Can You Take a Screenshot on a Samsung Smart TV?

When perusing social media, you’ll find that many images that you look at are screenshots. Most of the time, these screenshots are taken from phones or computers, but you’ll find that you’ll rarely see them from smart TVs. With that said, if you own a Samsung smart TV, you may be wondering whether this feature is possible with your device.

You can take a screenshot on a Samsung smart TV. To do this, you will need the TV’s remote control and an external hard drive, like a USB. You will also need to go into the TV’s settings to enable this feature, as it will not work otherwise. Once enabled, you can save screenshots of your favorite shows or movies.

Continue reading to learn more about taking a screenshot on your Samsung smart TV. Once the feature is enabled, you may find it easier to screenshot images on your TV than on your smartphone!

How to Take a Screenshot on a Samsung Smart TV

To screenshot an image, you will need to first have the remote that came with your TV and a flash drive.

Screenshots do not take up a lot of storage space, so do not fret about how much storage capacity your USB has. You can use a SanDisk 64 GB Cruzer USB. Make sure that before using it, it is in the correct file format.  

• If you have a Samsung QLED or UHD smart TV, it will only read FAT, exFAT, and NTFS (read-only) file systems.
• If you have Samsung’s full-HD TV, it will only read FAT 32, FAT16, and NTFS file systems.

Once your USB is in the correct file format, you can insert it into the USB slot in the back of the TV. Do not jam it in, and be sure that you are not forcing it into the HDMI port.

Enable Screen Capture

Now, turn on your TV. On the remote control, you will notice a button that says “Tools.” Pressing Tools will bring you to the Tools menu. Where it says, “Screen & Sound Capture,” enable this feature so the right-hand reads: “On.”

Take the Screenshot

Now, put on your favorite show. Once you see a screen that you would like to capture, press the yellow C button on your remote.

View the Screenshot

Time to sit back and admire your work. Your screenshot should appear as a thumbnail on the bottom left-hand side of your screen. You can click “OK” on your remote to view it in full screen. Here, you can rotate the picture and even make small edits. The image should save to your USB.

Troubleshooting Samsung Smart TV Screenshots

Hopefully, you were able to follow the steps above and screenshot an image. However, you might have run into some issues. Here are some possible reasons why this process didn’t work and what options you have for fixing it:

Your USB Was in the Wrong Format

Some users can stick their flash drives into their TVs and take screenshots with no problems. If this did not work for you, your flash drive might be in the wrong file format.

If you are unsure about what format your flash drive is in, plug it into your computer and view its properties. You may be able to make changes within the properties window.

Some Apps May Not Allow Screenshots

If you have a tablet and try to screenshot a still from Hulu (for example), only a black screen will show up in your camera roll. This is because Hulu does not allow users to take screenshots because of copyright laws. Netflix and Disney+ do not allow you to do this, either.

You Do Not Have the Right Remote

Samsung’s screenshot capabilities rest largely on you having the remote that came with your initial purchase. For whatever reason, you may no longer have the remote.

However, you could use your phone to control your Samsung smart TV. To do this, you will need to download the SmartThings app. You can learn more about using this app by clicking here.

Make Sure That You Enabled the Screenshot Feature

You may not be able to press the C button on your remote and take a screenshot. If this function is not working, press “Tools” on your remote and make sure that you enabled “Screen & Sound Capture.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, you can take screenshots on your Samsung smart TV. All of your images can be stored on a USB that is inserted into the back of your TV. Just keep in mind that the USB will need to be in a certain format for it to work; otherwise, you may run into some problems.