How to take a screenshot programmatically on iOS

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I want a screenshot of the image on the screen saved into the saved photo library.

20 Answers

Considering a check for retina display use the following code snippet:

#import <QuartzCore/QuartzCore.h> 

if ([[UIScreen mainScreen] respondsToSelector:@selector(scale)]) {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.window.bounds.size, NO, [UIScreen mainScreen].scale);
} else {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.window.bounds.size);
}

[self.window.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
UIImage *image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
NSData *imageData = UIImagePNGRepresentation(image);
if (imageData) {
    [imageData writeToFile:@"screenshot.png" atomically:YES];
} else {
    NSLog(@"error while taking screenshot");
}
- (UIImage*) getGLScreenshot {
    NSInteger myDataLength = 320 * 480 * 4;

    // allocate array and read pixels into it.
    GLubyte *buffer = (GLubyte *) malloc(myDataLength);
    glReadPixels(0, 0, 320, 480, GL_RGBA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, buffer);

    // gl renders "upside down" so swap top to bottom into new array.
    // there's gotta be a better way, but this works.
    GLubyte *buffer2 = (GLubyte *) malloc(myDataLength);
    for(int y = 0; y <480; y++)
    {
        for(int x = 0; x <320 * 4; x++)
        {
            buffer2[(479 - y) * 320 * 4 + x] = buffer[y * 4 * 320 + x];
        }
    }

    // make data provider with data.
    CGDataProviderRef provider = CGDataProviderCreateWithData(NULL, buffer2, myDataLength, NULL);

    // prep the ingredients
    int bitsPerComponent = 8;
    int bitsPerPixel = 32;
    int bytesPerRow = 4 * 320;
    CGColorSpaceRef colorSpaceRef = CGColorSpaceCreateDeviceRGB();
    CGBitmapInfo bitmapInfo = kCGBitmapByteOrderDefault;
    CGColorRenderingIntent renderingIntent = kCGRenderingIntentDefault;

    // make the cgimage
    CGImageRef imageRef = CGImageCreate(320, 480, bitsPerComponent, bitsPerPixel, bytesPerRow, colorSpaceRef, bitmapInfo, provider, NULL, NO, renderingIntent);

    // then make the uiimage from that
    UIImage *myImage = [UIImage imageWithCGImage:imageRef];
    return myImage;
}

- (void)saveGLScreenshotToPhotosAlbum {
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum([self getGLScreenshot], nil, nil, nil);  
}

Source.

See this post it looks like you can use UIGetScreenImage() for now.

I'm answering this question as it's a highly viewed, and there are many answers out there plus there's Swift and Obj-C.

Disclaimer This is not my code, nor my answers, this is only to help people that land here find a quick answer. There are links to the original answers to give credit where credit is due!! Please honor the original answers with a +1 if you use their answer!


Using QuartzCore

#import <QuartzCore/QuartzCore.h> 

if ([[UIScreen mainScreen] respondsToSelector:@selector(scale)]) {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.window.bounds.size, NO, [UIScreen mainScreen].scale);
} else {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(self.window.bounds.size);
}

[self.window.layer renderInContext:UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()];
UIImage *image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext();
UIGraphicsEndImageContext();
NSData *imageData = UIImagePNGRepresentation(image);
if (imageData) {
    [imageData writeToFile:@"screenshot.png" atomically:YES];
} else {
    NSLog(@"error while taking screenshot");
}

In Swift

func captureScreen() -> UIImage
{

    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(self.view.bounds.size, false, 0);

    self.view.drawViewHierarchyInRect(view.bounds, afterScreenUpdates: true)

    let image: UIImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()

    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

    return image
}

Note: As the nature with programming, updates may need to be done so please edit or let me know! *Also if I failed to include an answer/method worth including feel free to let me know as well!

This will work with swift 4.2, the screenshot will be saved in library, but please don't forget to edit the info.plist @ NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription :

  @IBAction func takeScreenshot(_ sender: UIButton) {

    //Start full Screenshot
    print("full Screenshot")
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(card.frame.size)
    view.layer.render(in: UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext()!)
    var sourceImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(sourceImage!, nil, nil, nil)

    //Start partial Screenshot
    print("partial Screenshot")
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContext(card.frame.size)
    sourceImage?.draw(at: CGPoint(x:-25,y:-100)) //the screenshot starts at -25, -100
    var croppedImage = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(croppedImage!, nil, nil, nil)

}

Swift 4:

func makeImage(withView view: UIView) -> UIImage? {

    let rect = view.bounds

    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(rect.size, true, 0)

    guard let context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext() else {
      assertionFailure()
      return nil
    }

    view.layer.render(in: context)

    guard let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext() else {
      assertionFailure()
      return nil
    }

    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

    return image
}
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