Apple changed the screenshot buttons when the home button disappeared, which is why instructions split into two camps. Find yours below — plus two easier methods that work on almost every modern iPhone.
iPhones with Face ID (no home button: X, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and later)
1. Press the Side button (right edge) and Volume Up (left edge) at the same moment. 2. Release both quickly — holding too long summons Siri or the power screen. 3. A thumbnail appears at the bottom-left; tap it to edit or swipe it away to save instantly. Screenshots land in Photos → Albums → Screenshots.
iPhones with a home button (SE models, iPhone 8 and older)
Press the Side (or Top) button and the Home button together, then release. Same thumbnail, same Photos album.
Method 3: Back Tap (iPhone 8 and newer, iOS 14+)
Once set up, double-tapping the back of the phone takes a screenshot — perfect when buttons are awkward. Go to Settings → Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap, choose Double Tap (or Triple Tap), and select Screenshot. It works through most cases.
Method 4: AssistiveTouch (no buttons at all)
Settings → Accessibility → Touch → AssistiveTouch → turn it on, then set a Single-Tap, Double-Tap or Long Press action to Screenshot. A floating button appears that you can use even if a physical button is broken.
Capture a whole page (Safari)
Take a screenshot in Safari, tap the thumbnail, then tap Full Page at the top. The entire article becomes one long PDF you can save to Files — far better than nine overlapping screenshots.
If it is not working
Press truly simultaneously — most failures are a half-second gap that locks the phone instead. If the phone restarts or shows the power-off slider, you held too long. On managed work phones, an IT profile can disable screenshots in certain apps (notably banking and streaming apps, where a black image is the app's choice, not a bug).