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Apple's iOS 26 update brought several new features to iPhone, but one change has been driving me (and apparently a lot of other iPhone users) crazy: full-screen screenshot previews. Instead of the familiar small thumbnail that pops up in the corner after you take a screenshot, iOS 26 now shows this preview that takes over your entire screen.
I get that some people might like the bigger view, but when you're trying to quickly capture multiple screenshots, it's really annoying. Turns out, you don't have to live with this change. Here's how to restore the old-style screenshot previews and get rid of that full-screen takeover.
1. Navigate to your iPhone's settings
(Image: © Tom's Guide)
Open the Settings appon your iPhone, scroll down until you see General and tap on itto access your device's core settings. This is where Apple has tucked away many of the system-wide controls, including the new screenshot behavior that came with iOS 26.
The screen capture settings are hidden in this menu, which is probably why a lot of people haven't realized they can actually change it back to how it used to work.
2. Find the screen capture settings
(Image: © Tom's Guide)
Once you're in the General menu, scroll down a bit until you see Screen Capture. To open the dedicated settings page for how your iPhone handles screenshots, tap on it.
This is a relatively new settings category that Apple added to give us more control over screenshot functionality.
3. Toggle off full screen previews
(Image: © Tom's Guide)
At the top of the Screen Capture settings page, you'll see Full Screen Previewswith a toggle switch next to it. This is the culprit. By default in iOS 26, this setting is turned on, which is why your screenshots now take over the entire screen.
Just tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will go from green to gray, and your iPhone will immediately go back to the classic screenshot behavior.
Exit out of Settings and take a screenshot to make sure it worked. Press the side button and volume up button at the same time (or whatever method your iPhone uses).
Instead of that annoying full-screen preview, you should now see the familiar small thumbnail appear in the bottom-left corner. You can tap it to edit or shareif you want, or just let it disappear after a few seconds.
This is how screenshots are supposed to work, and it's so much better when you're trying to quickly grab information without interruption.
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