Google introduced scrolling screenshots with Android 12, and the feature brought one tiny quirk that has been bothering users since.
For those unaware, when you take a simple screenshot on Android, you can tap the ‘Capture More’ icon (up and down arrows) to capture content that exists beyond what you see on your display. For example, a scrolling screenshot of Android Police would capture all the articles on our homepage, while a standard screenshot would only capture what you see on your phone’s screen.
The ability to capture full pages with scrolling screenshots is neat, though as mentioned earlier, the feature does bring one tiny quirk in tow.
To capture a scrolling screenshot, you need to capture a standard screenshot first and then tap on the capture more button. You then save the scrolling screenshot:
- Desired behavior: Your device recognizes that you captured a standard screenshot just so you could capture a scrolling screenshot. Once it detects that you’ve saved a scrolling screenshot, it automatically deletes the standard one.
- Current behavior: Your device saves both the standard and the scrolling screenshots.
Not only does the clutter your device’s gallery, it also wastes storage, and makes retrieving the screenshot a two-step procedure.
Fortunately for those who immediately go back to their gallery to manually delete the original, the latest 2512 Android Canary indicates that Android will soon automate the digital housekeeping.
Quality-of-life change is all but confirmed
Highlighted by credible Android analyst Mishaal Rahman in an Android Authority report, Android now automatically deletes the original ‘standard’ screenshot after you capture a scrolling one. For reference, the automation only kicks in when you save or share the scrolling screenshot. In case you take a standard screenshot, head to the ‘capture more’ interface, and then cancel out, Android will preserve the standard screenshot.
It’s worth noting that this feature isn’t out for the masses just yet. Expect it to make its way to the Android 16 QPR3 Beta, followed by a stable rollout around March 2026.
