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Always wishing you could take a screen shot of the display on your Android phone but then realizing you haven’t actually rooted your device so it’s not even possible? Me too. But that won’t be the case anymore, thanks to Android 2.3.3. For the tiny 0.0.1 increase in version number it is, the latest version of Gingerbread has brought along some pretty key enhancements, root-less screen capture being one of them.
While it is definitely possible, you will still ned to find an app in that Android Market that supports the functionality. Right now, most screen capture tools are designed for rooted phone, but we reckon it won’t be long until a few show up that run with native 2.3.3 (heck, a recent update to ShootMe accidentally enabled screenshots without root). Of course, a phone on Android 2.3.3 is still a bit hard to come by. Unless you are a Nexus S or One owner, root may still be the easiest way to grab a screen of your phone pronto.
[via AndroidCentral]
Actually anyone can take a screen shot with the SDK. Isn’t too hard to do and it works with every Android phone I’ve had so far.
That guy is picking up Gingerbread shit.
I own a Nexus S and Nexus One :P This is one thing that I did always want to do but didn’t want to have to root my phone for it.
@PimpStrong LMAO
its need not ned asshole
PimpStrong….unreal. i almost spit on my computer screen…not from all the laughter..but just for the hell of it.
Finally this will be baked (haha, gingerbread) into stock.
Hopefully moto will roll out a gingerbread update for the atrix soon, since now it’s become a useful update.
my stock Evo can take pics with the ShootMe app
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bw.picme.local
huge fuss over this the past few days and i just have to chuckle about it, but yeah good for those who must root to get this feature i geuss
I have Android 2.2 on my Samsung Vibrant. There are occasions where I am trying to press back and it gets stuck. I try to slide my finger to either side to get it to respond, but then it takes a screenshot. They are in my gallery. My phone is not rooted. How am I doing this? I would love to figure it out!
You can add the LG Optimus V to the list of phones (with only Android 2.2) that ShootMe works on, without root.
@PimpStrong LMFAO!! @Dudeimgeorge I feel ya.
um…you dont need to root your phone to take screen shots. i have an unrooted evo and i downloaded shoot me from the market and can take screen shots just fine
You really shouldn’t even need to use an app but having to root and install SDK just to take a screenshot was truly retarded. Let us now move away from this embarrassing episode of android history.
@Josh, Shoot Me is made for rooted phones, but it works fine on unrooted Evo & Galaxy S series. Others aren’t so lucky.
fyi.. there are instructions to grab screen shots off your unrooted phone over at Android.net so check it out.
MyPhoneExplorer (free) also lets you take screen shots without root, so how is this news?
Sure it might be news that you can do it out-of-the-box, as it were, but no need to add the “without root” part, we can already do that easily.
Woot! AOSP Android 2.3.3 out for the Sprint HTC Hero today.
Of course, by definition, if I am using that, I AM rooted. I use ShootMe all the time anyway!
This is old….well for Samsung Galaxy S owners anyway.
Press back button + home buttom.
Snap, done.
No root needed. It’s in the official Samsung froyo firmware.
Never had that problem, oh wait yeah I rooted it as soon as I got it.
shootme app works just fine on my optimus v unrooted
Been doing it forever on my Samsung Galaxy S. Oh wait, Samsung suck right? So I guess that makes built in Screenshot capture suck as well, right? Not like Samsung ever gets anything right anyway. Releasing 2.3.2. for the Galaxy S even though Galaxy S II is just around the corner? That’s just stupid, why would you do that? Supporting older phone models is so silly. Oh, HTC is doing that too? But that’s HTC, not Samsung, so it’s different I suppose.
it’ll be a nice addition that will allow android users to share their artistic imaginations.
too bad few have, or will have, gingerbread. why roll it out if by not doing so people will buy new, overpriced devices?
so will the Nexus S work with the Shoot Me app? don’t really care much for the screen shots but it would be helpful at times…
I can’t believe the moron that wrote this does not know, that your phone does not need to be rooted, all you need is shoot me and a file manager to view and share or whatever you want to do….Hell, I am not even “tech savy and I know that”
According to Romain Guy on StackOverflow, these reports are incorrect.
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5161544/how-to-take-screenshots-in-android-2-3-3-without-root
I actually spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out how to write an app to do this today, but it appears that the permission(s) necessary to make it happen are locked unless you sign your app with the same key used to sign the system image on the device.
i have a galaxy s on 2.2.1 and i can take screenshots easy as pie.phone is not rooted.back and menu buttons at the same time,hey presto,file saves in gallery under “screenshots”
@ darkley and snapper.fishes – I accidently took a screen shot on my captivate and now can’t figure out how to reproduce it – I’ve tried the back and home button but with no success – do you have anymore specifics that might be helpful to get it to work? Thx :)
so does this work w honeycomb on the xoom?
has anyone else not received the android 2.3.3 update on nexus s?