Screenshots on Android go to a folder called Screenshots in your phone's internal storage. On Pixel and most phones running Google's version of Android, that's usually Pictures/Screenshots. On Samsung Galaxy phones it's DCIM/Screenshots by default. The quickest way to see them isn't the folder at all: open Google Photos and tap Collections → On this device → Screenshots, or open your Gallery app and look for the Screenshots album.
The rest of this guide covers each brand, how to find a screenshot in Photos, Gallery or a file manager, and the usual reasons a screenshot seems to disappear.
Where do screenshots go on Android: the folder by brand
Android lets each phone maker decide, so the path varies. Here's what you'll usually find.
| Phone | Default folder | Easiest place to look |
|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel | Pictures/Screenshots | Google Photos → Collections → On this device |
| Samsung Galaxy | DCIM/Screenshots | Gallery → Albums → Screenshots |
| Most other Android phones | Pictures/Screenshots or DCIM/Screenshots | Gallery or Google Photos |
"Internal storage" is the top level you see in a file manager. So the full path on a Pixel looks like Internal storage → Pictures → Screenshots.
If your phone doesn't match the table, don't worry about the path. Every phone puts screenshots in an album or folder literally named Screenshots, and the photo apps below find it for you.
How to find screenshots in Google Photos
Google Photos is on almost every Android phone, and it's what Google's own help points to.
- Open the Google Photos app.
- At the bottom, tap Collections.
- Tap On this device.
- Tap Screenshots.
That's straight from Google's guide on how to take a screenshot on Android, which also says: if you don't have Photos, open your Gallery app, tap Album view, then the Screenshots folder.
Newer screenshots also show up in your main Photos timeline, mixed in with everything else. If you want them out of the way, keep them in the device folder and don't back them up (more on that below).
Where are screenshots saved on Samsung?
On a Galaxy phone, screenshots go to DCIM/Screenshots, next to your camera photos. To see them:
- Open the Gallery app.
- Tap Albums at the bottom.
- Open Screenshots.
In My Files, go to Internal storage → DCIM → Screenshots.
Change where Samsung saves screenshots
From One UI 5.1, Samsung lets you pick a different folder:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Advanced features.
- Tap Screenshots and screen recorder.
- Tap Save screenshots in, and choose or create a folder.
The same menu has a Save screen recordings in option, if you want those somewhere else too. On older One UI versions there's no setting, and screenshots always go to DCIM.
Pixel and most other phones don't offer a setting to change the screenshot folder. You can move files afterwards with a file manager, but new screenshots will still land in the default folder.
How to find screenshots in your files
Sometimes you need the actual file, to attach it somewhere or move it to a computer.
With Files by Google
- Open the Files app (Files by Google).
- Tap Browse at the bottom.
- Tap Images, then look for the Screenshots folder. Or scroll down to Internal storage and open Pictures → Screenshots (or DCIM → Screenshots).
Menu names vary a little by version and phone, but Images and Internal storage are always there.
On a computer
Plug your phone in with a USB cable, choose File transfer on the phone when asked, and open it on your computer. Go to Internal storage, then Pictures or DCIM, then Screenshots. On a Mac you'll need Android File Transfer or a similar app first.
What screenshot files are called, and where screen recordings go
Knowing the file name helps when you search a file manager or a computer.
- File names. Android names screenshots with the word Screenshot plus the date and time, and often the app you were in, something like Screenshot_20261106-143012_Chrome.png. The exact pattern varies by phone, but searching "Screenshot" finds them.
- File type. Most phones save screenshots as PNG. Some Samsung models let you switch to JPG in the same Screenshots and screen recorder menu, which makes the files smaller.
- Screen recordings. On Samsung they go to DCIM/Screen recordings by default. On Pixel and many other phones they land in Movies, and show up in Google Photos like any video.
- Scrolling screenshots. A long "capture more" screenshot is saved as one tall image in the same Screenshots folder, not as separate files.
Stop the Screenshots folder from turning into a junk drawer
Most people's Screenshots folder is the largest album on their phone and the one they look at least. A few habits help:
- Delete the accidental ones right away. The preview that appears after a screenshot has a delete or share option. Use it on the obvious misfires.
- Crop before you keep. Tap the preview and crop to the part that matters. Smaller images are easier to read later.
- Move the keepers once a week. Five minutes moving the useful ones into albums like Travel or Recipes beats one dreaded afternoon a year.
Why can't I find my screenshot?
If you know you took it and it isn't there, it's usually one of these.
It didn't actually save
A screenshot needs a short press of Power and Volume down together. Press too long and you get the power menu; press one a beat late and you change the volume. Google's guide says to look for a preview at the bottom left of the screen afterwards. No preview means no screenshot.
Some apps also block screenshots on purpose, like banking apps and incognito tabs. You'll see a message, or just a black image.
It's on the phone but not in Google Photos backup
Google Photos backs up your camera folder by default, but not necessarily the Screenshots folder. So a screenshot can be on your phone and missing from Photos on your computer or a new phone.
To back up screenshots, from Google's device folders backup guide:
- In Google Photos, tap your profile picture or initial at the top right.
- Tap Photos settings, then Backup.
- Tap Back up device folders.
- Turn on Screenshots.
On Samsung the opposite sometimes happens. Because screenshots live in DCIM with your camera photos, they may be backing up when you didn't want them to. The same menu lets you turn the folder off.
It's in the wrong place after a move
If you moved screenshots with a file manager or a "cleaner" app, they're wherever it put them. Search your file manager for "Screenshot" (the default file names start with it) or for the date.
You deleted it
Deleted screenshots go to the trash first. In Google Photos, tap Collections → Trash; Google's help on restoring photos says items stay there for 30 days. On Samsung, open Gallery, tap the menu (three lines) and then Recycle bin, where items also stay for 30 days.
Finding an old screenshot when there are thousands
Knowing the folder doesn't help much when it holds 4,000 images and you only remember what one of them said.
Both phones can search the text inside images. In Google Photos, type a word you remember into the search bar. Google Lens reads text in your photos, so a screenshot of a recipe can be found by an ingredient. On Pixel 9 and later, the Pixel Screenshots app goes further and lets you search your screenshots with questions.
I wrote a full guide on how to search text inside screenshots on Android. If you're hunting for one specific image, start with how to find a screenshot you took months ago. And if your folder has got out of hand, here's how to declutter your screenshots without deleting them.
Where Reminari fits
I built Reminari because the Screenshots folder is where useful things go to be forgotten: addresses, recipes, products, tickets, all sitting next to 300 accidental screenshots of the home screen.
Reminari can save new screenshots automatically as you take them, or ask you first. It reads the text in each one on your device, so you can search by the words in the image, or search by meaning when you only remember what it was about. With optional cloud AI turned on, it adds a short summary and sorts it into smart groups like Recipes or Travel.
What it doesn't do: it doesn't move, rename or delete the files in your Screenshots folder, and it isn't a backup service. Your originals stay where Android put them. It's Android first, with the iPhone app in testing. You can join the early-access list.
Frequently asked questions
Where are screenshots stored on Android?
In a folder named Screenshots in internal storage. On Pixel and most phones running Google's Android it's usually Pictures/Screenshots; on Samsung Galaxy phones it's DCIM/Screenshots. In Google Photos, tap Collections → On this device → Screenshots to see them all.
Where do screenshots go on a Samsung phone?
They save to DCIM/Screenshots in internal storage, and appear in the Gallery app under Albums → Screenshots. On One UI 5.1 and later, you can change the folder in Settings → Advanced features → Screenshots and screen recorder → Save screenshots in.
Why are my screenshots not showing in Google Photos?
Usually because the Screenshots folder isn't being backed up. Open Google Photos, tap your profile picture, then Photos settings → Backup → Back up device folders, and turn on Screenshots. They'll still show under Collections → On this device even without backup.
How do I recover a deleted screenshot on Android?
Check the trash first. In Google Photos it's Collections → Trash, and on Samsung it's Gallery → menu → Recycle bin. In both, deleted items stay for 30 days before they're gone for good.
