#import <QuartzCore/QuartzCore.h>

// Capture Screenshot
UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.view.bounds.size);
[self.view.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
UIImage *screenshotImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(screenshotImage, nil, nil, nil);

12 thoughts on “iPhone – Capture Screenshot Programmatically”

1. Amit July 19, 2011 at 15:31

   I used this code to take the snapshot of my app running on simulator, the quality of the snap is not good, Any idea?

   Reply ↓
   1. ykyuen Post authorJuly 19, 2011 at 21:23

      I guess you want to capture an images screenshot on iPhone. The following post should help.
      StackOverflow – UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext gives poor quality / low resolution image, how do I get better?

      Reply ↓
2. Yadnesh August 8, 2011 at 20:15

   hi,thanks for the help
   my problem is is want to take the screenshot in landscape mode itself but this code give me a portrait mode screenshot.which make my screenshot hard to handle even after rotating it
   CurrentScreen.transform = CGAffineTransformMakeRotation(4.71238898);
   thats how i rotate my image

   Reply ↓
   1. ykyuen Post authorAugust 9, 2011 at 12:17

      I didn’t try landscape screenshot, see if the following post help.
      StackOverflow – iPhone screen shot in landscape view

      Reply ↓
3. Noah August 21, 2011 at 05:23

   I’m at Startup Weekend in LA right now where a few of the iPhone developers here have said that it’s impossible to take a screenshot programmatically between applications due to iOS sandbox restrictions but I’m not convinced of this. Two tutorials explain how to capture a screenshot programmatically when using a single application (see “Programmatically Getting a Screencapture of any UIView”, http://www.icodeblog.com/2009/07/27/1188/ and “iPhone – Capture Screenshot Programmatically”, http://ykyuen.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/iphone-capture-screenshot-programmatically/) but I am trying to figure out if a screenshot can be taken between one application and another like when a new text message comes in when the iPhone is not locked, and when it is.

   Any help will be appreciated…thanks.

   Noah

   Reply ↓
4. ykyuen Post authorAugust 22, 2011 at 19:46

   Hi Noah,

   Do you mean you want to take a screenshot and save it to the iphone album when
   1. The iPhone is unlocked
   2. The iPhone is locked
   3. When a sms is received

   if that is the case, i think you can refer to the following Q&A for the 1st and 2nd scenarios.
   StackOverflow – Lock Unlock events iphone

   For the third one, i think there should be some api to detect that. you can try to search on google.

   Kit

   Reply ↓
5. Hasan Edain September 10, 2011 at 06:51

   Thanks much for posting this.
   I just put it in my application, and got a great picture of everything BUT my navigation bar.
   Do you have any idea how to capture that as well?

   Reply ↓
   1. ykyuen Post authorSeptember 10, 2011 at 15:32

      Thanks for your comment. =)

      If you want to capture the navigation bar, i guess the sample code in the following post may help.
      Screenshots-A Legal Way To Get Screenshots

      Reply ↓
6. Hello May 31, 2012 at 21:02

   can we take screenshot of avplayerLayer ?

   Reply ↓
   1. ykyuen Post authorMay 31, 2012 at 22:36

      No idea on that but the following post may help.
      StackOverflow – Get the screenshot of a streaming video on iphone

      Reply ↓
7. Amir January 16, 2013 at 06:19

   the code work just fine thanks.
   did any one know how to Capture just half screen

   Reply ↓
   1. ykyuen Post authorJanuary 16, 2013 at 22:46

      Maybe this could help.
      StackOverflow – How do you crop an image in iOS

      Reply ↓