How to Take a Long Screenshot on iPhone

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By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated

Based on a video by Ellen's Tips For iOS.

How to take a long screenshot on iPhone: open the page in Safari, take a normal screenshot (side button + volume up, or home button + side on older iPhones), tap the preview thumbnail in the bottom-left corner, and switch the tab at the top from Screen to Full Page. That's the iPhone scrolling screenshot - a full page screenshot of the entire article, saved as a PDF so you can scroll the whole thing.

A full page screenshot on iPhone only works in Safari. The Full Page tab won't appear if you took the shot in Chrome, Instagram, or most third-party apps. The fix is to open the page in Safari before you screenshot it. Once saved, the PDF lands in Files (or Photos as a PDF, depending on iOS version) and you can mark it up, share it, or email it like any other file.

For related Apple-tech how-tos, see how to take a regular screenshot on iPhone, how to screenshot on Mac, how to take a screenshot on a Dell, how to set up a new iPhone, and how to set up Apple Pay.

How do you screenshot a whole webpage on iPhone?

Open the page in Safari. Take a normal screenshot, then tap the preview thumbnail before it disappears. At the top of the editor you'll see two tabs: Screen and Full Page. Tap Full Page and the entire scrolling article is captured as a PDF. Tap Done > Save to Files.

What is a full-page screenshot on iPhone?

A full-page screenshot is the whole web page rendered top to bottom in a single PDF, not just the visible portion. iPhone calls it Full Page in the screenshot editor. The output is a PDF (not a PNG or JPG) because the page is taller than the screen.

Why can't I take a long screenshot on my iPhone?

The Full Page tab only shows up when you screenshot inside Safari. If you took the shot in Chrome, Edge, Instagram, X, or any other app the tab is missing and you're stuck with a regular screen-sized capture. Reopen the page in Safari, then screenshot again.

Can you take a long screenshot in apps other than Safari?

Not natively. iOS limits Full Page to Safari. For other apps you can scroll-record with the Screen Recording control (Settings > Control Center > Screen Recording), or use a third-party long-screenshot app from the App Store. The Safari method is faster when the content is a web page you can open in Safari first.

Step-by-Step Guide

1

Open the Page You Want to Capture

1:40
Step 1: Open the Page You Want to Capture

Open the webpage, document, menu, or app screen you want to capture. The Full Page tool works with anything that scrolls - it'll grab everything from top to bottom in one image. Safari, Chrome, Pages, and Notes all support it.

2

Take a Normal Screenshot First

2:10
Step 2: Take a Normal Screenshot First

Take a regular screenshot the way you always do:

  • Face ID iPhone: press the Side button + Volume Up at the same time
  • Home-button iPhone or iPad: press Power + Home together

The screen flashes and a small preview thumbnail appears in the bottom-left corner.

3

Tap the Preview Thumbnail

2:25
Step 3: Tap the Preview Thumbnail

Tap the floating thumbnail in the bottom-left before it fades away (about 4 seconds). The markup screen opens and you'll see two tabs at the top: Screen and Full Page. Tap Full Page.

4

Verify the Stitched Capture

2:55
Step 4: Verify the Stitched Capture

The right side of the screen shows a tall preview of the entire page stitched together. Drag the white slider down to scroll through the preview and confirm everything you wanted to capture is included. If the page is short, the whole thing fits on screen at once.

5

Mark Up or Crop

3:20
Step 5: Mark Up or Crop

If you want to highlight something, the same markup tools work as a regular screenshot - pen, highlighter, shapes, signatures. All annotations apply to the full tall image. Use the crop icon at the top to trim portions you don't need before saving.

6

Save as PDF to Files

3:50
Step 6: Save as PDF to Files

Tap Done. Choose Save PDF to Files. Pick an existing folder or create a new one (a folder called 'PDF Screenshots' is a useful default). Tap Save.

Long screenshots save as PDF, not JPG, because they don't fit normal photo dimensions. The PDF lives in your Files app instead of the Photos app.

7

Find It Later in the Files App

4:40
Step 7: Find It Later in the Files App

To pull the saved PDF up later, open the Files app (white icon with the blue folder). The fastest path is to search - tap the search bar at the top and start typing the folder name. Tap to open the PDF.

From there you can share, AirDrop, attach to an email, or just view it.

8

What If 'Full Page' Doesn't Show Up

4:55
Step 8: What If 'Full Page' Doesn't Show Up

Full Page only works in apps that support it - Safari, Chrome, Apple's own apps (Notes, Pages, Mail), and a small number of third-party apps. It does NOT work in Messages, Instagram, TikTok, or most social apps.

For those, search the App Store for 'long screenshot' or 'tailor' to find dedicated apps that stitch multiple regular screenshots together.

Your Guide

Ellen's Tips For iOS

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Key takeaways from How to Take a Long Screenshot on iPhone

5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.

  1. 1.iPhone's long-screenshot feature is called...

    Answer: Full Page

    After taking a normal screenshot, tap the thumbnail and choose the Full Page tab.

  2. 2.Thumbnail stays visible for...

    Answer: About 4 seconds

    The floating thumbnail fades after about 4 seconds. Tap it fast or take the screenshot again.

  3. 3.Where does Full Page save?

    Answer: Files as PDF

    Long screenshots save as PDF in the Files app because they exceed normal photo dimensions.

  4. 4.Which app does Full Page NOT work in?

    Answer: Instagram

    Full Page works in Safari, Chrome, and most Apple apps. Most social apps (Messages, IG, TikTok) need a third-party stitching app.

  5. 5.Initial screenshot on Face ID iPhone?

    Answer: Side + Volume Up

    Side + Volume Up is the modern combo. Home + Power only works on older home-button iPhones.

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