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Take screenshots in the iOS simulator
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Solved iosiphonexcodeios-simulatorscreenshot
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I want to take a screenshot of my iOS application when it is running in the simulator, and save the screenshot on my Mac. How can I do this?

Blowbyblow answered 17/8, 2011 at 12:17 Comment(0)
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It's just as simple as command+s or File > Save Screen Shot in iOS Simulator. It will appear on your desktop by default.

Tympanist answered 10/4, 2013 at 15:8 Comment(11)
How do I get it to prompt me for the location to save to? – Biomedicine
There is no ready-to-use solution as per https://mcmap.net/q/74896/-change-the-location-of-screen-shots-saved-by-the-ios-simulator/1659311 – Tympanist
UIApplicationUserDidTakeScreenshotNotification did not fire. – Cleodel
In Xcode 9 you can hold down Option and you will be prompted for a location to save the screenshot. – Eeg
@Biomedicine - This may help you to get prompt for location to save - https://mcmap.net/q/73655/-take-screenshots-in-the-ios-simulator – Hope
Heads up, it won't prompt you to save so check your desktop after hitting save. – Nonexistence
Its not coming on my desktop :( – Maximinamaximize
@AshimDahal it's still is on Xcode 10.2.1 - I've just checked. Make sure you have Simulator active, not Xcode itself. – Tympanist
@WojciechRutkowski for some reason none of my shortcuts was not working ..... I had to toggle switch in Simulator --> Hardware--> Keyboard --> Send Keyboard Shortcuts to Device. This fixed all my shortcut functionality to work normally – Agra
If the screen shot is to be used on the app store, it can't have alpha, and the default is to have alpha 'on'. So that means bringing the image up in the preview and exporting without alpha. That a PITA. Thanks Apple. – Bos
Check ~/Downloads if your screenshots are not in ~/Desktop – Timbre
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An update with Xcode 11.4 simulator

To capture a screen shot, click on 'Camera' icon/action button, on the top bar of simulator.

enter image description here

OR

Select Save Screen Shot menu item, from File menu.

File => Save Screen Shot

Use ⌘ + S to capture a screen shot.
(Use window + s, if you are using windows/non-apple keyboard).

enter image description here

See for more details: How to change simulator scale options with Xcode 9+.

Tip 1: How do you get screen shot with 100% (a scale with actual device size) that can be uploaded on AppStore?

Disable Optimize Rendering for Window scale from Debug menu, before you take a screen shot.

Here is an option

Menubar ▶ Debug ▶ Disable "Optimize Rendering for Window scale"

enter image description here

Tip 2: Where is screen shot saved (Default Path)? How to change default path?

Simulator saves screen shot file on (logged-in user's) desktop and it's default path.

To change default path (with Xcode 9+), press and hold ⌥ Option (alt) button from keyboard, while you take a screen shot.
Or
Using Mac Keyboad: Press keys ⌥ Option + ⌘ + s all together.
It will show to a dialog with file storage options and also allows to set/change default path.

enter image description here

Tip 3: How to take a screen shot with Device Bezel?

Enable Show Device Bezel from Window menu.

Here is an option

Menubar ▶ Window ▶ Enable "Show Device Bezel"

enter image description here

Now,

  1. Press ⌘ + shift + 4 + Spacebar, all together in Mac Keyboard. (A window snap capture mode will become active)
  2. Select Simulator window/frame, that you want to capture. It will save screenshot with device bezel (with shadow effect in background) on (logged-in user's) desktop.

You can also remove the Simulator toolbar as described here.

Hope answered 8/1, 2018 at 12:49 Comment(7)
Also, hold ⌘ when you click on the simulator to skip the device name on the bottom in the screenshot. – Statistics
@ManojShrestha You are welcomed to edit this answer by adding your suggestion. – Hope
Why is this NOT accepted answer. Thanks a ton Krunal for this compilation! – Auberta
I liked this answer. – Ethelyn
it doesn't work anymore after latest (11.4) Xcode update – Brittan
@GenchiGenbutsu - Thank you for the update. You are welcomed to edit this answer and improve its quality. (I'll check and update, if I'll get a chance) – Hope
Also, hold the Alt key while clicking on the simulator for taking screenshots without shadows. – Terchie
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on iOS Simulator,

Press Command + control + c or from menu : Edit>Copy Screen

open "Preview" app, Press Command + n or from menu : File> New from clipboard , then you can save command+s

For Retina, activate iOS Simulator then on menu:HardWare>Device>iPhone (Retina) and follow above process

Command + S

is the way to save on Desktop, (on new iPhone simulators, this was introduced in later simulator)

Hays answered 23/2, 2012 at 18:42 Comment(0)
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Press Command+Shift+4 and then keep the mouse pointer on Simulator and then press "Space Bar" key one camera icon will appear, now left click the mouse. Your simulator screen shot is saved on desktop. You can take the screen shot any small screen in the same way.

Howlet answered 9/11, 2011 at 18:35 Comment(3)
this will not capture scrolled content though – Philip
You should only do this if you want to capture a screenshot with the bezel. – Eeg
Nice, I wanted the frame too so great solution :) – Rossierossing
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You can google for IOS Simulator Cropper software useful for capturing screen shots and also easy to use with various options of taking snapshots like with simulator/without simulator.

Update Just pressing CMD + S will give you screenshot saved on desktop. Pretty easy huh..

Quoth answered 17/8, 2011 at 12:24 Comment(0)
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Since Xcode 8.2, you can also save a screenshot with the following command:

xcrun simctl io booted screenshot

Further information in this blog: https://medium.com/@hollanderbart/new-features-in-xcode-8-2-simulator-fc64a4014a5f#.bzuaf5gp0

Fleetwood answered 18/12, 2016 at 13:47 Comment(1)
The crash was a framework bug that we worked around in Xcode 8.3.3. It does not apply to Xcode 9 or later. – Eeg
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  1. Focus simulator

  2. Go to menu File->Save Screen Shot

    or

    Press ⌘+S

Screen shot saves in desktop

Inspan answered 3/12, 2014 at 3:54 Comment(0)
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Simple answer with sample answer ;-)

on iOS Simulator,

Press Command + control + c or from menu : Edit>Copy Screen

enter image description here

open "Preview" app, Press Command + n or from menu : File> New from clipboard , then you can save Command + s

UnCheck Alpha

enter image description here

You can change Image dimension to your requirement.

enter image description here

Here is the Final Image,For example

enter image description here

Surcharge answered 2/5, 2019 at 15:55 Comment(0)
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For people using Xcode 11.4, to get rid of the simulator top bar, this is far from ideal but you can disable shadows for the screenshot application in a terminal with the following command :

$ defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool TRUE; killall SystemUIServer

Then, you can use ⌘ + ⇧ + 4 and select the simulator to take a screenshot. Without the shadow, you can easily crop the top bar with the preview app. To re-enable the shadow for the screenshot application :

$ defaults write com.apple.screencapture disable-shadow -bool FALSE; killall SystemUIServer

Source of this answer here.

Soave answered 16/5, 2020 at 16:39 Comment(0)
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For some reason the commands posted before dont work for me, but this one does: 

xcrun simctl io booted screenshot screenshot.png

Running Xcode 9.2

Levkas answered 14/5, 2018 at 20:13 Comment(0)
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First, run the app on simulator. Then, use command+s, or File -> Save Screenshot in Simulator to take necessary and appropriate shots. The screenshots will appear on your desktop by default.

Fullfledged answered 23/10, 2017 at 3:45 Comment(0)
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2020 Latest Update: XCode 11.4

Click on the camera icon above simulator to capture screenshot and save to your camera roll

enter image description here

Another option: File > Save Screen from simulator

Viburnum answered 10/4, 2020 at 5:54 Comment(2)
it takes screenshots without device frame – Brittan
seems like the "command" key to remove the device name at the bottom doesn't work anymore, bummer. Need to manually crop the top out. – Alanna
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Press ⌘S or go to File > Save screenshot from your simulator menu and you will get the screenshot saved on your desktop.

Rancourt answered 17/8, 2011 at 12:19 Comment(2)
Oh my mistake this will be possible only if you are running MAC using VMWare – Rancourt
Thanks Devang. May i will try it for VMWare. – Blowbyblow
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In OSX Captain its a bug to take screenshot of simulator. You have to Update your OSX Sierra first then your are able to take. while taking in OSX Captain use terminal command which is xcrun simctl io booted screenshot.

before running this command u have to select desktop in terminal like:

"cd desktop" then run that command. Happy Coding!!!

Desmonddesmoulins answered 23/2, 2017 at 13:40 Comment(0)
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Screenshot with device frame

Step - 1 Open quick time player

Step - 2 Tap new screen recording

enter image description here

Step - 3 Select Capture selected window enter image description here

Step - 4 Cursor point on the simulator. It will automatically select the whole simulator like enter image description here

Step - 5 Screenshot will open using preview. save it.

Here is some sample screenshot

enter image description here enter image description here

Willms answered 20/7, 2020 at 18:27 Comment(1)
This is exactly what I want, but when I take the snapshot, it also captures the bar that is above the iPhone with the close/minimize/full screen buttons, as well as the capture, home, and rotate buttons. How do I capture just the phone without this bar? – Sympathy
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  1. Click CMD+SHIFT+4.
  2. Put mouse over Simulator.
  3. Press SPACE to select whole Window.
  4. Press ALT+Enter to capture simulator window with no shadow.
  5. Remove top bar from screenshot in GIMP or double click on screenshot preview to edit.

I found no way to hide top window bar and screenshot nice phone image with shadow. Apple rox ;-)

Unruffled answered 8/12, 2021 at 17:23 Comment(0)
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If you want to attach the device frame to your screenshot, use

xcrun simctl io booted screenshot shot.png && curl -F '[email protected]' "https://shot.withfra.me/new"

It uploads the screenshot to a third party (WithFrame) that adds the device frame.

More info can be found here

Beetlebrowed answered 7/1, 2023 at 16:43 Comment(0)
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First method:

Select simulator and press "command + s" button. Screenshot saved on desktop.

Second method:

Select simulator and go to "File > New Screenshot". Screenshot saved on desktop.

Jacintha answered 28/5, 2018 at 14:9 Comment(1)
What have you added to this question that was worth resurrecting a years old question? – Tugboat
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In case using XCUITests automation :

XCUIApplication().buttons["Add"].screenshot()
XCUIApplication().table["names"].screenshot()

API details : https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xctest/xcuiscreenshot

Vino answered 18/6, 2021 at 15:53 Comment(0)
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Taking Screen Shot in IOS Simulator is SO Simple.

When you Open Simulator In the Right Lift You See File.

Click On File And You See Option Save Screen Shot.

This Option Saves Your Screen Shot In Default Path Which is Desktop.

Forefinger answered 28/2, 2017 at 8:28 Comment(2)
This is more or less just a repeat of the existing answers. – Gestapo
@Gestapo no this one is way more condescending, to get the point across of course. – Elielia

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