[GUIDE] How To Post Screenshots on Android Central

[B. Diddy]

[Updated 9/6/17]

If you've ever asked a question on these forums about some issue you were having on your device, chances are one of us asked you to post a screenshot. Here's how to do it.

Taking a Screenshot
This can vary slightly between devices, and typically requires Android 4.0 or above. The standard way on most Android devices is to press and hold the Power and Vol Down buttons for about half a second. (On Samsung devices, it's Power and Home, or you can do a palm swipe: How to take a screenshot with a Samsung Galaxy S4 | Android Central.) You should hear a camera shutter tone, and the current screen image will show as having been captured. The image is stored in the directory /storage/sdcard0/Pictures/Screenshots (not the DCIM/Camera folder), but it should be readily viewable in the Gallery or Photos app.

A newer option is to use Google Screen Search (previously known as Google Now On Tap). Press and hold Home to bring up Screen Search, then tap the Share button (the right of the G icon). This will create a screenshot that you can then share or upload. (I'm not sure if it's possible to save screenshots to local internal storage using this method -- if it's not, then upload the image to Google Drive.)



Posting a Screenshot Using the Android Central App
If you're using the main Android Central app (the one with news, videos, reviews, etc.), posting the screenshot is easy. Just start a new post, and when you want to post the screenshot, tap the paperclip icon at the top:



You will then see the images on your device that you can post. Select the screenshot that you want, and you're done! NOTE: It seems that you can only attach photos when you're creating a new thread. There's no way to attach an image in a reply right now. I have sent a request to our tech people to see if this can be added.

Posting a Screenshot Using the Android Central Forums App (Tapatalk-Based)
If you're using the Tapatalk-based Android Central Forums app, start a new post, then tap either the image or the paperclip icon. You will then be prompted to select Gallery or Camera. Pick Gallery, then select your screenshot. (The Camera option lets you snap a photo at that moment and then attach it.)



By the way, I'm not quite sure what the difference is between the image and paperclip icons -- I tested both, and they both post images the same way.

Posting a Screenshot Using the Android Central Website (on a Computer)
If you're browsing the forums on your computer, you'll need to transfer the screenshot from your device to your computer. There are two easy ways to do this:

1. Connect your device to your computer via USB cable, and make sure the USB connection is set to MTP/File Transfer. On your computer, open the file manager (Windows Explorer for a PC), select the device, and look for the /Pictures/Screenshots folder. Drag and drop the screenshot image file to your computer's hard drive. OR ...
2. Upload the screenshot from your device to a cloud service like Google Drive. Open your Gallery or Photos app, select the screenshot, and tap the Share button (circled in the image below left). You can then select Google Drive or whatever cloud storage you use.

On your computer, you can then go to your Google Drive site (drive.google.com), select the image, and click on the Download button.​

Once you have the screenshot file on your computer, you can embed it in your post. In the post editor, click on the Insert Image button.



Select "From Computer" and click on "Select Files."



Once you select the image files you want to upload, click on the Upload Files button, and the images will appear in your post.

[NOTE]The Android Central forums mobile website (as opposed to the full desktop site) doesn't let you attach images. If you're on your mobile device, it will be much easier to use one of the apps to post an image.[/NOTE]

[Note added by belodion 18th Jan. 2020: See also this post by @Thud Hardsmack for posting via a mobile browser: https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?p=6724059]

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: [GUIDE] How To Post Screenshots on Android Central [WIP]

Addendum

If you're experienced with attaching images to your posts on this site, you may have encountered an odd bit of behavior if you edit your post and subsequently delete an image. The image will disappear from the main body of the post (where it was initially), but will then appear as a separate attachment below the main body of the post. Here's how to get rid of it.

Let's say this was your original post, with two images attached.



Now, if you edit this post and delete the lower image (by simply backspacing over it), the image will be gone from the post -- but after saving the edit, you'll suddenly see that deleted image as a separate attachment (with the header "Attached Images") that follows the post.



To get rid of that image completely, you need to first click on the Edit Post button, and then the Go Advanced button.



This will bring you to an option to Manage Attachments -- click on that button.



You will see a window pop up with all images you've uploaded to your posts (not just this one). In the lower part of that window will be images that were uploaded to this specific post. If you hover the cursor over the image that you wanted to delete, an X will appear in its corner.



Click on that X, and the image will be completely removed from the post. Now click on the "Done" button in the popup window, and then the "Save Changes" button, and your post will appear as you wanted it to!

 

[anon8380037]

Editing or censoring private information on screenshots before posting:

Option 1 - get a Samsung Note series
Option 2 - A method to quickly brush over information with the Gallery editing options:

Select screenshot - Edit icon (pencil) - Crop (3rd tab) - Draw - select color - 3 dot color palette, reduce transparency with bottom slider, tick yes - brush over area with a finger, correct with Clear on the Color drop down menu - Save and Exit.

Delete original unedited screenshot, if appropriate.

This is the way I found on a stock Moto G Gallery app.
If there are easier methods, please add.

 

[anon8380037]

 

[Rukbat]

If there are easier methods, please add.

Copy the picture to a PC. Edit it. (Use something like Paint.net on a PC - great free picture editor.) You can "marker" over personal data, erase it into the background, blur it beyond recognition - there are a lot more effects in PC picture editing programs than in almost any phone app. Then either copy the picture back to the phone for upload or do the whole thing from the PC - connect to the forum, reply to the post, upload the picture, etc. Transferring a dozen pictures to the PC is just select-drag-drop. I think it's easier using a mouse, a better editor and a larger screen.

 

[anon8380037]

Copy the picture to a PC. Edit it. (Use something like Paint.net on a PC - great free picture editor.) You can "marker" over personal data, erase it into the background, blur it beyond recognition - there are a lot more effects in PC picture editing programs than in almost any phone app. Then either copy the picture back to the phone for upload or do the whole thing from the PC - connect to the forum, reply to the post, upload the picture, etc. Transferring a dozen pictures to the PC is just select-drag-drop. I think it's easier using a mouse, a better editor and a larger screen.

Can't edit a mistake. That leaves me out.

 

[Corey Somers]

Won't allow me to upload a screenshot?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[B. Diddy]

How far do you get in the process? Are you using the website or the app?

 

[Aman Surana]

Thanks for the guide!

 

[czwildcat]

Thank you so much for the help. I can now start sending pics.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[TheEdge65]

I can't post to the forums from the AC app v2.0 on my Nexus 5X, I get "you are not logged in (I am) or you do not have permission to do this action" ? Also I can't upload pictures, I get, "Could not upload attachment". Any ideas anyone?

 

[Tunha677]

Thank you so much for the help. I can now start sending pics now

 

[Yes16]

It's bull. The new update screwed everything up with the overlays. Get it straight, ppl.

 

[B. Diddy]

It's bull. The new update screwed everything up with the overlays. Get it straight, ppl.

Welcome to Android Central! Are you addressing that to me?

 

[cherylpedal]

I can't add screen shots on my Android phone. I only have my mobile device and no access to a computer. Also my phone is full and I can't even update apps, I could definitely not add another app. Is there some way to do my screen shots to show my file manager and the question marks I ask about in an earlier post in ZRE other Android brands

 

[B. Diddy]

Perhaps for most android users , has everyone else had the same problem?

Sorry for the late reply -- what are you referring to? The Screen Overlay issue?

 

[Jennifah]

Not sure how to do screenshot on tablet

 

[JasonEpperson]

Thanks for the guide!

Lean something every day.

 

[GreenMonkeyGames]

Thanks for the guide, gonna be needing to do it soon!

 

[B. Diddy]

Not sure how to do screenshot on tablet

Sorry for the really late response, but the procedure should be the same -- press and hold Power and Vol Down for about half a second.