Snapping a screenshot on a phone sounds easy, right? But on my Samsung phone, it rarely felt that way. The Side key and Volume Down combo required two hands and precise timing, and I’d sometimes lock the screen or lower the volume by mistake. Even the palm-swipe motion wasn’t much better. It tended to miss the swipe, especially when the screen was smudged or slightly wet.
None of these methods felt consistent, so I began searching for something faster and more reliable. It turns out that Samsung already had the answer hidden in its own Good Lock customization tools. Since then, it’s been dependable, fits naturally into how I use my phone, and makes taking screenshots quick and seamless.
Why pressing two buttons isn’t enough anymore
Old shortcuts struggle on today’s larger phones
When Samsung first introduced button shortcuts for screenshots, they worked well enough for smaller phones at that time. But screens have grown larger, and using the two-button shortcut now feels like a stretch. It can take two hands, and the timing has to be exact. The palm-swipe gesture was meant to fix that, but it’s not perfect either. It often fails if your touch sensitivity is low or your fingers glide unevenly across the glass.
Even the Assistant menu tries to make things easier, but it comes with its own set of problems. It places a floating icon on your screen that can feel distracting and takes up noticeable space. It also seems slower in practice since you have to tap at least twice before it captures a screenshot. Instead of making screenshots more convenient, it just adds another step.
The real issue is that these shortcuts are designed around an older way of using your phone. With gesture navigation, one-handed scrolling, and taller displays, they now feel outdated. They interrupt what you’re doing instead of blending into it. Samsung has built quicker, more natural screenshot options into its customization tools, though they remain hidden unless you know where to look.
You’ve been swiping wrong this whole time
This swipe trick changes screenshots forever
If you use swipe navigation, you already move through your phone with quick gestures every day. But there’s one gesture you may not be aware of that can take screenshots instantly. It isn’t in the main Settings app, so you might not notice it in the default menus. Samsung hides it inside its Good Lock customization suite, under a module called One Hand Operation +.
Inside it, you can map different actions to swipes from either side of the screen. I set mine so that a diagonal-down swipe from the left edge takes a screenshot. It works the moment I swipe with no holding or timing needed, and it feels completely natural once you get used to it. If you’re left-handed or prefer an alternative direction, you can assign it to any swipe that feels more comfortable, so the action fits the way you already use your phone.
This gesture feels like the missing piece if you use swipe navigation. It’s quick, reliable, and keeps control within reach of your thumb. Soon after I started using it, I stopped using the volume down and side keys. Once you try it, you may feel the same.
Still use buttons? There’s a better way
Add a one-tap capture to your nav bar
Not everyone likes using swipe gestures, and that’s fine. Some users prefer the classic navigation bar because it feels familiar and predictable. But even if you use buttons, you don’t have to stick with the traditional button combo for screenshots. Samsung offers a built-in shortcut through NavStar in the Good Lock suite that works even faster.
NavStar lets you create your own navigation setup with extra buttons and shortcuts. After turning it on, you can either create a new configuration or edit an existing one. Tap and hold the setup you want, then select Edit. From there, go to Button layout, choose Add button, and select Screen capture from the list of available options. You’ll see a new capture icon appear on your navigation bar; long-press and drag it to any position that feels most natural.
Now, a single tap is all it takes to capture your screen. It works, looks native, and feels smoother than holding two buttons together. If you take screenshots frequently, this small change can save you time and effort.
It’s the shortcut you’ll actually use
Once you start using these shortcuts, the old button combo quickly feels unnecessary. They can respond faster, work naturally, and fit right into how you already use your phone. If you’d like to explore further, RegiStar in Good Lock adds a back-tap gesture for screenshots.
You can set it to take a screenshot with a double or triple tap on the back of the phone, which is handy when one hand is busy. Either way, these shortcuts make taking screenshots quicker, easier, and more natural to use.