Normally, when you take a screenshot on your iPhone, it captures what is currently displayed on the screen.
However, if you want to take a screenshot that goes beyond what is shown on the screen, then you can do so using a feature called scrolling screenshots. It can be used to capture long webpages, PDFs, or even entire apps.
1. Apple’s native feature
When you take a screenshot on your iPhone, everything you see is captured. This is great for when you want to capture a full webpage or PDF document.
However, if you’re trying to capture something that stretches beyond what you can see on the screen, you may need to look for a different way to snap a screenshot. That’s where the scrolling screenshot feature comes in handy.
You can take a scrolling screenshot on your iPhone by pressing the side button and volume up button simultaneously. This works for both iPhones with Touch ID and ones without.
Once you’ve taken the screenshot, tap the image preview in the bottom left corner before it disappears in about five seconds. You’ll also see tools to crop the screenshot, which is helpful if it’s too long or you’d like to cut out some sections.
Apple’s native feature for taking scrolling screenshots is simple to use but won’t work well for a lot of users. If you need a better solution, there are third-party apps that can stitch multiple screenshots together and save them in a variety of formats. Picsew is one of these apps, and it’s free to download. It offers advanced editing tools, a programmed stitching option and a handful of shortcuts.
2. Third-party apps
There are a number of third-party apps that you can download for taking scrolling screenshots on your iPhone. They may not be as convenient as Apple’s native feature, but they can be a lifesaver when you need to take a long screenshot in a busy app or message thread.
One of the best ways to do this is by using a free, ad-supported app called Web Scroll Capture. It works with web pages and lets you save them as PDF, image, or both.
Another option is Tailor, which is a no-frills app that automatically stitches overlapping screenshots together into a single image. It’s easy to use and works pretty well.
The only downside is that Tailor often selects the wrong image, so you have to manually tell it which screenshots you want it to stitch. It’s a pretty quick and convenient way to do this, though, and it can be used with any app that supports screenshots.
Picsew is a great option for iOS users who need to stitch multiple screenshots together into a single, landscape-oriented image. It offers a bit more control over which screenshots it stitches together, and it allows you to customize your image with editing tools like pixelating portions, hiding sensitive information, or adding borders and watermarks. It also has a Web Snapshot extension that lets you capture an entire web page with a single tap.
3. Siri shortcuts
If you have a lot of long web pages, documents, or emails that you want to save to your iPhone for later, Apple’s native feature to take scrolling screenshots is your best bet. It’s available in Safari, browsing PDFs, the stock Mail app, the Notes app, and a few other first-party apps.
To take a scrolling screenshot, press your iPhone’s side/power button and volume up button simultaneously. This will create a thumbnail that will be in the lower-left corner of your screen.
Once you see the screenshot thumbnail, you can tap ‘Full Page’ to capture an entire page. This will be saved as a PDF file on your iPhone and is available to edit, share, and save to the Files app for viewing.
If you want more control over the screenshot, you can use third-party apps like Picsew. These apps are free to download and work for screenshots taken across the iPhone or within any apps.
