How to screenshot on Windows: every method, shortcut and tool

Press Windows logo key + Shift + S to screenshot part of the screen on Windows 11 or Windows 10, or Windows logo key + PrtScn to save the whole screen as a file.

This hub covers every built-in shortcut, Snipping Tool, laptop and tablet keys, screen recording, where each capture is saved, and the same job on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Chromebook and Android.

How to take a screenshot on Windows: step by step

This shortcut works on Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs, laptops and desktops with a keyboard.

1. Press Windows logo key + Shift + S to open the snipping overlay.
2. Pick Rectangle, Window, Full screen or Freeform on the toolbar.
3. Drag across the area, or click the window you want.
4. Press Ctrl + V to paste the capture into a document or chat, or open the notification to edit it in Snipping Tool.

Which screenshot method should you use?

Every Windows screenshot shortcut ends in one of three places: the clipboard, a file, or both. This table is the quick reference for all of them at a glance.

Keys	What it captures	Where it saves
Windows + Shift + S	A rectangle, window, full screen or freeform area	Clipboard, plus the Screenshots folder via Snipping Tool
PrtScn (snipping setting on)	Opens the same snipping overlay	Clipboard, plus the Screenshots folder
PrtScn (snipping setting off)	The entire screen	Clipboard only
Windows + PrtScn	The entire screen	A file in Pictures > Screenshots
Alt + PrtScn	The active window	Clipboard only
Fn + Windows + Space Bar	The entire screen on keyboards with no PrtScn key	Pictures > Screenshots
Windows + Shift + R	A video of a selected area	MP4 in Videos > Screen Recordings
Windows + Alt + PrtScn	The game or app in focus, through Xbox Game Bar	Videos > Captures

Method 1: Using keyboard shortcuts

The Print Screen shortcuts need no app open and suit quick captures. Pick the combination by what you want to keep.

Alternative ways to screenshot on Windows, such as Snipping Tool and Xbox Game Bar, follow below.

1. Arrange the window or screen exactly as you want it captured.
2. Press Windows + PrtScn for a saved full-screen file, or Alt + PrtScn for the active window.
3. Press Windows + Shift + S when you want only a selected area.
4. Paste clipboard captures with Ctrl + V, or open Pictures > Screenshots for saved files.

Capture part of your screen with Windows + Shift + S

This is the Snipping Tool overlay without opening the app first. The snip is copied to the clipboard and saved automatically to your Screenshots folder.

1. Press Windows logo key + Shift + S. The screen dims.
2. Select Rectangle and drag to capture a perfect crop of one area.
3. Select Window and click a dialog box or app window to capture only that window.
4. Select Freeform to draw around an irregular shape.
5. Select the preview notification to annotate the snip before you share it.

What the Print Screen key does now

On current Windows 11 builds, PrtScn opens screen snipping by default. With that setting off, PrtScn copies the entire screen to the clipboard and creates no file.

1. Select Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
2. Find Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping.
3. Set it to On for the snipping overlay, or Off for a silent full-screen copy.
4. Press PrtScn, then paste with Ctrl + V if no overlay appeared.

Save the whole screen as a file with Windows + PrtSc

Windows + PrtScn is the only built-in shortcut that writes a PNG file without opening an app.

1. Press Windows logo key + PrtScn.
2. On a keyboard with no PrtScn key, press Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar.
3. Open File Explorer > Pictures > Screenshots to find the file.

Copy just one window with Alt + PrtSc

Alt + PrtScn skips the taskbar, desktop and every other window.

1. Click the title bar of the window you want.
2. Press Alt + PrtScn to copy that window to the clipboard.
3. Press Ctrl + V in Paint, Word or a chat window to paste it.

Save directly to the clipboard or paste into apps

Clipboard-only captures vanish when you copy something else, so paste or save them first. Clipboard history keeps earlier captures once you turn it on.

One screenshot tip worth knowing: clipboard history is off by default, so turn it on before you rely on it.

1. Open the destination app, such as Outlook, Teams or Word, and press Ctrl + V.
2. To keep a clipboard capture as a file, paste it into Paint and select File > Save as.
3. Press Windows logo key + V and select Turn on to start clipboard history.
4. Press Windows + V later and pick an older capture to paste it again.

Method 2: Using the Snipping Tool

Open the full app when you need a timer, markup, text extraction or a video. Snipping Tool is a free built-in Microsoft app with no paid tier.

1. Select Start, type snipping tool and select it.
2. Select the snipping mode menu and choose Rectangle, Window, Full screen or Freeform.
3. Select New to capture a snip.
4. Drag across the area. Full screen captures at once.
5. Edit, copy or save the capture from the Snipping Tool window.

Open Snipping Tool

Microsoft documents four ways to start Snipping Tool. If it is missing from Start, reinstall the official Snipping Tool setup; there is also a record of older Snipping Tool versions if an update broke something.

Way to open it	What to do	Works on
Keyboard shortcut	Press Windows + Shift + S for an image snip or Windows + Shift + R for a video snip	Windows 11; image snip on Windows 10 too
Search	Select Start or the taskbar search box and type snipping tool	Windows 11 and 10
Start menu	Open Start and select Snipping Tool in the apps list	Windows 11 and 10
Place Snipping Tool on the taskbar	Search for it, right-click the result and select Pin to taskbar	Windows 11 and 10
Command Prompt, PowerShell, Terminal, Run or snippingtool.exe	Not documented on Microsoft's Snipping Tool page, so use Search instead	Not covered here

Delay your screenshot

A delay lets you open a menu, a tooltip or the Start menu before the capture fires.

1. Open Snipping Tool.
2. Select Delay and choose a time, for example 5 seconds, or press Alt + D.
3. Select New, then open the menu you want to capture during the countdown.
4. When the screen turns gray, draw around the menu.
5. On Windows 10, you can also open the menu, press Ctrl + PrtScn, select Mode and choose a snip type.

Mark up a capture, copy its text or hide private details

Snipping Tool on Windows 11 annotates image snips, reads their text on your device, and hands larger edits to Paint.

Job	How to do it in Snipping Tool
Annotate a snip	Use Pen, Highlighter, Shapes and Eraser, with Undo and Redo
Crop your image snip	Select Image crop and drag the handles
Enlarge or rotate your snip	Select Edit > Edit with Paint on Windows 11, or Edit with Paint 3D on Windows 10
Copy text	Select Text actions, then copy a selection or select Copy all text
Redact text	Select Text actions > Quick redact to hide email addresses and phone numbers
Save a snip	Snips auto-save to Screenshots; select Save as for another location, name and file type
Share a snip	Select See More at the top right, then Share; Windows 10 uses Send Snip
Print an image snip	Right-click the saved snip in its folder and select Print; Windows 10 uses File > Print

Keyboard shortcuts to use in Snipping Tool

Shortcut	Action
Alt + M	Choose a snipping mode
Alt + N	New snip in the same mode as the last one
Shift + arrow keys	Move the cursor to select a snip type
Alt + D	Delay capture by 1 to 5 seconds
Ctrl + C	Copy the snip to the clipboard
Ctrl + S	Save the snip

Use Copilot+ PC features in Snipping Tool

Two Snipping Tool features run only on Copilot+ PCs with Windows 11.

Feature	What it does
Capture a perfect screenshot	Perfect Screenshot adjusts the capture area to frame on-screen content tightly, with crop handles for fine-tuning
Use Color picker	Select a color anywhere on screen and copy its value to the clipboard

Change the default screenshot destination

Snipping Tool and Game Bar keep separate save settings. Snipping Tool's Save as dialog is also where you change the default screenshot image format for a copy.

1. Open Snipping Tool, select See More, then Settings.
2. Change automatic saving or the folder snips are saved to.
3. To save a capture in another image format, select Save as and pick the file type.
4. For Game Bar captures, select Start > Settings > Gaming > Captures and change the location.
5. On Windows 10, to remove the URL from browser snips saved as HTML, select Options and clear Include URL below snips (HTML only).

Where your screenshots are saved

Most captures land in Pictures > Screenshots, the Windows screenshot folder. Check this table before assuming a capture failed.

Where did my screenshot go?	File created?	Location
Windows + PrtScn or Fn + Windows + Space Bar	Yes	Pictures > Screenshots
Windows + Shift + S, or Snipping Tool	Yes, plus clipboard	Screenshots folder set in Snipping Tool Settings
PrtScn with snipping off	No	Clipboard only
Alt + PrtScn	No	Clipboard only
Snipping Tool video snip	Yes, MP4	Videos > Screen Recordings
Xbox Game Bar	Yes	Videos > Captures
Clipchamp Detach audio	Yes	Downloads
Surface Power + Volume Up	Yes	Pictures > Screenshots

How to take screenshots on Surface devices and laptops

Laptop keyboards often hide Print Screen behind the Fn key. Microsoft's Fn + Windows + Space Bar works on any Windows keyboard without a PrtScn key, including HP, Lenovo and ThinkPad models; brand-specific keys below come from Dell and Microsoft only.

Laptop brand or device	Keys	Result
Dell laptops	Fn + F10 or another function key labelled for PrtScr; some keyboards use Fn + Insert	Same as PrtScn; enable the function layer first on capacitive or lit function rows
Surface Pro, Book, Go or Studio without keyboard	Hold Power, then press Volume Up	Full screen to Pictures > Screenshots
Surface Laptop	Windows + PrtScn	Power + Volume Up does not work on Surface Laptop
Surface keyboard without PrtScn	Fn + Spacebar, or Fn + Alt + Spacebar for the active window	Snipping overlay, or window to clipboard
HP, Lenovo, ThinkPad and other laptops without PrtScn	Fn + Windows + Space Bar	Full screen to Pictures > Screenshots

Method 3: Take a screenshot on Windows tablets

With no keyboard attached, use the hardware buttons or Snipping Tool by touch.

1. On a Dell Windows tablet, press the Windows button and Volume Down together.
2. On a Surface without a keyboard, press and hold Power, then press Volume Up.
3. On any other tablet or 2-in-1, tap Start, type snipping tool, open it and tap New.
4. Draw the snip with your finger or pen.

How to use the Game Bar for screenshots while gaming

Xbox Game Bar captures full-screen games without the snipping overlay getting in the way.

1. Click into the game or app.
2. Press Windows logo key + Alt + PrtScn to take a screenshot.
3. Press Windows logo key + G if you prefer the on-screen Game Bar controls.
4. Open Videos > Captures to find the file.

Which screen recording method should you use?

Windows has two built-in screen recorders. Check that you know which area or app you need and that private notifications are closed before you record.

For better screen recordings on Windows, drag the recording area around only the window you need, then trim the clip with Edit in Clipchamp.

You want to record	Use	Start with	Saved to
A selected area of the desktop, such as a how-to clip	Snipping Tool	Windows + Shift + R	Videos > Screen Recordings
A game or one app in focus	Xbox Game Bar	Windows + Alt + R	Videos > Captures
A clip with captions or adjusted audio	Snipping Tool, then Clipchamp	Edit in Clipchamp	Clipchamp export

How to record your screen with Snipping Tool

Snipping Tool records a rectangular area of the screen on Windows 11.

1. Press Windows logo key + Shift + R, or open Snipping Tool and select Record > New.
2. Drag to select the area to record.
3. Select Start.
4. Select Stop when you finish. The video snip opens in Snipping Tool.
5. Save it, or select Edit in Clipchamp to trim it.

Add captions or audio to a video snip

Captions and audio changes happen in Clipchamp after you select Edit in Clipchamp.

1. Open the Captions tab and select Transcribe media.
2. Choose the language and filters, then generate the captions.
3. Open the Audio tab to set the volume between 0 and 200%.
4. Select Detach audio to save the sound separately to your Downloads folder.

Record your screen using the Xbox Game Bar

Game Bar records the app or game in focus rather than a drawn area.

1. Open the game or app you want to record.
2. Press Windows logo key + Alt + R to start recording.
3. Press Windows logo key + Alt + R again to stop.
4. Open Videos > Captures to find the MP4 clip.

Taking screenshots on Windows 10

Windows 10 shares the main shortcuts with Windows 11, but its Snipping Tool differs. If you reinstall it, pick the right build from the 64-bit, 32-bit and ARM64 setups.

Task	Windows 10	Windows 11
Save a snip	Save Snip button	Auto-save to Screenshots, plus Save as
Share a snip	Arrow next to Send Snip	See More > Share
Capture a menu	Ctrl + PrtScn, then Mode	Delay, then New
Enlarge or rotate	Edit with Paint 3D	Edit with Paint
Video snip	Not listed	Windows + Shift + R

How to check a screenshot worked

1. After a clipboard capture, open Paint and press Ctrl + V. An image means it worked.
2. After Windows + PrtScn, open Pictures > Screenshots and sort by Date modified.
3. After a recording, open Videos > Screen Recordings or Videos > Captures and check the time stamp.

Screenshot not working? Try these fixes

Why is my screenshot not working on Windows?

The key copied silently to the clipboard, or the laptop needs Fn for PrtScn.

1. Press Ctrl + V in Paint to check for a clipboard image.
2. Turn on Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
3. Press Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar on a keyboard without a working PrtScn key.

Windows + Shift + S is not working on Windows 11

The shortcut belongs to Snipping Tool, which may be missing or stuck.

1. Search Start for snipping tool and confirm it opens.
2. Restart the PC and try again.
3. If the Microsoft Store will not reinstall it, fix Snipping Tool installation problems first.

The screenshot is black or blank

Windows lets an app exclude its window from capture.

1. Check that the rest of the screen captured normally.
2. Minimise the protected app to capture other windows. No Windows setting overrides it.

How to screenshot on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Chromebook and Android

On a Mac, Shift-Command-3 is the equivalent of Windows + PrtScn, and the built-in Screenshot app is the Mac stand-in for Snipping Tool. The table covers the other devices; Steam games on Windows save to the Steam screenshot library.

Device	Keys or buttons	Where it saves
Mac	Shift-Command-3 full screen, Shift-Command-4 area; full detail in the Mac screenshot shortcuts	Desktop
Mac window only	Shift-Command-4, then Space; the Mac print screen keys cover clipboard variants	Desktop, or clipboard with Control
Mac screen recording	Shift-Command-5; you can record a Mac screen with audio and stop a Mac recording from the menu bar	Location set in Options
iPhone	Side + Volume Up (Face ID) or side + Home (Touch ID)	Photos > Screenshots
iPad	Top button + a volume button, or top + Home; the iPad screenshot buttons	Photos > Screenshots
Chromebook	Screenshot key, Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, or Ctrl + Shift + F5	Downloads
Android	Power + Volume down; Samsung adds palm swipe in the Galaxy S25 screenshot methods	Photos > Collections > Screenshots

Windows screenshot FAQ

What is the screenshot shortcut key on Windows?

Windows logo key + Shift + S is the main screenshot shortcut on Windows 11 and 10. Windows + PrtScn saves the whole screen to Pictures > Screenshots, and Alt + PrtScn copies only the active window to the clipboard.

How do I screenshot on a Windows laptop?

Press Windows + Shift + S or Windows + PrtScn on any Windows laptop. If the keyboard has no PrtScn key, press Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar. Dell lists Fn + F10 or Fn + Insert on some of its keyboards.

How do I screenshot on an HP or Dell PC?

HP and Dell PCs use the standard Windows shortcuts: Windows + Shift + S for an area, Windows + PrtScn for a saved full screen and Alt + PrtScn for one window. Dell Windows tablets also take a screenshot with Windows + Volume Down.

Why can't I screenshot on Windows?

Usually the shortcut copied the image to the clipboard without making a file, Snipping Tool is missing, or the app on screen blocks capture. Paste into Paint with Ctrl + V to test, then reinstall Snipping Tool if Windows + Shift + S does nothing.

Can I take a scrolling screenshot on Windows?

Snipping Tool has no scrolling mode. Its modes are Rectangle, Window, Full screen and Freeform, plus video snips on Windows 11. To capture a full web page, take several snips or use a capture feature inside the browser you are using.

How do I take a screenshot on Windows 10 PC?

Press Windows + Shift + S, Windows + PrtScn or Alt + PrtScn, exactly as on Windows 11. Windows 10's Snipping Tool uses Save Snip and Send Snip buttons, and Ctrl + PrtScn captures an open menu.

What is a screenshot on Windows?

A screenshot is an image of what is on your screen, copied to the clipboard, saved as a file, or both. Windows creates them with the Print Screen key, Snipping Tool and Xbox Game Bar, all built in.

Can I screenshot on Windows 11 without the Print Screen key?

Yes. Press Windows + Shift + S, which does not use PrtScn, or Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar to save the full screen. Surface tablets also capture with Power + Volume Up.