There is no doubt that Android offers a significantly higher degree of freedom to users than iOS does. That said, certain apps still have some restrictions regarding what you can do. For instance, some apps can prevent you from taking screenshots, usually for privacy or security reasons. Banking apps are an excellent example of this. Similarly, streaming apps usually block screenshots to prevent users from pirating content, while messaging platforms block screenshots of self-destructing messages. However, you can still bypass these restrictions in some cases, though that may violate the terms and conditions of the apps in question. So, make sure to use caution and respect the rules of the platform you are taking screenshots on.

Method 1: Using Google Assistant

On certain Android apps, you cannot take screenshots using the standard key combination, which is usually the Power button and the Volume Down key. However, you may still be able to take a screenshot using other methods, like relying on Google Assistant to get the job done. Most Android phones have Google Assistant preinstalled, but if you don't have it, you can get it from the Play Store. Once you've installed it, you can use voice commands to ask it to take screenshots.

  1. Open the app and navigate to the page you want to screenshot.
  2. Press and hold the Home key or say Hey Google to activate Google Assistant.
  3. Use the voice command Take a screenshot or type the command in the app. While this is an easy method, it does not work in all apps where screenshots are restricted, like banking apps and Chrome's incognito mode.
Note: If you are using Gemini instead of Google Assistant on your smartphone, you will need to switch back to the older tool since currently, Gemini does not support all the actions that Google Assistant does.

Method 2: Take a screenshot after recording the screen

Another option is to make a screen recording and then take a screenshot. Modern Android phones usually have a screen recorder built-in.

  1. Open the Screen Recorder app on your phone. You may also find the option to enable it in the Quick Settings menu.
  2. Start creating a screen recording and then open the app where you want to take a screenshot.
  3. Navigate to the page you want to screenshot so that it is captured on the video. Then stop the screen recording app.
  4. Go to the Gallery app and start playing the video you recorded. Pause it where you want to take a screenshot and then take a screenshot using the button combination or your preferred screenshot app.
Note: Like the previous method, this one may not work in all apps. For instance, even if you start recording your screen before opening an app like Chrome and entering Incognito Mode, the recorder will record a black screen from the point Incognito Mode is enabled.

Option 3: Use Scrcpy to take screenshots

Scrcpy is a tool that lets you mirror your Android device and control it from your computer. You can use it to take screenshots in restricted apps from your PC with programs like the Windows Snipping Tool. Scrcpy works on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, and here is how you can install it on Windows.

  1. Open the Start menu, type cmd and click on 'Command Prompt' when it appears in the search results.
  1. In the Command Prompt window, paste the following command and press Enter: winget install Genymobile.scrcpy.
  1. Depending on your internet connection, Scrcpy can take some time to install. Scrcpy will also need to install Android Device Bridge (ADB). When it asks for your permission to install it, press Y.
  1. Once Scrcpy is installed, you need to enable USB Debugging on your Android phone before connecting it to your PC. Open the Settings app and go to the 'About Phone' section.
  2. Then tap on the 'Build Number' seven times and you will see the notification that Developer Settings have been enabled. The location of the build number option may vary depending on your device. On Xiaomi devices, you need to tap on the 'MIUI version' option to enable Developer Options.
  1. Once you've enabled Developer Options, go to the main settings page and tap on it. It may be present in the 'System' option.
  2. After entering the Developer Options menu, turn on 'USB Debugging'.
  1. Now you can connect your phone and computer with a USB cable. After doing so, open Command Prompt as explained in the previous method and type scrcpy inside it before pressing Enter.
  1. A new window displaying your phone's screen will appear, and you can control it using your mouse and keyboard. Now, you can simply open the app where you want to take a screenshot and hit the PrntScrn key or use the Win + Shift + S shortcut to open the Snipping Tool.

Option 4: Enable screenshots in Chrome's incognito mode

If you need to take screenshots specifically in Chrome's incognito mode, there is a way you can do so.

  1. Open Chrome on your Android, type chrome://flags and go to the flags page, which lists all experimental features of the browser.
  2. Type incognito in the search box, which will list all incognito mode-related experimental features.
  1. Now, tap on the 'Incognito Screenshot' dropdown and set it to 'Enabled'.
  2. Then tap on the 'Relaunch' button on the bottom right.
  1. Now, open an incognito window in Chrome and take a screenshot. It will now work and the screenshot will appear in your phone's gallery.
Note: Like Chrome, you can also enable screenshots in Private Browsing mode when using the Mozilla Firefox browser on your phone. Just go to the Settings page and enable the Allow Screenshot in Private Mode option.

Things to know

  • In certain apps, you can change the settings to allow screenshots and screen recordings from within the app itself. However, use caution after enabling this option as it can open up security risks on the device.
  • You can also use another device to take a photo of the app that is preventing you from taking the screenshot on your phone. However, in this case, the image quality will not be the best.
  • If you do not have a computer at hand and none of the above methods work, you may be able to take screenshots in restricted apps by rooting your phone. However, this voids the warranty of the device and can also expose it to various threats. So, if you plan to root your phone, be prepared for the risks.