Power button + volume down
Let’s start with a classic. Android phones, for years, have been able to take a screenshot by simultaneously pressing the power button and the volume down button. With older phones, you would need to press and hold those buttons, but with this phone, you only have to press them.
You can either use one hand or two hands to do this. Just make sure that, if you decide to use one hand, you have a good grip on your phone. You don’t want to drop it. The best thing to do is lock the phone down with your thumb, ring finger, and pinky, then press the buttons with your index and middle finger.
Quick Tap method
The Pixel 6 introduced a new Quick Tap gesture that will do a certain action when you tap on the back of your phone twice. That feature has trickled down to the Pixel 6a. Go to your settings and go down to the System page. There, you should see the Gestures page. When you tap on it, you should see the Quick Tap to start actions section. There, you’ll be able to set what action that happens when you tap on the back of your phone. The first option there is to have your phone take a screenshot.
To do this action, use your finger and tap on the back of your phone twice right under the camera module. You’ll want to use a little bit of force for your phone to register the taps. You can also have your phone require stronger taps to actually register at the bottom. There are other actions that you can do with this gesture. You can summon the default voice assistant on your phone, play/pause media, see your recent apps, show the notifications, or open a specific app.
The Google Assistant
If you don’t want to bother with pressing buttons or tapping your phone, then there’s another alternative. You can use the Google Assistant to take a screenshot on your Pixel 6a. This is great if your hands are dirty, wet, or full of stuff. Just note that, if you want to use this method, you’ll need to set up the Assistant beforehand. This will require you to train the Assistant to your voice. Summon the Assistant by saying “Ok Google” or “Hey Google”. When the Assistant pops up, you’ll just need to say “take a screenshot”. At that point, your phone will take the screenshot.
This method is good, but there’s something that you’ll need to keep in mind. Firstly, the Assistant will take about two or three seconds to take the screenshot. That’s on top of the second it takes to summon the Assistant and say the command. This method takes a bit, so it won’t be the best if you need to take a quick screenshot.
What to do after taking the screenshot
Most of the time, we’re taking a screenshot for something; it’s not just going to sit on your Pixel 6a for days on end. You’re going to want to do something with the screenshot after you take it.
Share it
If you take a screenshot, and you’re looking to share it right away, there’s an easy way to do this. How you share will vary depending on how you take the screenshot. If you use the power + volume button method or the Quick Tap method, you’ll see a little preview of the screenshot slide in on the bottom of the screen. Along with the preview, you’ll see two additional buttons. You’ll tap on the Share button (the two lines with dots on the ends). From there, you’ll see a shelf of possible apps that you can share the screenshot to. You’ll swipe up to scroll through all of the available apps. If you use the Google Assistant, then you’ll see a notification pop up. Tap on the share options, and you’ll be taken to the shelf.
Edit it
If you want to make some changes to your screenshot before you send it off, you can do so. Next to the Share button, you’ll see a little pencil icon. When you press that, you’ll be taken to an editor where you can fix up your screenshot. The first tool will let you crop the image to your liking. This is great for cutting out the navigation buttons or notifications. You can add text to the picture, draw on it, and highlight items. After you’re done, you’ll be able to either save the screenshot or immediately share it.
If you need more tools to edit your screenshot, use Google Photos
The screenshot editor has some nice tools, but they’re all really basic. If you’re looking for more tools to edit your photos, then you can use the photo editor in Google Photos.
After you save the screenshot of your Pixel 6a, go to the Google Photos app and find your screenshot. When you tap on it and select the Edit option, you’ll open the photo editor. This will have tools like filters, color settings, the Magic Eraser, and other useful tools. It’s worth checking out.
