Android P finally gets screenshot button in native power menu

Those of you out there who have ever used a custom ROM of some kind have probably seen the option to take a screenshot using the power menu. You hold the power button for long enough to see the power menu, and then there’s a button right there to capture a screenshot. It looks like Android P will now have this feature natively built-in to the operating system, eliminating the need for mods to add it in:

Using the screenshot button in the power menu is not as simple as the hardware button combo most phones have. For example, my OnePlus 5 captures a screenshot when I press the power button and the volume down button at the same time. However, the button-press combo is different across phones, Android versions, and the different skins of Android, so having one place where a screenshot button can always be found is certainly helpful.

As you can see from the screenshot above, the Screenshot button is slightly different visually from the Power off and Restart buttons. This will hopefully prevent people from capturing a screenshot when they really meant to power off the device, or even worse vice versa.

Some might wonder why it took so long for this feature to be added, and others might wonder what the point is when a hardware button combo works faster and more efficiently. But it’s one of those situations where if it’s there, it helps some people and doesn’t make life any harder for the people who won’t use it.

Next up: Galaxy S9 screenshot – 6 ways to do it