Screenshot Storage Cost
Also known as: screenshots taking space, screenshot file size, screenshot storage
Screenshots are saved as full-resolution PNG or HEIC images in your camera roll, so they accumulate alongside real photos. Individually small, they pile up by the hundreds and quietly consume photo-library storage.
- Screenshots are saved as full-resolution images (often lossless PNG), so they can be larger than comparable photos.
- iOS files them in a Screenshots album (photoScreenshot subtype); Android stores them under DCIM/Screenshots or Pictures/Screenshots.
- Deleted screenshots sit in Recently Deleted / Trash for about 30 days before space is reclaimed.
Why screenshots add up
Each screenshot is a full-screen image captured at your device's native resolution. iOS commonly saves them as PNG (a lossless format that is larger than a comparable JPEG/HEIC), while Android typically saves them as PNG or JPEG in a Screenshots album. A single screenshot is modest in size, but most people take them constantly, app receipts, chat threads, maps, error messages, and rarely delete them.
On iOS, screenshots land in the main Photos library and in a dedicated Screenshots album (`PHAsset` with the `photoScreenshot` subtype). On Android they live under DCIM/Screenshots or Pictures/Screenshots and show up in the gallery. Either way they mix in with genuine photos, so they inflate your photo-storage total and any cloud backup tied to it.
Format and lifespan
Because many screenshots are PNG, they avoid the lossy compression that keeps regular photos small, which makes a screenshot of a busy, detailed screen larger than you might expect. The bigger issue is lifespan: screenshots are usually captured for a one-time purpose and then forgotten, so they are among the most disposable items in a library yet rarely get cleaned out.
On iOS you can review them via Photos > Albums > Screenshots and delete in bulk; on Android open the Gallery/Photos app and the Screenshots album. Deleted items move to Recently Deleted (iOS) or Trash (Google Photos) for around 30 days before space is fully reclaimed.
Clearing them out
Screenshots are an easy, low-risk win when freeing up space because so few are worth keeping long term. A cleaner can isolate the Screenshots album, surface near-duplicates and stale captures, and let you clear hundreds at once instead of scrolling through your whole camera roll.