Moto G Phone Guide

How to take screenshot on Moto G (without using apps)

how to take screenshot on moto g You may not know whatever you see on your  Moto G screen, you can share them with your friends or family members.  This includes web pages, home screen, apps screen, play list, game achievements….

Of course, it is only the screenshot, not the video file, or the app itself.

Taking  screenshot on Moto G is actually very easy.

You do not need any apps.

Actually most screen capture apps require a rooted phone. So, don’t consider any apps to take screenshot on Moto G.

You do not need ADB, which requires a USB connection to a PC for your Moto G. Many developers and Android geeks like to use this heavy tool.

To take screenshot on Moto G, you can simply  press and hold both the Power and Volume down key for about three seconds. You will hear the camera shutter click. Then, the screenshot is saved into your Gallery.

The trick is to press and hold the two buttons (see Moto G layout here) simultaneously.

If you press power button too early, you will get power options.

If you press power button too late, you will get volume options.

You can check the screenshot taken in Apps— Gallery — Screenshots.

If you want, you can edit the screenshot in Moto G. The screenshot is just a normal image file.

You can also use any file explorer (e.g., ES File Explorer) to access individual screenshot files directly. All Moto G screenshot files are saved in the /sdcard/Pictures/Screenshots folder.

Is it very simple? This method of taking screenshot is native to all Android phones. So if you have other Android phones, you can try this method to take  screenshot next time.

It should work.

If you have any questions on capturing screen for Moto G, please let us know in the comment box below.

More step-by-step guides , tips and tricks for your Moto G phone are available at  our most popular Moto G how-to guide page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kiran Kumar says

    One of the Best signature for taking a screenshot is dragging the Three Fingers on the Screen Top to Bottom like in Other Smartphone’s. If Dragging Three Fingers from Top to Bottom is a copyrighted one then try to give us a New Gesture.

    It’s becoming very very very difficult to get a Screenshot while Online class is going on.

    Moto , common have Mercy on your customers.

    Reply

  3. Michael A Gaston says

    How do I long screenshot? I held the power + volume button then taped the double arrow button but it still doesn’t get the much outside of what’s already visible.

    Reply

  5. A koli says

    Screen shots is very necessary to keep some important records, but there’s no facility in Moto g 4 plus it should be made available through software updates by Moto company because I have seen many of local phones are also having this facilities and play store apps are not working properly

    Reply

  7. Marie says

    I just recently figured out how to do screenshots on my new Moto G phone, and while it’s still awkward (coming from an iPhone which is much easier to use but is much more expensive), I thought I had gotten pretty good at it. Until I tried to do a screenshot of a deposit confirmation in my bank app. Is it normal for the Android screenshot function to not work in some apps? I’ve had an iPhone for many years now and I never had a time that the screenshot function didn’t work. I’m new to Android though, so I don’t know. I only bought this phone to match my husband, and he only bought his because he broke his iPhone and it’s close to a grand to get another one. I’m trying to get used to Android and give it a chance without hating it, but there’s stupid little things that make me irritated at this new phone because they interrupt my normal way of doing things. I always do mobile deposits and I always do screenshots as proof and now I have three deposits I made tonight with no picture proof. The emails the bank sends for confirmation don’t have detail so this just sucks on a record keeping note. Done whining now. But if anyone knows whether it’s normal for some apps not to work with the screenshot function, I would like to know. Thanks!

    Reply

  8. Håkon says

    Is it possible to use the System UI Tuner to add a shortcut for the screenshot function on a Moto G4 Plus? My Huawei has a shortcut in the drop-down menu, and my mom would like to have one too. The phone case she uses makes clicking volume down and the power button quite difficult.

    If it is possible, could you please tell me how to do it? I’m not too smart when it comes to such things.

    Reply

  11. Jessica Quan says

    I have the 3rd generation moto g currently but with previous models I could take a screen shot silently, is this possible on my current model?
    My shutter sound is set to Off on camera settings, but the screen shot/ screen capture makes a noise.

    Thanks,
    Jess

    Reply

  12. Catalina says

    Can u please help me? The screenshot stopped working like a month ago and I dont know how to take them… I used to do the power and volume down buttons together but its not working now!!

    Reply

  15. Anand Abraham says

    When I click my volume button for zooming it is being captured … How to change that …?? Kindly reply me …

    Reply

  17. Wilfredo Barrett says

    HI. Ive had no problems taking screenshots up to now. My last screenshot doesnt show in Gallery (only a black image) and in the notification panel there is a Notification that reads “Screenshot uploading” that stays forever and nothing happens with screenshot in gray. Ive rebooted phone. Notification goes away. When i try to take screenshot again, everything repeats. Help. (Moto G 1st Gen)

    Reply

  19. Mahes says

    You have said that both button should be pressed together when i press that together i am getting the power option and the sound option in the screen its not taking screen shot

    Reply

  20. Saurabh Madnani says

    I’m able to capture the screenshot but it shows the image in the notification bar with the title “Screenshot is being saved.” for a long long time and eventually the screenshot doesn’t get saved. Please help me find a solution to this problem. Thank you.

    Reply

  21. jeetu says

    I have moto g 2nd gen the problem is whenever I open my camera it says camera busy and restart your phone . I tried many times but still my camera is not working so pls tell me what to do?

    Reply

  22. Ken says

    Fanastic! You’ll have to practice to take a simple screenshot? Wait two seconds? It’s 2015 ffs! Is it some kind of game!? This is one of the quirks that makes me hate my Moto!

    Reply

  23. Noel says

    You don’t need to turn the volume right down. All it takes is a little precision. My screenshot is taken within a second by quickly pressing the power+volumeDown buttons precisely at the same time. If you press the combination and you see the volume meter appear on screen, or it’s taking longer than 2secs, chances are you didn’t press the buttons properly and you should stop holding them down because your phone will restart.
    I find holding the phone horizontally makes the process easier, so give it a try.

    Reply

  27. Don says

    I don’t like the button combo that activates screenshots for motorola-power and volume bottoms held for three secs. Because the volume indicator gets caught in the capture and obscures part of the pic which is sometimes the part I want to capture. Is there a way to a sign screenshot to diff buttons or turn the volume indicator off so it does get caught in the screen shot?

    Reply

  32. wendy says

    They need to make a simpler way, I’ve been going at it for 5 minutes now and keep switching my phone off or getting some weird reboot message like you see on old pc’s, oops!! Heheh, I’ll keep trying.

    Reply

  33. suvi says

    Thank You so much !!!
    It Worked….

    Steps :
    1) Put cell on vibrating mode
    2) Click Power button and volume low button togather
    3) Here you go… your snapshot saved !! 🙂

    Reply

  34. Pramod Mishra says

    After pressing both the keys, a small screen appers. it describes the systems detail. anot another word-FASTBOOT OCCURES BEACUSE VOLUME KEY pressed.

    Reply

  36. Girish Iyer says

    Its simple. 1. Put the phone on vibrate. 2. press the Power and lower volume key at the same time.
    Thanks Deborah…I took the cue from you

    Reply

  41. pallav mukherjee says

    in about 3 hrs my whole battery drains out after full charge of 100% in my new moto g what to do now

    Reply

  44. Stuart says

    That’s a difficult feat to pull off…works but you need to work on it. Well done Motorola for keeping their customers on their toes…

    Reply

  46. It works says

    Just go to Settings, Buttons, Power Button and enable Take Screenshot. After hold press power button and select take screenshort from the menu in the screen.

    Reply

  55. jane says

    this is a very stupid, hard, and inconsistent way to capture sceenshots. why can’t android just enable apps to do this??

    Reply

  59. lalit21itm says

    its very simple press both button at same time but bottom part of both button wait for 3 sec . it will work

    Reply

  60. Santhosh says

    Sorry guys. I couldn’t take screenshot.
    I tried and tried.
    Thing is I have disabled many apps to save my battery. Pls help me

    Reply

  64. Lilz says

    Heeeeeeeeeeeeeelp me! I have been trying for what seems like days, I no longer see light at the end of the tunnel! Please aid me in my recovery, just enlighten me, how do I screenshot on a moto G_

    Reply

  65. Mustafa says

    Does Moto G will get further updates after 4.4.2 kitkat ? means 4.4.3 & 4.4.4 like this updates any info do you have about it ? coz recently nexus-5 got 4.4.3 update…..

    thank u .

    Reply

  66. mustafa says

    How to save new contacts in sim card instead to save it to Google account in moto g , I am not getting that option in it. And also suggest me good file manager to suit my moto g.

    Reply

  68. mark says

    which call recorder do works on moto g 4.4, i am tired of checking each app and changing every settings of it, just to make it work.

    Reply

  69. azad says

    It takes me to press power button for less than half second and then quickly press volume down….. Done !!!. But it is most bizarre way to take screenshot. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  70. Ken says

    Thanks! First couple of attempts didn’t work but after a few tries I was able to do it at will. The whole thing is pretty clumsy… which is kind of a shame since taking screenshots is a great start to asking for help when you need it.

    Reply

  71. jayson says

    Lots and lots of trying then suddenly got it. It is all about timing but it does work. I find it easier to hold the phone flat horizontal not upright then you can get index fingers of both hands on power and volume button which for me makes it easier to synch the press

    Reply

  72. thiagu says

    Thanks for the article. The trick of pressing is press both times together at same time and not one by one.

    Reply

  75. Deborah says

    I think I cracked it. I put the volume on vibrate then held the two together and it worked once I got the timing right. Thanks

    Reply

  76. deborah says

    I have tried this many times now and i either get my screenshot with the volume status in it or it doesnt work at all. Please help.

    Reply

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