Admittedly, Android tablets continue to pale in comparison to the experience that you get with an iPad. However, Samsung continues to push the limits of what an Android tablet can do, and the Galaxy Tab S8 lineup comes as the latest and greatest that Samsung has to offer. Even though the app experience may not be the greatest, all of the basic features are still available on these tablets, including the ability to screenshot on Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.
How to Screenshot on Samsung Galaxy Tab S8
Screenshot on Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Using Buttons
Just like the Galaxy S22, and most Android phones for that matter, the easiest way to take a screenshot on the Galaxy Tab S8 is to use the hardware buttons. If you are holding the tablet in landscape mode, they are found on the top, but if you are holding the Tab S8 in portrait mode, they will be found on the right.
From there, whenever you want to take a screenshot, just press the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. You will need to do so rather quickly as if you hold the Power button for too long, you could accidentally invoke Bixby or Google Assistant.
Palm Swipe
If it wasn’t already obvious, there are a lot of similarities between the Galaxy Tab S8 and Galaxy S22. This includes being able to use various gestures, including Palm Swipe.
Palm Swipe is a feature that essentially lets you swipe the palm of your hand across the screen in order to take a screenshot. However, before you can use this feature, you’ll first need to enable it from the Settings app.
- Open the Settings app on your Galaxy Tab S8.
- Scroll down and tap Advanced Features.
- Scroll down and tap Motions and Gestures.
- Tap the toggle next to Palm swipe to capture to enable the feature.
Once the Palm Swipe gesture is enabled, just exit the Settings app and then swipe your palm across the screen. You should see a momentary flash before the edit menu appears at the bottom of the screen.
S Pen
No matter what version of the Galaxy Tab S8 you decide on, all three of them include an S Pen in the box. It’s one way that Samsung tries to gain a leg up on Apple’s iPad, which requires a separate purchase if you want to use the Apple Pencil.
Along with being an excellent tool to take notes, color, doodle, or just interact with your screen, there are a few extra tricks for you to take advantage of. This includes being able to use your S Pen to take a screenshot. And here’s how you can do just that:
- Detach your S Pen from the back of your Galaxy Tab S8.
- Tap the Air Command icon.
- Select Smart select.
After tapping Smart Select, an outlined box will appear on your screen. You can use the S Pen to change the size of the box, depending on what it is that you are taking a screenshot of. Once you’ve lined everything up for the screenshot, just tap the Save icon on the far-right corner of the bottom toolbar.
Edge Panels and Smart Select
Edge Panels are a quick and easy way for you to access different apps or widgets without going back to your home screen. These can also be used to access various tools built into your Galaxy Tab S8, including offering a quick way to take a screenshot. But before you can go down that route, you’ll first need to enable both Edge Panels and Smart Select on the Galaxy Tab S8.
- Open the Settings app on your Galaxy Tab S8.
- Tap Display.
- Scroll down and tap Edge Panels.
- Tap the toggle next to Edge Panels to turn this feature on.
- Tap Panels.
- Make sure that Smart Select is enabled.
- Close the Settings app.
- Navigate to the page that you want to take a screenshot of.
- Open the Edge Panel with a swipe from the side of the screen.
- You should see a small outline of a box indicating where Edge Panels reside.
- Swipe again until you see the Smart Select panel.
- Select one of the following:
- Rectangle
- Oval
After you pick between the two options, you’ll see the same outlined box as you find when taking a screenshot with an S Pen. Just adjust the outline, and then tap the Save icon found in the bottom toolbar.
In DeX mode
DeX Mode is one of those unique features that helps Samsung’s lineup of tablets stand out from the pack. When enabled, your Galaxy Tab S8 is essentially transformed into a laptop-like interface, complete with a different home screen and so much more. You can even go so far as to connect the tablet to a monitor using an HDMI cable and use the Galaxy Tab S8 that way.
From DeX Mode, the other options for taking a screenshot are still applicable, but Samsung offers one that’s even easier than all of those. When enabled, DeX Mode presents a “dock” at the bottom of the screen. Along with housing different apps, there are a few shortcuts to be found here too. This includes a dedicated screenshot button, so you can take a screenshot on Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 with just a single press.
Voice Commands
While Bixby isn’t the greatest digital assistant for mobile devices, it does have a few handy features. But with the Galaxy Tab S8, you can go so far as to ditch Bixby and use the vastly-superior Google Assistant if you want. No matter the case, either of these digital assistants allows you to take a screenshot with nothing more than your voice.
After Bixby or Google Assistant has been set up on your Galaxy Tab S8, all you need to do is say, “Hey Bixby (or Google), take a screenshot.”
Using a Physical Keyboard
Just as we saw with the Galaxy Tab S7 launch, Samsung has released a series of keyboard covers for all three of the Galaxy Tab S8 options. This means that you can truly turn your Galaxy Tab S8 into a laptop replacement whenever you need to. But this also means that you can take a screenshot right from your keyboard whenever it’s attached to the Galaxy Tab S8.
With the keyboard connected, press the ALT + DeX keys at the same time. Make sure that you press the ALT key first, as you will either enter or leave DeX Mode if you press that key first. Once the screenshot has been successfully captured, the screen will briefly flash and you’ll be presented with a toolbar to make edits, save the screenshot, or share it.
Conclusion
Samsung really has a knack for throwing the “kitchen sink” into its devices. This includes the Galaxy Tab S8, as you have plenty of different ways to take a screenshot then you could have even imagined. If you have any questions or want to point out an option that we missed, let us know in the comments below!
Alex Fullerton says
Pictures of the various functions or screens would be extremely helpful