Windows Phone 8 Tip: Take Screenshots

Windows Phone users have been asking Microsoft for years for a way to take screenshots of their devices. Now in Windows Phone 8 it’s finally possible.

You may recall that there was no way to take a screenshot in Windows Phone 7.x. In Windows Phone 7.5: How to Take Screenshots, I discussed how one might use a developer unlocked phone and a homebrew app called Screen Capturer to do so.

In Windows Phone 8, screenshots are easy: Just press the Start and Power buttons simultaneously. When done correctly, your handset screen will flash and play an audible camera-like shutter sound. The text “Saving to Screenshots” will appear in tiny text at the top of the screen as your JPEG-formatted screenshot is saved to the Screenshots album, available via the Pictures hub.

You can take a screenshot of any screen in Windows Phone 8, including the lock screen, Start screen, apps and games, and Settings. Here’s an example, of the new Windows 8 Start screen.

Enjoy!