You own the screen.
On both iPhone and iPad (iOS 26 / iPadOS 26 and later), every screenshot setting lives in one place:
Settings → General → Screen Capture
Change the preview style (most common request)
By default, taking a screenshot opens a full-screen editor. Many people prefer the classic small thumbnail that appears in the bottom-left corner and disappears on its own.
- Open Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Screen Capture.
- Turn Full-Screen Previews off.
Now screenshots behave like older iOS: a temporary thumbnail appears, you can tap it if you want to edit/share, or just let it vanish and the image is automatically saved to Photos.
Choose screenshot format (SDR vs HDR)
In the same Screen Capture menu, under Format:
- SDR (Most Compatible) — Screenshots are saved as PNG. Best for sharing with almost any device, computer, or website.
- HDR — Screenshots are saved as HEIF with fuller dynamic range (richer brightness and color). Best when viewing on HDR-capable Apple devices. On regular screens they still look fine, just without the extra HDR punch. Screen recordings follow the same choice (HEVC vs HEVC HDR10).
Other useful toggles in Screen Capture
- Automatic Visual Lookup — Lets your device identify objects and places in screenshots (available on supported models with Apple Intelligence).
- CarPlay Screenshots (iPhone only) — When on, taking a screenshot while connected to CarPlay also captures the car display. Turn it off if you only want the phone’s screen.
Bonus ways to take screenshots (no buttons required)
These aren’t “settings for screenshots” per se, but they change how you trigger them:
- Back Tap: Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap → set Double Tap or Triple Tap to Screenshot.
- AssistiveTouch: Settings → Accessibility → Touch → AssistiveTouch → turn it on, then customize the menu to include Screenshot.
- Apple Pencil on iPad: Swipe up diagonally from either bottom corner of the screen.
Where screenshots go
They land in the Photos app (Screenshots album / Media Types → Screenshots). Full-page captures from Safari can be saved as PDFs to Files instead.
Pro tip: If the full-screen preview ever feels intrusive, flipping that one Full-Screen Previews switch instantly restores the old, non-blocking flow. Most people who take a lot of screenshots leave it off.
You’re now fully in control. Go capture something worth keeping.