Android – How to take screenshot programmatically

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If your phone is rooted try this 

Process sh = Runtime.getRuntime().exec("su", null,null);

                    OutputStream  os = sh.getOutputStream();
                    os.write(("/system/bin/screencap -p " + "/sdcard/img.png").getBytes("ASCII"));
                    os.flush();

                    os.close();
                    sh.waitFor();

then read img.png as bitmap and convert it jpg as follows 

Bitmap screen = BitmapFactory.decodeFile(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()+         
File.separator +"img.png");

//my code for saving
    ByteArrayOutputStream bytes = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
    screen.compress(Bitmap.CompressFormat.JPEG, 15, bytes);

//you can create a new file name "test.jpg" in sdcard folder.

File f = new File(Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory()+ File.separator + "test.jpg");
            f.createNewFile();
//write the bytes in file
    FileOutputStream fo = new FileOutputStream(f);
    fo.write(bytes.toByteArray());
// remember close de FileOutput

    fo.close();

you have no access to the screen if your application is in background unless you are rooted, the code above can take the screenshot most effectively of any screen even if you are in background.

UPDATE

Google has a library with which you can take screenshot without rooting, I tried that, But iam sure that it will eat out the memory as soon as possible.

Try http://code.google.com/p/android-screenshot-library/

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