How to take a screenshot on Windows 11: every method

Windows 11 has seven distinct ways to take a screenshot, and they disagree about where the result goes. Here is each one, and how to pick.

1. Windows + Shift + S — the one to use

This opens the Snipping Tool overlay. The screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top offering four modes: rectangular, freeform, window, and full screen.

The capture goes to your clipboard, and a notification appears offering to open it for editing and saving. If you only want to paste it somewhere, ignore the notification and press Ctrl+V wherever you are going.

This is the right default for most situations: you choose what to capture, and you are not left with files to tidy up.

2. Print Screen

On Windows 11, pressing Print Screen on its own now opens the same Snipping Tool overlay as Windows + Shift + S. This changed from earlier versions, where it copied the entire screen silently.

3. Alt + Print Screen — the active window

Captures only the window currently in focus, straight to the clipboard. No overlay, no dimming, no notification — it just happens.

For bug reports and support requests this is usually the shortcut you want. It captures exactly the application in question and nothing of the rest of your desktop.

4. Windows + Print Screen — save a file

Captures the entire screen and writes a PNG to Pictures, then Screenshots. The screen dims briefly to confirm. The image also goes to the clipboard.

Use this when you want an archive rather than something to paste.

5. The Snipping Tool app

Open it from the Start menu for options the shortcut does not expose:

• A delay timer of 3, 5 or 10 seconds — the only practical way to capture a menu that closes when it loses focus.
• Screen recording as well as still capture.
• Basic annotation: pen, highlighter, ruler, and on recent builds a redaction tool.
• Text extraction from the captured image on current versions.

6. Xbox Game Bar

Windows + G opens the Game Bar, which has a capture widget. Windows + Alt + Print Screen takes a screenshot directly. Files land in Videos, then Captures.

Despite the name it works in most applications, not only games. It is the easiest way to capture a full-screen exclusive application that other tools cannot see.

7. Print Screen on a laptop without the key

Many compact laptops fold Print Screen into another key. Common combinations:

• Fn + Windows + Space on some Surface devices.
• Fn + Insert, or Fn + PrtSc printed in a secondary colour, on many Dell, HP and Lenovo machines.
• On any keyboard, the on-screen keyboard — press Windows + Ctrl + O — includes a Print Screen key.

Where each one puts the result

Sharing what you captured

If the screenshot is on your clipboard and you need to send it to someone, you do not need to save a file first. Open PasteSnip and press Ctrl+V — the image uploads on the keypress and you get a link to paste into Slack, a ticket, or an email.

Before sharing anything from a work machine, check the capture for tokens, customer names or internal URLs, and redact them properly rather than relying on a light blur.