How to find a screenshot on your phone
Short answer: screenshots are saved in a "Screenshots" album or folder. To find a specific one fast, search the words that were on the screen instead of scrolling: iPhone Photos, Google Photos and Shotbox can all read the text inside your screenshots.
Where are screenshots saved?
- Android: in the Pictures > Screenshots folder (DCIM > Screenshots on some phones, like Samsung). In your gallery app it shows up as the "Screenshots" album.
- iPhone: Photos > Collections > Media Types > Screenshots.
- Google Photos (both): search "screenshots", or open Collections > Screenshots.
- Files apps: Files by Google shows them under Images > Screenshots.
Search the text inside screenshots
Most screenshots are full of words: an address, an order number, a recipe title, a Wi-Fi password. Searching those words is much faster than scrolling.
- iPhone Photos: type a word in Search. Photos finds pictures that contain that text.
- Google Photos: type the word in Search. It also finds text in photos, after they are backed up.
- Shotbox: type any word. It reads the text of every screenshot on your phone, without uploading anything, and shows matches instantly.
Can't remember any words?
- Filter by date. Think of when you took it: "last week", "on my trip".
- Filter by app. Screenshots of chats, maps or shops look alike; some phones add the app name to the file name.
- Look in the right group. If you file screenshots into groups (Receipts, Travel, Recipes), you only scroll one small group.
Stop losing screenshots
- Put the ones you'll need again in a box right away: recipes, tickets, receipts.
- Delete the ones you won't. Most screenshots are useful for a day.
- Remove duplicates, so search results aren't five copies of the same thing. See how to remove duplicate photos.
The faster way: Shotbox
Shotbox shows every screenshot in one place, searchable by the words inside them. New screenshots land in an Inbox where one swipe files them into a box or deletes them. Text recognition runs on your phone, so your screenshots never leave it, and they stay normal files in your gallery.
FAQ
Check the Screenshots album, not only the main photo grid. Some gallery apps hide screenshots from the main view.
Yes. iPhone Photos and Shotbox read the text on the phone itself. Google Photos needs the photos backed up to its servers first.
Look in the trash or "Recently deleted" album. Deleted photos usually stay there for 30 days.
Try Shotbox
Sort photos and screenshots into boxes, remove duplicates and find any picture by the words in it. Private, on your phone. Free on Android.
Get it on Google Play