How to take a screenshot programmatically on iOS

Question

I want a screenshot of the image on the screen saved into the saved photo library.

Quay

Answer 1

I'm answering this question as it's a highly viewed, and there are many answers out there plus there's Swift and Obj-C.

Disclaimer This is not my code, nor my answers, this is only to help people that land here find a quick answer. There are links to the original answers to give credit where credit is due!! Please honor the original answers with a +1 if you use their answer!

---

Using QuartzCore

#import <QuartzCore/QuartzCore.h> 

if ([[UIScreen mainScreen] respondsToSelector:@selector(scale)]) {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.window.bounds.size, NO, [UIScreen mainScreen].scale);
} else {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.window.bounds.size);
}

[self.window.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
UIImage *image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
NSData *imageData = UIImagePNGRepresentation(image);
if (imageData) {
    [imageData writeToFile:@"screenshot.png" atomically:YES];
} else {
    NSLog(@"error while taking screenshot");
}

---

In Swift

func captureScreen() -> UIImage
{

    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.view.bounds.size, false, 0);

    self.view.drawViewHierarchyInRect(view.bounds, afterScreenUpdates: true)

    let image: UIImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()

    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

    return image
}

Note: As the nature with programming, updates may need to be done so please edit or let me know! *Also if I failed to include an answer/method worth including feel free to let me know as well!

Quay

This answer doesn't seem to add anything. You just copy-pasted two of the answers already on the page and posted the result as your own. – Saffier

My intention was not to take credit for their answers, it was to include both swift and Obj-C in one answer so it was quicker for people to find. I referred to the corresponding answers as well. if this should not be done I will delete my answer and revert back to just one of them. – Quay

I am using the ObjC solution. For me, I had to add ".view" after "self", but the result is 100%. This is GOLD – Rascality

It worked for Capturing Presentation Stream also. Thanks – Outrange

Answer 2

Considering a check for retina display use the following code snippet:

#import <QuartzCore/QuartzCore.h> 

if ([[UIScreen mainScreen] respondsToSelector:@selector(scale)]) {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.window.bounds.size, NO, [UIScreen mainScreen].scale);
} else {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.window.bounds.size);
}

[self.window.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
UIImage *image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
NSData *imageData = UIImagePNGRepresentation(image);
if (imageData) {
    [imageData writeToFile:@"screenshot.png" atomically:YES];
} else {
    NSLog(@"error while taking screenshot");
}

Fromenty

Note that this won't capture certain types of screen content, like OpenGL ES layers. UIGetScreenImage(), that Hua-Ying points to, does. – Sulfide

Dear people, don't forget to do #import <QuartzCore/QuartzCore.h> – Sectarian

will this take a screenshot if you are viewing a picture your app just took? – Collins

Hi DenNukem, this work perfectly in my other apps, but in current project, First time it capture perfectly but second time it crash the app with this "malloc: *** error for object 0x1e868334: incorrect checksum for freed object - object was probably modified after being freed. *** set a breakpoint in malloc_error_break to debug". Any solution for that ? or i doing some wrong i cant get it. Thanks. – Isogamete

Where is this image stored? – Methodius

@BurhanuddinSunelwala i found one solution for this at last add this code UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum([UIImage imageWithData:data], nil, nil, nil); you found your image in photo album path – Drinking

Use UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.window.bounds.size, NO, 0.0); this will create image context of the current devices scale. – Gillam

Above code works well but when try downscale the image little bit the uilabels are blurred even if i maintain the aspect ratio for resizing? what is the reason? – Brockwell

@wladimir-palant : What about Key-Board , Because when i use to take screen shot of sceen where user type , then key board not capture ,how can i add key-Board in screen capture..? – Budding

No need for "[UIScreen mainScreen].scale". Simply passing "0" will automatically set the scale to the scale factor of the device’s main screen. – Corelation

drawViewHierarchyInRect is faster than renderInContext according to #19067217 so it is better to use Mann 's below code – Allograph

Does Apple approve this functionality ? Because without user notification we are doing this right – Latashialatch

Answer 3

Below method works for OPENGL objects also

//iOS7 or above
- (UIImage *) screenshot {

    CGSize size = CGSizeMake(your_width, your_height);

    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(size, NO, [UIScreen mainScreen].scale);

    CGRect rec = CGRectMake(0, 0, your_width, your_height);
    [_viewController.view drawViewHierarchyInRect:rec afterScreenUpdates:YES];

    UIImage *image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
    return image;
}

Conics

UIGetScreenImage is a private API – Akkad

Thanks a lot for this! You definitely get my vote. After attempting multiple other ways, it appears that drawViewHierarchy is the only way how a screen grab can be taken in robovm with a javafx ui. – Channa

This is what is working everytime!!!! I have a lot of 3d transforms on the scrreen and other solutions did mess in my screenshot. This works like it should. Thanks a lot! – Sanctuary

if the view controller is in a navigation controller the navigation bar is not captured – Anglophobia

Yes, drawViewHierarchyInRect is faster than renderInContext :-) – Allograph

Answer 4

UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.view.bounds.size, self.view.opaque, 0.0);
[self.myView.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
UIImage *image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

NSData *imageData = UIImageJPEGRepresentation(image, 1.0 ); //you can use PNG too
[imageData writeToFile:@"image1.jpeg" atomically:YES];

Custodian

+1 For the note about using PNG. It's lossless and will be smaller than jpeg with quality = 1.0. – Barbabra

it is not taking NavigationBar in iOS 7 instead leaving blank space. – Minority

Answer 5

- (UIImage*) getGLScreenshot {
    NSInteger myDataLength = 320 * 480 * 4;

    // allocate array and read pixels into it.
    GLubyte *buffer = (GLubyte *) malloc(myDataLength);
    glReadPixels(0, 0, 320, 480, GL_RGBA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, buffer);

    // gl renders "upside down" so swap top to bottom into new array.
    // there's gotta be a better way, but this works.
    GLubyte *buffer2 = (GLubyte *) malloc(myDataLength);
    for(int y = 0; y <480; y++)
    {
        for(int x = 0; x <320 * 4; x++)
        {
            buffer2[(479 - y) * 320 * 4 + x] = buffer[y * 4 * 320 + x];
        }
    }

    // make data provider with data.
    CGDataProviderRef provider = CGDataProviderCreateWithData(NULL, buffer2, myDataLength, NULL);

    // prep the ingredients
    int bitsPerComponent = 8;
    int bitsPerPixel = 32;
    int bytesPerRow = 4 * 320;
    CGColorSpaceRef colorSpaceRef = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();
    CGBitmapInfo bitmapInfo = kCGBitmapByteOrderDefault;
    CGColorRenderingIntent renderingIntent = kCGRenderingIntentDefault;

    // make the cgimage
    CGImageRef imageRef = CGImageCreate(320, 480, bitsPerComponent, bitsPerPixel, bytesPerRow, colorSpaceRef, bitmapInfo, provider, NULL, NO, renderingIntent);

    // then make the uiimage from that
    UIImage *myImage = [UIImage imageWithCGImage:imageRef];
    return myImage;
}

- (void)saveGLScreenshotToPhotosAlbum {
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum([self getGLScreenshot], nil, nil, nil);  
}

Source.

Darladarlan

Why is myDataLength multiplied by 4 ontop of 320 * 480? – Quay

This also really does seem very stupid that they don't provide us with an easier way of doing this. – Quay

320 * 480 is the number of pixels. Times four so you have RGBA for each pixel. – Darladarlan

remember to multiple by the scale factor when running on an iPhone 4 :-) – Selfsacrifice

Hi, first of all thanks for sharing this, it saved my week :) But I'm having a problem here, when I take an screenshot from an iphone4 with the retina display enabled, I'm getting a really big image from the openglView, i have tried to rescale the resulting UIImage with no results, anyone can help me with this? thanks in advance – Softa

Ok done just multiply the scale factor with the width and height :) – Softa

this code works only on OpenGL Apps? on a regular app it gives black image... how can i use this? – Troposphere

Same code is not working in iOS 6 (in devide). Anyone know how to fix this issue? – Tiedeman

@Darladarlan , use UIImage *myImage = [[UIImage alloc] initWithCGImage:imageRef scale:1.0 orientation:UIImageOrientationDownMirrored]; and you don't need 'buffer2' anymore. BTW it seems to me like you forgot about memory management, no free() or release() calls... – Kleinstein

Answer 6

IN SWIFT

func captureScreen() -> UIImage
{

    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.view.bounds.size, false, 0);

    self.view.drawViewHierarchyInRect(view.bounds, afterScreenUpdates: true)

    let image: UIImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()

    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

    return image
}

Southwestward

Answer 7

As of iOS10, this gets a bit simpler. UIKit comes with UIGraphicsImageRender that allows you to

... accomplish drawing tasks, without having to handle configuration such as color depth and image scale, or manage Core Graphics contexts

Apple Docs - UIGraphicsImageRenderer

So you can now do something like this:

let renderer = UIGraphicsImageRenderer(size: someView.bounds.size)

let image = renderer.image(actions: { context in
    someView.drawHierarchy(in: someView.bounds, afterScreenUpdates: true)
})

Many of the answers here worked for me in most cases. But when trying to take a snapshot of an ARSCNView, I was only able to do it using the method described above. Although it might be worth noting that at this time, ARKit is still in beta and Xcode is in beta 4

Asshur

Answer 8

See this post it looks like you can use UIGetScreenImage() for now.

Broadnax

This is not allowed again in iOS 4. – Frenzied

Answer 9

This will save a screenshot and as well return the screenshot too.

-(UIImage *)capture{
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.view.bounds.size);
    [self.view.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
    UIImage *imageView = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(imageView, nil, nil, nil); //if you need to save
    return imageView;
}

Unsaid

Answer 10

I think the following snippet would help if you want to take a full screen(except for status bar),just replace AppDelegate with your app delegate name if necessary.

- (UIImage *)captureFullScreen {

    AppDelegate *_appDelegate = (AppDelegate *)[UIApplication sharedApplication].delegate;

    if ([[UIScreen mainScreen] respondsToSelector:@selector(scale)]) {
        // for retina-display
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(_appDelegate.window.bounds.size, NO, [UIScreen mainScreen].scale);
        [_appDelegate.window drawViewHierarchyInRect:_appDelegate.window.bounds afterScreenUpdates:NO];
    } else {
        // non-retina-display
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(_bodyView.bounds.size);
        [_appDelegate.window drawViewHierarchyInRect:_appDelegate.window.bounds afterScreenUpdates:NO];
    }

    UIImage *image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
    return image;
}

Vocalise

FInally one that addes the navigation bar! Would vote twice if I could! Cheers mate – Townie

Answer 11

I couldn't find an answer with Swift 3 implementation. So here it goes.

static func screenshotOf(window: UIWindow) -> UIImage? {

    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(window.bounds.size, true, UIScreen.main.scale)

    guard let currentContext = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext() else {
        return nil
    }

    window.layer.render(in: currentContext)
    guard let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext() else {
        UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
        return nil
    }

    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
    return image
}

Decimate

Answer 12

This will work with swift 4.2, the screenshot will be saved in library, but please don't forget to edit the info.plist @ NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription :

  @IBAction func takeScreenshot(_ sender: UIButton) {

    //Start full Screenshot
    print("full Screenshot")
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(card.frame.size)
    view.layer.render(in: UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!)
    var sourceImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(sourceImage!, nil, nil, nil)

    //Start partial Screenshot
    print("partial Screenshot")
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(card.frame.size)
    sourceImage?.draw(at: CGPoint(x:-25,y:-100)) //the screenshot starts at -25, -100
    var croppedImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(croppedImage!, nil, nil, nil)

}

Waynant

Answer 13

For iOS 7.0 or above..

If you want to take screenshots of view say(myView), you can do this with single line:

[myView snapshotViewAfterScreenUpdates:NO];

Sherwoodsherwynd

Answer 14

Get Screenshot From View

-(UIImage *)getScreenshotImage {
    if ([[UIScreen mainScreen] scale] == 2.0) {
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.view.frame.size, FALSE, 2.0);
    } else {
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.view.frame.size, FALSE, 1.0);
    }

    [self.view.window.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];

    UIImage * result = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

    return result;
}

Save Image to Photos

UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(YOUR_IMAGE, nil, nil, nil);

How-To

UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum([self getScreenshotImage], nil, nil, nil);

Portative

Answer 15

Two options available at bellow site:

OPTION 1: using UIWindow (tried and work perfectly)

// create graphics context with screen size
CGRect screenRect = [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds];
UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(screenRect.size);
CGContextRef ctx = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext();
[[UIColor blackColor] set];
CGContextFillRect(ctx, screenRect);

// grab reference to our window
UIWindow *window = [UIApplication sharedApplication].keyWindow;

// transfer content into our context
[window.layer renderInContext:ctx];
UIImage *screengrab = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

OPTION 2: using UIView

// grab reference to the view you'd like to capture
UIView *wholeScreen = self.splitViewController.view;

// define the size and grab a UIImage from it
UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(wholeScreen.bounds.size, wholeScreen.opaque, 0.0);
[wholeScreen.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
UIImage *screengrab = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

For retina screen (as DenNukem answer)

// grab reference to our window
    UIWindow *window = [UIApplication sharedApplication].keyWindow;

    // create graphics context with screen size
    CGRect screenRect = [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds];
    if ([[UIScreen mainScreen] respondsToSelector:@selector(scale)]) {
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(screenRect.size, NO, [UIScreen mainScreen].scale);
    } else {
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(screenRect.size);
        [window.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
    }

for more detail: http://pinkstone.co.uk/how-to-take-a-screeshot-in-ios-programmatically/

Tergal

Answer 16

Get Screenshot From View :

- (UIImage *)takeSnapshotView {
    CGRect rect = [myView bounds];//Here you can change your view with myView
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(rect.size,YES,0.0f);
    CGContextRef context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext();
    [myView.layer renderInContext:context];
    UIImage *capturedScreen = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

    return capturedScreen;//capturedScreen is the image of your view
}

Hope, this is what you're looking for. Any concern get back to me. :)

Refection

Answer 17

Another option is to use the Automation tool on instruments. You write a script to put the screen into whatever you state you want, then take the shots. Here is the script I used for one of my apps. Obviously, the details of the script will be different for your app.

var target = UIATarget.localTarget();
var app = target.frontMostApp();
var window = app.mainWindow();
var picker = window.pickers()[0];
var wheel = picker.wheels()[2];
var buttons = window.buttons();
var button1 = buttons.firstWithPredicate("name == 'dateButton1'");
var button2 = buttons.firstWithPredicate("name == 'dateButton2'");

function setYear(picker, year) {
    var yearName = year.toString();
    var yearWheel = picker.wheels()[2];
    yearWheel.selectValue(yearName);
}

function setMonth(picker, monthName) {
    var wheel = picker.wheels()[0];
    wheel.selectValue(monthName);
}

function setDay(picker, day) {
    var wheel = picker.wheels()[1];
    var name = day.toString();
    wheel.selectValue(name);
}

target.delay(1);
setYear(picker, 2015);
setMonth(picker, "July");
setDay(picker, 4);
button1.tap();
setYear(picker, 2015);
setMonth(picker, "December");
setDay(picker, 25);

target.captureScreenWithName("daysShot1");

var nButtons = buttons.length;
UIALogger.logMessage(nButtons + " buttons");
for (var i=0; i<nButtons; i++) {
    UIALogger.logMessage("button " + buttons[i].name());
}

var tabBar = window.tabBars()[0];
var barButtons = tabBar.buttons();

var nBarButtons = barButtons.length;
UIALogger.logMessage(nBarButtons + " buttons on tab bar");

for (var i=0; i<nBarButtons; i++) {
    UIALogger.logMessage("button " + barButtons[i].name());
}

var weeksButton = barButtons[1];
var monthsButton = barButtons[2];
var yearsButton = barButtons[3];

target.delay(2);
weeksButton.tap();
target.captureScreenWithName("daysShot2");
target.delay(2);
monthsButton.tap();
target.captureScreenWithName("daysShot3");
target.delay(2);
yearsButton.tap();
target.delay(2);
button2.tap();
target.delay(2);
setYear(picker, 2018);
target.delay(2);
target.captureScreenWithName("daysShot4");

Carboniferous

Answer 18

Just a small contribution, I've done this with a button but the pressing also means the button is captured pressed. So first I unhighlight.

- (IBAction)screenShot:(id)sender {
    // Unpress screen shot button
    screenShotButton.highlighted = NO;

    // create graphics context with screen size
    CGRect screenRect = [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds];

    if ([[UIScreen mainScreen] respondsToSelector:@selector(scale)]) {
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.view.bounds.size, NO, [UIScreen mainScreen].scale);
    } else {
        UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.view.bounds.size);
    }

    CGContextRef ctx = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext();
    [[UIColor blackColor] set];
    CGContextFillRect(ctx, screenRect);

    // grab reference to our window
    UIWindow *window = [UIApplication sharedApplication].keyWindow;

    // transfer content into our context
    [window.layer renderInContext:ctx];
    UIImage *screengrab = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext();

    // save screengrab to Camera Roll
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(screengrab, nil, nil, nil);
}

I got the main body of the code from: http://pinkstone.co.uk/how-to-take-a-screeshot-in-ios-programmatically/ where I used option 1, option 2 didn't seem to work for me. Added the adjustments for Rentina screen sizes from this thread, and the unhighlighting of the screenShotButton. The view I'm using it on is a StoryBoarded screen of buttons and labels and with several UIView added later via the program.

Thilda

Thanks the_UB for the edit. I'd realised I'd left in commented code, but then thought "that's how genuine the pasted code is". Live working code which is now in the App Store. – Thilda

Answer 19

In Swift you can use following code.

if UIScreen.mainScreen().respondsToSelector(Selector("scale")) {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.window!.bounds.size, false, UIScreen.mainScreen().scale)
}
else{
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.window!.bounds.size)
}
self.window?.layer.renderInContext(UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext())
var image : UIImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(image, nil, nil, nil)

Izy

Answer 20

Swift 4:

func makeImage(withView view: UIView) -> UIImage? {

    let rect = view.bounds

    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(rect.size, true, 0)

    guard let context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext() else {
      assertionFailure()
      return nil
    }

    view.layer.render(in: context)

    guard let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext() else {
      assertionFailure()
      return nil
    }

    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

    return image
}

Parttime