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How do you take a screenshot on an iPad with one hand by tapping something on the screen?

I'm helping someone with a disability. She used to have this on her screen (I apparently set it up years ago) but it just disappeared. I can't figure out through the immensely complicated accessibility settings how to get it back. Any ideas?


iPad Pro, iPadOS 16

Posted on Feb 9, 2023 5:48 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 10, 2023 4:32 AM

You can use the iPadOS screenshot feature to easily capture an entire web-page as a PDF - without resorting to using the Accessibility features.


By far the easiest method to trigger and save a screenshot is set-up and use the corner-swipe gesture.


  • Open the Settings app on your iPad
  • Go to the General menu and then choose the Gestures option
  • Make sure “Allow Finger to Swipe From Corner” is enabled
  • Choose the action you want (Screenshot) when swiping from either (or both) the left and right corners


Now that you have enabled the corner swipe, you can easily capture a screenshot with just your finger. Just swipe diagonally from the lower-left or lower-right corner of the screen towards the centre; this will immediately trigger the screenshot.


If you have an older model iPad that doesn’t support the corner-swipe gesture, you still have the option to use Assistive Touch - enabled from Accessibility settings. This can be enabled as follows:


Settings > General > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch > 

  • Assistive Touch - set to ON
  • Customise Top Level Menu > [Tap An Icon To Change] select Custom - from the options list select Screenshot, then Done (upper-right).


Once enabled, to take a screenshot, tap the floating menu button - and tap the Screenshot icon


8 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 10, 2023 4:32 AM in response to Doug Lerner2

You can use the iPadOS screenshot feature to easily capture an entire web-page as a PDF - without resorting to using the Accessibility features.


By far the easiest method to trigger and save a screenshot is set-up and use the corner-swipe gesture.


  • Open the Settings app on your iPad
  • Go to the General menu and then choose the Gestures option
  • Make sure “Allow Finger to Swipe From Corner” is enabled
  • Choose the action you want (Screenshot) when swiping from either (or both) the left and right corners


Now that you have enabled the corner swipe, you can easily capture a screenshot with just your finger. Just swipe diagonally from the lower-left or lower-right corner of the screen towards the centre; this will immediately trigger the screenshot.


If you have an older model iPad that doesn’t support the corner-swipe gesture, you still have the option to use Assistive Touch - enabled from Accessibility settings. This can be enabled as follows:


Settings > General > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch > 

  • Assistive Touch - set to ON
  • Customise Top Level Menu > [Tap An Icon To Change] select Custom - from the options list select Screenshot, then Done (upper-right).


Once enabled, to take a screenshot, tap the floating menu button - and tap the Screenshot icon


Feb 10, 2023 3:21 PM in response to Doug Lerner2

This is UI limitation - not a bug.


The finger-swipe corner gestures are not available when Stage Manager is enabled - however, the equivalent Pencil corner gestures remain accessible while Stage Manager is active.


With Stage Manager active, windows are resized by dragging a visible handle at the respective lower corners of App windows. When using this “windowed” mode, the finger corner-swipe gesture conflicts with the window resize gesture.


As such, currently, finger-swipe corner gestures and Stage Manager are mutually exclusive features. If you need to use the former, the latter must be disabled.


The iPad User Guide illustrates the window corner-drag handles:

Move, resize, and organize windows with Stage Manager on iPad - Apple Support


Feb 10, 2023 3:33 PM in response to Doug Lerner2

You’re very welcome.


Stage Manager really comes into its own when using the iPad with an external monitor - this requiring both an external keyboard and trackpad/mouse to expose its work properly. With this arrangement Stage Manager reveals the true potential of iPadOS windowing; you need a big screen.


By contrast, when using an iPad standalone, while Stage Manager is usable, its usefulness is perhaps questionable. Without an external monitor, iPad’s regular multitasking is arguably more useful.

Feb 10, 2023 4:50 PM in response to LotusPilot

I wasn't sure how useful Stage Manager really is. Actually, I'm not sure how useful my iPad 11 inch M1 bought in 2021 is.


I think if I was a student or somebody like that, with very light computing needs, you can argue that the iPad is a reasonable alternative to a MacBook Air. It's arguable though.


I work at home on my 14-inch MacBook Pro M1 from 2021, connected to a 27-inch external monitor. Next to that I have my iPhone Pro 13 which I can't live without. Next to that is my iPad Pro which I almost never touch. Sometime "just to use it" I'll pick it up to read a book in the Kindle app. But I'm usually ok reading on my iPhone too.


I got it originally thinking I could use it on weekends for a volunteer class I teach at, instead of lugging my MBP, but we ended up sticking with Zoom meetings since the pandemic. Then I started carrying it around outside in a backpack in case of work emergencies. I still sometimes do that, but I really don't go anywhere hardly at all.


I'll make more use of it on my U.S. trip in April - first trip in 4 years! - but it sort of feels like a waste at the moment.


It's really a nice device though, with the Apple smart folio keyboard case.

How do you take a screenshot on an iPad with one hand by tapping something on the screen?

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