Capturing a screenshot using an Xbox One controller
First, double-tap the Xbox button in the center of your controller — aka the big, circular button that lights up. Doing so will automatically capture a screenshot. A menu should then pop up on your display, prompting you to either “save screenshot” or “record that.” In order to save a screenshot, simply hit the “Y” button in the upper-right corner of your controller. That’s it!
Capturing a screenshot using voice commands
If you’re using a Kinect sensor — the proprietary motion sensor that was once bundled with the Xbox One — simply say “Xbox, take a screenshot.” Alternatively, if you’re using Microsoft’s newer Cortana instead of the Kinect’s legacy commands, say “Hey Cortana, take a screenshot!” The latter command will work with your Kinect sensor or a headset, assuming you’ve enabled the feature. To do so, head to the Settings app on your Xbox and select All Settings, followed by System. Finally, choose Cortana Settings and turn on your AI companion.
Once activated, say “Hey Cortana” and issue the relevant command. Assuming she understands what you’re saying, you won’t even need to touch your controller. Unless, you know, you’re playing a game. Keep in mind, however, that you won’t be able to capture screenshots or video of the Xbox’s menu screens. You’ll also need to be in a game or app in order to save recordings or screenshots, and any time spent navigating menus will not be reflected in resulting video.
Sharing your screenshots
To share your newly-acquired screenshot, head to the Upload app, which you can usually access by tapping the right bumper from the home screen until you see your friends’ shared content feed. Once there, select a screenshot and hit the Menu button where the Start button previously lived. Then, select Share.
You’ll be prompted with a selection of outlets — among them Twitter, OneDrive, and private messages — from which to choose. Once that’s taken care of, you’re finished! Your masterpiece will live on forever. You can also set your screenshots as your home background, or save them across different locations, in case your console is hooked up to an external storage device.
