How to take screenshot on Moto X without using any apps?

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• Works flawlessly! Thanks!

• Ugh I'm struggling! I keep getting the volume control in the picture or it wants to shut off.

  • Just a bit more practice.

  • U gotta hold the power button & volume down button & then you will hear the shutter camera sound..

    • Thanks. That worked.

      • i can't understand how to copy the song from pc to motog phone can u heip me ho to do it

        • Connect your phone to the PC with a USB cable. You can find Moto G in your computer. You can then copy files from the PC to any folders inside the phone. You can also create a folder for your music files.

        • Use filemanager which is available in Play Store . Easy way for managing the phone

• I had a gs3 before I upgraded and I could just swipe the screen to take a screenshot. I liked that much better.

  • Yes, palm motion is a feature of Samsung's TouchWiz skin. Moto X uses almost vanilla Android to make it snappy.

• It does not work. It turns off the motor x and doesn't capture the screen.

  • the timing is important. If it shuts down your phone (or lock the screen), it means you press the volume button too late.

• Thanks, I tried to use other app and nothing.

• It's important to push the lower half of the volume button when you do it. I couldn't get mine to work until i did that.

  • Thank you for sharing the tips.

  • Ta-da!! Thank you for ending my frustration!:)

  • AHH THANK YOU!

  • Finally!!! Thank you!

  • Thank you. I could not for the life of me figure out why my screen shot function wasn't working in the last two weeks. That tip has resolved the issue.

• Works perfectly. Much appreciated.

• My problem was hitting the volume UP instead of the volume DOWN -- thanks!

• Consegui ! Que legal , não vou precisar baixar nenhum aplicativo pra tirar screenshots . =D Obrigado! Beijo da brasileira :*

  • Eu quiero um beijinho de brasileira ;)

• Try using your nails for pressing the buttons with more precision

• I think my otter box is hindering my hitting the buttons simultaneously. I have managed to turn phone off twice..

• ..Worked For Me Thx..

  • Glad to know it works for you. Enjoy your screenshot.

• What a crappy design. It should not be so difficult to do something as simple as a screenshot.
  The Moto X is a disappointment

  • Actually, this is the default method to take screenshot in Android.

  • Disappointed in moto x as well I want to take a selfie and have To hold the phone with one hand and touch the screen with the other I hate this set up!!! Why can't u just hit I side button as well to take a picture and the screen shot set up is awkward as well

    • Nowadays, most smartphones don't have physical camera buttons. In the Symbian era, most phones have such buttons.

    • On moto x u can open the camera without touching it... Turn your wrist
      2times in a twisting motion to turn on camera...even when our phone is locked

      • That works! Thanks for the tip

        • Use volume down to snap pics and selfies.

• This doesn't work on the moto x designed by you. Just the regular ones. All the videos I see on YouTube are not design by you phones. Mine doesn't work. I've tried millions of times to do it, and it still doesn't work. And it's not my timing or anything. It's just not possible :\

  • This screenshot taking method works on Moto X.

    This is the default method to take screenshot in Android unless vendor purposely block it in the firmware. It is not blocked in Moto X.

• lmao.... i designed mine and can screen shot just fine. Simon, ur so nice and patient with these technically challenged people.

• 1) if timing is so important why not make it easier?? 2) trying for hours and hasn't worked once

  • You can slightly press power button earlier. Once you get used to it, it is actually very easy.

    This is the default method to take screenshot on Android devices. A few vendors implemented other methods, for example, Samsung galaxy note can take screenshot with the stylus (s pen), or with palm motion, in addition to this method.

    There are some screenshot apps. But most of them need root.

    If you need take a lot of screenshot, for example, recording the screen, you can use some ADB tools on your pc to record phone screen.

    • Thanks buddy I have tried million times before reading your comment but not able to take it.. Just push the power button slightly earlier and then vol down key
      Thanks so much

• Is there a way to take a selfie with only using one hand?

  • Maybe not yet. Voice command is a possible option in the future.

  • Yes, press either of the volume buttons.

• I take every picture with only one hand!? why do you need two? u hold the phone and bring a finger out and touch the screen... pretty easy. Get snapchat and i think you may even be able to use a 'side button'.

• It won't let me at all. Even as doing as it says

  • Keep trying. Once you get it, you will feel it is so simple.

• Simple and easy. Thanks for the tip.

• Didn't work for me!

  • Practice. Practice.

    Once you get it once, you will find actually it is very simple to take screenshot on Android.

• I think the 4.4.3 update may have disabled this.

• Doesnt work. Wtf

  • Practice. Practice. It will work.

• Thanks the the tip. Noticed that it is easiest if I pressed more on the top portion of the power button and the bottom portion of the volume button together.

  • Thank you for sharing your tips.

  • That's what worked for me also. Thanks for the tip. Have been trying for days

• Thx it worked for MOTO X

• Any other option to take screen short ;holding both volume and power key is difficult.

  • If you need take screenshot frequently, it is better to do it on a PC. You need download Android SDK (use the monitor.bat), and enable USB debugging in developers options.

  • Make sure you guys are pressing the power button and VOLUME DOWN, not up. They must be pressed and held for at least a second at same time. Make sure you aren't pressing the entire volume rocker and only pressing the lower half.

    I find it easiest with one hand (easier to get them pressed at the same time).

• Hold your phone in your right hand. Use your thumb to push the lower half of the volume button (same as if u were lowering the volume), at the same time, bring your left hand around the back of the phone, and push in the power button with your pointer finger. Keep holding both buttons in until u hear the click and see the screen shot. Don't let go right away, it takes a couple seconds to register. That set up is what I found to be most non awkward. It definitely takes practice. But yes, there are apps in the play store that don't require you to root your phone anymore. They are a little more invasive than the normal method though, you can't take a screen shot on a whim, or you have a icon floating on your screen.

  • This was the most helpful for me. Thank you.

• I tried pressing the power button a split second before the (bottom) of the volume rocker and found that it became easy for the first time to take a screenshot! Thanks for the tips!!

• I still can't get it yo work. I have been practicing for months and all it firs is turn the damn phone off.

  • You pressedpower key to long before pressing the volume down key.

• Nope!!! Still can't get it to work.

  • Unfortunately, for Moto X, there are no methods by default. Once you get one, you will realize how easy it is.

• Every time I try I turn the phone off. I am very frustrated.

• Also my volume key does not control my volume. Can this key be locked?

• I can take a screenshot just fine with my Moto X however my screenshots keep saving to the Google Photos app instead of to my gallery. Anyone know how to change this?

  • The screenshot is always saved on your phone. Photos is just another gallery app with auto backup to Google + (you can disfavor it in Google +). If you open gallery app, you should be able to find the screenshot as in photos.

• The screenshots don't appear in my gallery app at all.

  • You can install a file explorer to manage files directly, instead of relying on these apps (and media scanner). You may try es file explorer. Here is the simple guide : http://motoeguide.com/moto-e-guides/manage-files-moto-e-es-file-explorer-file-manager/

    BTW, you can try to reboot the phone. This will force the media scanner to rescan the pictures.

    Also, photos can do everything that gallery can do except videos.

• Thanks a ton man. I wanted to take screen shot of confirmation of payment on my Moto X. It works....

  • Is it possible to lock your volume buttons in the side of your phone? Ism unable to change the volume? Help!

    • I'm not sure what you want to do. The volume rocker is a physical button, and you cannot lock it. But you can adjust it to maximum or the silent.

      • Hope, I went through my menus, you can raise the volume if you go into settings, go to sound and then volumes. You can change your ringer/notification volume, the alarm volume and music/games volume. I don’t see anywhere where you can lock and unlock the side volume buttons so if yours aren’t working you might have a defective device.

• How do you get it off silent?

  • Press volume up.

    • I'm not sure why no one understands Hope's issue. She CAN'T press volume up, as her previous statement suggests, she has somehow "locked" her volume buttons and can't use them. Hope, I went through my menus, you can raise the volume if you go into settings, go to sound and then volumes. You can change your ringer/notification volume, the alarm volume and music/games volume. I don't see anywhere where you can lock and unlock the side volume buttons so if yours aren't working you might have a defective device. Hope this helps at least get the volume back up for you in the meantime.

• I be tried. The volume key does not work.

  • Hope, I went through my menus, you can raise the volume if you go into settings, go to sound and then volumes. You can change your ringer/notification volume, the alarm volume and music/games volume. I don’t see anywhere where you can lock and unlock the side volume buttons so if yours aren’t working you might have a defective device. Hope this helps at least get the volume back up for you in the meantime.

• My call volume is very low . how to resolve it

  • If the volume is really low, you may visit Motorola service centre. They can check and re-adjust it.

• Works perfectly! Thanks! :)

• Eventhough Sim card is in the slot couldnt get signal showing asthough sim has been not inserted but it works if am switching offf the mobile phonw twice irritating heck

  • Maybe the sim card is not inserted tightly.

    If you trimmed the sim card yourself, you may try to get the official size from your phone company.

• Thx so much I have had my moto x for about 1 month now wondering how to take a screen shot... Lol thx

• Didn't work for me.

• Well I tried to do it while playing music on my phone. Maybe that was the problem.

• Yay I've been trying for awhile to figure it out worked perfectly

• I am successfully hearing the sound and seeing it take the image but it isn't saving to my gallery.

  • Check the files directly in the folder pictures/screenshot with any file managers.

    If may take a while for the media scanner to scan the file. You can also also check images with photos app.

    BTW, gallery is only an app managing all of your media files in all folders. It doesn't save images or have a dedicated folder. Screenshot are saved to the screenshot folder.

• I have tried so so so many time but it doesnt work at all. I believe I used the right method. The volume just keeps going down or the the phone keeps turning off. Im afraid that my phone has some problems with it? :(

  • I don't think so. Very likely, you pressed the power button too late. You can try to press the power button slightly earlier.

    • Is there a way to turn the shutter sound off? My MX2 is on Priority mode, media volume off, camera sounds off, but my screen shots still click... TIA ;)

      • It uses ringer's volume setting, not media. If the sound causes problems, you can press volume down button all the way down to left most. This will set all volumes to 0, without changing sound mode.

        You can use volume up when you finish the screenshots.

        • Thanks! I'd rather turn it off and not mess w/the volume, but it'll work for now!

        • I want connect my moto x to PC I'm not able to do it plz some one guide md

        • Please read this guide http://allaboutmotog.com/moto-g-how-to-guide/how-to-connect-moto-g-with-pc-through-usb-cable-for-moto-e-and-moto-x-as-well/

• I have a Moto X 2nd Generation that I custom ordered and received 4 days ago. For some reason, my screenshots and text photos will not save to my gallery. The phone tells me that they are "saved to gallery" or "saved to my device" but when I check my gallery and even my google photos apps, the pics are not there! HELP!

• Hey--I just read above and it out--found them on my file manager under pics and screenshots!

  • Enjoy your phone.

• wow that was hard! Took me a while but after reading a bunch of the comments I finally figured it out. You have to do it quick... power button > lower volume button... and dang, now I can't do it again. I think it helps to take your phone out of a case if it is in one.

  • Thank you for sharing your tips for taking screenshot on Moto X.