How to Screenshot Video on PC/iPhone/Android

Whether you want to create a how-to clip, blog post, product demo, thumbnail, or related task, visuals are crucial. A high-end pictorial representation of the content you are creating is vital to help your audience connect or flow with the story you are sharing.

There are many image resources online where you can get aesthetic pictures that you can use as visuals for your content. But sometimes, the pictures might not fit your story. In this case, you might have to take a snapshot of a video clip that suits your content. 

Care to know how it’s done? Then this post is for you., as we walk you through the various ways  to screenshot videos on PC, Android and iPhone. Continue reading to learn. 

Take A Video Screenshot by Keyboard Shortcuts

With your computer keyboards, you can take a snapshot of your screen without hassles. By holding down the right keyboard combination, you can capture any content, including videos, displayed on your screen with minimal hassles. For the different computer operating systems, the procedure required to screenshot video differs. 

Check and apply the technique that suits your computer operating system: 

Windows

Windows offers a number of keyboard shortcuts that you can use to capture the video displayed on your screen. Whether you want to screenshot a specific portion of your screen or the entire interface, you can easily do that using the right key combinations. Find below the different hotkeys to hold down and the corresponding function: 

1. PrtScn: With the PrtScn key on your keyboard, you can capture or take a screenshot of a video clip you find on your Windows computer. This keyboard shortcut snaps your entire screen and saves the resulting content on your local drive underneath the screenshot folder. In case you need to edit the snapshot capture via this hotkey, you can use Paint or Microsoft Word. Both tools offer great editing services. 
2. Alt + PrtScn: Another keyboard combination suitable for capturing video screenshots on Windows is Alt + PrtScn. These hotkeys help you take a video screenshot of a specific window. The output file can be copied and manipulated on any image-viewing app of your choice. 
3. Windows + Shift + S: Need to capture your video screen partially? This hotkey combination has got you covered. With Windows + Shift + S, your Windows screen will get dimmer and a mouse pointer will automatically pop up. Use the mouse pointer to mark or create a path on your screen that you want to capture. 
4. Windows + PrtScn: Lastly, we recommend using the Windows + PrtScn hotkeys to take a snapshot of your video screen. For this keyboard combination, your full screen is also captured. 

Mac

For folks using Mac computers, there are a few key combinations you can hold down simultaneously to screenshot videos on your screen. Like Windows, Mac also offers full screenshots and partial screenshots. Kindly use the appropriate key combinations from the guise below: 

1. Shift + Command + 3: When you hold down these three hotkeys simultaneously, your Mac takes a screenshot of whatever is displayed on its screen. It captures the whole screen and saves the file in the download folder. 
2. Shift + Command + 4: Don’t want a full screenshot? This keyboard combination can help you capture a specific portion of your Mac screen. When you press these buttons, a crosshair will come up. Kindly drag the crosshair across the region you want to screenshot. 
3. Shift + Command + 4 + Spacebar: In case you have a particular window you want to screenshot, these 4 hotkeys will come in handy. When you hold down these buttons at the same time, a camera icon will pop up on your Mac screen. Tap on the camera and a screenshot will be taken. 

How to Screenshot Video via Screenshot Tools

Besides holding down specific key combinations, you can leverage the built-in screenshot tool on your computer system. 

Windows (Snipping Tool)

Snipping tool is the built-in screenshot app for taking a snapshot of your screen on Windows Vista and later versions. This tool powers several screenshot features like annotation buttons, freeform icon, and more, that you can select from to generate an image of what’s displayed on your computer screen. 

With this tool, you can capture still images of your entire screen, specific window, or rectangular area. Using this Windows built-in snapshot tool is super easy. To access the Snipping tool on your Windows, go to the search bar at the bottom of your screen and enter Snipping Tool as your preferred search keyword in the space. Click the corresponding icon to launch the tool immediately.  

Mac

Mac also comes with a pre-installed screenshot tool that you can also use to capture what’s on your screen. You can find the screenshot tool easily and quickly. Just head to the Finders menu, select Applications on the left sidebar and click on Utilities. Select the Screenshot tab and the corresponding tool will come up. 

How to Screenshot Video by Screenshot Chrome Extension

Do you know that you can take screenshots of videos displayed on Chrome browser without using any hotkeys or the built-in screenshot tool on your computer system? Video Screenshot is the Chrome extension designed to capture your browser screen. This extension helps you download high resolution images of any online video shown on your screen without adding the player control buttons.  

How to Do Video Recording or Screenshot on iPhone

If you own an iPhone and need to take a screenshot of a particular video content on your screen, you can press the Volume Up + Side buttons concurrently. Without further ado, your iPhone will create a snapshot of what’s displayed on your screen.  

However, mind you, the aforementioned technique only works for iPhone X and later. If you use an iPhone with the side button and touch ID, the procedure is quite different. All you need is to hold down the Home button + Side button simultaneously to capture your screen. 

For folks with an iPhone with touch ID and top buttons, the technique required is entirely different. You have to switch to holding the Home button and Top button together to achieve a similar result on your device. 

How to Screenshot on Android/Samsung?

Android or Samsung phone users looking for a simple way to screenshot videos on their screen can do so using the correct key combinations found on their devices. With the Power + Volume Up buttons you can take screenshots conveniently on any Android smartphone, including Samsung. It doesn’t matter what Android version you are running on your device. This solution works for all. However, the buttons must be held simultaneously for about 2 seconds to achieve the desired result. 

Final Words

Taking screenshots of a video content isn’t a difficult task to execute on your computer or mobile device. Just use any of the procedures demonstrated in the article above, and you are good to capture your screen.