How to Take a Scrolling Screenshot

A scrolling screenshot captures an entire scrollable page or window — not just the visible screen — as one tall image. The catch: your default tool probably can't do it. On Windows, use Microsoft Edge (three-dot menu → Screenshot → Capture full page) or Snagit for non-browser apps. On Mac, use Safari's File → Export as PDF or CleanShot X. In Chrome (any OS), use DevTools or the GoFullPage extension. On iPhone, tap Full Page in the screenshot editor. On Android, tap Capture more / Scroll capture.

Here's the exact method for each platform, and the mistakes that waste the most time.

At a glance: the right tool per platform

Windows 11: Edge for webpages, Snagit for everything else

The single biggest mistake: expecting Win+Shift+S or the Snipping Tool to scroll. They can't. Snipping Tool only does rectangle, freeform, window, and full-screen — there is no stitch mode, full stop. Don't waste time hunting for a hidden setting; there isn't one.

For a webpage, Microsoft Edge is the best no-install option. With the page open, press Ctrl+Shift+S (or click the three-dot menu at top right → Screenshot) → choose Capture full page. Edge grabs the entire scrollable page as one PNG, opens it in a quick annotation view, and lets you Save or Copy.

For anything that isn't a browser — a long spreadsheet, a chat thread, a desktop app — you need a real scrolling-capture tool:

• Snagit (by TechSmith, ~$62.99 one-time, free trial) is the standard. Use the Panoramic Capture option, pick the scrolling-arrows control, then scroll to define how far down to grab. It works in any window, not just webpages.
• PicPick (free for personal use) has a Scrolling Window mode.
• ShareX (free, open-source) offers Scrolling capture under its Capture menu.

Mac: no native scroll mode — use Safari PDF or CleanShot X

macOS has no built-in scrolling screenshot. Cmd+Shift+3 (full screen), Cmd+Shift+4 (region), and Cmd+Shift+5 (toolbar) only capture what's on screen. This trips up a lot of people who assume one of those flags will grab the whole page.

The closest native option is Safari: open the page, then File → Export as PDF. It saves the entire webpage as a PDF to your desktop. It's a PDF, not an image, but it captures everything below the fold.

For a real PNG that scrolls and stitches automatically:

• CleanShot X (~$29 one-time or subscription) has a dedicated Scrolling Capture mode — pick it, drag to define the area, and it scrolls and stitches on its own. It's the widely recommended premium pick.
• Shottr (free) is a popular Mac app with a scrolling-screenshot feature if you don't want to pay.

The Chrome DevTools method below also works on Mac and is free.

Chrome on any OS: DevTools vs. GoFullPage

Two free ways, and the difference between them matters.

DevTools (no install):

1. Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Mac: Cmd+Option+I) to open DevTools.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Mac: Cmd+Shift+P) to open the Command Menu.
3. Type screenshot and choose Capture full size screenshot. A full-height PNG saves to your Downloads.

The nuance: "Capture full size screenshot" does not scroll-and-stitch. It resizes the render viewport to the page's full computed height and takes one snapshot. On lazy-loaded images or infinite-scroll pages, that often leaves blank gaps where content hadn't loaded yet.

GoFullPage (free extension): Click the camera icon in the toolbar; it genuinely auto-scrolls the whole page, then opens a new tab where you download as PNG or PDF. Because it actually scrolls, it's the more reliable choice for lazy-loaded and infinite-scroll pages. It's available for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. (On Firefox, Fireshot is the common equivalent.)

iPhone and iPad: the Safari Full Page tab

1. Take a normal screenshot: Side button + Volume Up (Face ID models) or Home + Side/Top button (Touch ID).
2. Tap the thumbnail in the bottom-left before it disappears — you have only a few seconds.
3. In the editor, tap the Full Page tab at the top (next to "Screen"). It captures the entire scrollable page.
4. Tap Done → Save PDF to Files, pick a folder, and Save.

Two things people get wrong here. First, the Full Page tab only appears in apps that support it — Safari, Mail, Notes, and Files/PDF. It does not show in Chrome on iOS, Instagram, or most third-party apps. If you don't see the tab, it's the app, not your phone. Second, full-page captures save as a PDF to Files, never as a photo to your Camera Roll — that's why people can't find them. To get a long PNG instead, use a Shortcuts shortcut or a third-party app.

Android: "Capture more" / "Scroll capture"

1. Take a normal screenshot: Power + Volume Down together.
2. A floating preview appears at the bottom — tap Capture more (Pixel/stock Android) or Scroll / Scroll capture (Samsung One UI shows a downward-arrows icon).
3. The phone auto-scrolls; drag the crop handles to set how far down to capture, then save.

Availability is fragmented. Stock/Pixel, Samsung One UI, and OxygenOS all support it, but some older or budget phones don't. If yours lacks it, free apps like Stitch & Share, ScreenMaster, Screenshot Easy, or Screenshot Touch fill the gap. Android 16 QPR3 (stable rollout around March 2026) improved scrolling-screenshot image quality, fixing a long-standing degradation quirk.

When a tall screenshot isn't enough

A scrolling screenshot is great for a bug report, a record of a long thread, or a single annotated reference. But for explaining how something works across several screens, a static image — even a very tall one — makes the reader hunt for the part that matters. The same is true of a step-by-step capture you'd otherwise paste into a doc; see how to create a step-by-step guide for that workflow.

For showing multi-step software, an interactive demo beats a long screenshot or a GIF: the viewer clicks through at their own pace, with tooltips pointing exactly where to look. With createademo you record your product, then add clickable hotspots, zoom, and blur — no per-seat fees, and the free plan has no watermark.

If your goal is a moving capture rather than a still image, a screen recording is the better format — how to make a GIF of your screen covers the lightweight tools for that.

Common mistakes and quick fixes

• Win+Shift+S won't scroll. Use Edge (free, webpages) or Snagit (any app).
• Cmd+Shift+3/4/5 won't scroll on Mac. Use Safari Export as PDF or CleanShot X.
• No Full Page tab on iPhone. You're in an unsupported app — open the page in Safari.
• Can't find the iPhone capture. It's a PDF in the Files app, not in Camera Roll.
• Blank gaps in a Chrome DevTools capture. The page is lazy-loaded; use GoFullPage, which actually scrolls.
• The Android "Capture more" prompt vanished. Tap it within a few seconds, or retake the screenshot.
• No scroll option on a budget Android phone. Install Stitch & Share or ScreenMaster.