The Nintendo Switch is packed with hidden features, but capturing screenshots and video clips is fairly standard. Like the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, there's a dedicated button on the Switch's Joy-Con controllers and Switch Pro Controller for taking captures. However, once the content is saved to the console, sending it elsewhere takes a few more steps than you might expect. We’ll walk you through how to do it all.
Take a Screenshot or Video Capture
To take a screenshot, press the Capture button on the Switch Pro Controller or left Joy-Con. It’s the square button with a circle inside located toward the bottom of the Joy-Con and near the center of the Pro Controller. By pressing this button, it automatically takes a screenshot and stores it under Album. It’s that easy.
You can take a video clip if you hold down the Capture button for a little longer. The Switch will automatically save the last 30 seconds of gameplay to the Album section. This clip can then be trimmed to your liking before being shared elsewhere.
Edit Video Clips on Switch
Edit your clips by opening Album and selecting the video you wish to edit. Click A for Sharing and Editing, then choose Trim. You can then scroll left or right to select where you want your video to start. Click A, then choose where you want it to end. Click A, and your console will show you the trimmed video. Click A to save the new clip.
If you see a particularly nice shot in a saved video clip that you want as a screenshot, open to the spot in Album (instead of pressing the Capture button). Click A for Sharing and Editing, then select Save as Screenshot to capture the image from that clip.
Send a Screenshot or Video Clip to Your Phone
Now that your screenshots are taken and your videos have been edited, you might want to send them somewhere. This is where Nintendo's solution becomes less intuitive and more confusing. Under Album, select the screenshots or video clips you want to share. Click A for Sharing and Editing, then choose Send to Smartphone.
You will then be asked how many items you wish to send in this transfer. Choose Only send this one to move a single screenshot or video clip. Otherwise, choose Send a batch and select up to 10 screenshots to send at once. (Note that you cannot send batches of video to your phone.)
Your Switch will produce a QR code, which you should then scan with your phone's camera. Click on the link that your phone provides to connect your phone to the console via Wi-Fi. A second QR code will then be produced on the Switch, which will actually contain the content you wish to send.
Scan the second code with your phone, then click on the link that pops up on your phone. Click Join on your phone to view a web page with the screenshot or video clip. You can then save the image or clip to your device from here.
Post Screenshots and Video Clips Online
Nintendo made it possible to upload screenshots and video clips online, but in another strange move, the console only allows you to post on Facebook. (X functionality is dead, effective June 11.) You can do this if you open Album and select the content you wish to share. Click A for Sharing and Editing, then click Post.
Choose Facebook and log into your social account from your Switch. You will also be prompted to authorize Nintendo Switch Share to access your account. Type out a caption for your post and click Post. The capture will then be posted to your social media profile, along with any caption you added.
Transfer Screenshots and Video Clips Via USB Cable
(Credit: Clay Halton)Another option for transferring screenshots and video is to do so with a USB cable. With this option, you can send an unlimited number of screenshots and video clips. You can set this up from Settings > Data Management > Manage Screenshots and Videos > Copy to a Computer via a USB connection.
You will then need to connect a USB-C cable to the bottom of your Switch (the port in the dock does not support this feature). Since computers use different USB ports, you may need a USB-A to USB-C cable (one comes with the Pro Controller) or a USB-C to USB-C connector.
Once connected to your computer, select the screenshots and video clips you want to transfer. Note that this feature only works on computers that support Media Transfer Protocol (Windows PCs), but you can get it to work on any OS as long as you also download an MTP client like Android File Transfer.