Corner if you wish to use your finger in addition to or instead of an Apple Pencil.
  4. Tap on Bottom Left Corner or Bottom Right Corner.
  5. Ensure Screenshot is selected for at least one of the corners.

Now you have this swipe-to-screenshot gesture set up, you can go ahead and use it. Here's how.

  1. On the screen you want to capture, place your finger or Apple Pencil in the bottom-left or bottom-right corner of the screen
  2. Drag the corner of the screen toward the center and let go.

Take iPad screenshot with a swipe: Swipe from the corner of your display with your finger or Apple Pencil, release at the center of the screen (Image credit: Apple)
  1. Complete any edits or markups you wish to make.
  2. Tap Done.
  3. Tap Save to Photos or Save to Files depending on where you want to save the screenshot.

Take iPad screenshot with a swipe: Make any edits or markups, tap Done, tap Save to Photos or Save to Files (Image credit: Apple)

How to find your screenshots on your iPad or iPad Pro

You can view your screenshots at any time in the Photos app and even edit, annotate, and share them from there.

  1. Launch the Photos app from your Home screen.
  2. Tap on the bar to the left of the Photos album.
  3. Tap on Screenshots.

You can also find your screenshots in the main Photos and Camera albums but you'll have to scroll through everything else as well.

One more thing..Snap and share

It's incredibly useful to be able to take screenshots. Sometimes, you might just want to take a screenshot of a fond memory but other times, it's useful to be able to acknowledge an issue before sending it to technical support. Being able to mark up such content on-screen is also practical as you can lay out suggestions or any other information you might wish to share.

While iPhones tend to offer the same process across the board, it's a little frustrating that iPads have different methods. That's why it's important to learn how to take a screenshot from your iPad, no matter the age of your device or which buttons it has. 

By now, you should be well versed in what to do so you can easily take screenshots of whatever appeals to you. 

If you're new to the iPad world, you can check out our iPad beginner's guide to learn more about how to use your iPad to its best potential.

Adam Oram

Adam Oram is a Senior Writer at iMore. He studied Media at Newcastle University and has been writing about technology since 2013. He previously worked as an Apple Genius and as a Deals Editor at Thrifter. His spare time is spent watching football (both kinds), playing Pokémon games, and eating vegan food. Follow him on Twitter at @adamoram.

With contributions from