How to Take a Screenshot on Windows 11 (Every Method)
Every way to capture your screen on Windows 11 — from classic Print Screen to the Snipping Tool, Win+Shift+S, and Xbox Game Bar.
Screenshots on Windows 11
Windows 11 gives you more screenshot options than ever. Whether you want a full-screen capture, a specific region, a delayed shot, or a game clip, there is a method for it.
Method 1 — Win + Shift + S (Recommended)
Press Win + Shift + S to open the Snip overlay. Your screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top with four capture modes:
- Rectangular snip — drag to select any area
- Freeform snip — draw any shape
- Window snip — click a window to capture it
- Full-screen snip — capture everything
After capturing, a notification appears in the bottom-right corner. Click it to open the image in Snipping Tool where you can annotate, crop, and save. The image is also copied to your clipboard instantly.
Method 2 — Print Screen (PrtScn) Key
Pressing PrtScn alone copies a full-screen screenshot to your clipboard. Paste it into Paint, Word, or any image editor with Ctrl + V.
Tip: Go to Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard and enable "Use the Print Screen key to open Screen snipping" to make PrtScn open the snip overlay instead.
Method 3 — Win + PrtScn (Auto-Save)
Press Win + PrtScn to capture the full screen and automatically save it as a PNG to C:UsersYourNamePicturesScreenshots. The screen flashes briefly to confirm. No paste needed.
Method 4 — Alt + PrtScn (Active Window)
Press Alt + PrtScn to copy only the currently focused window to the clipboard. Useful when you want to share just one app without cropping.
Method 5 — Snipping Tool App
Search for Snipping Tool in the Start menu. The updated Windows 11 version includes:
- Delay (1–10 seconds) so you can capture menus or tooltips
- Annotations — pen, highlighter, eraser
- Text extraction — copy text from any screenshot
- Screen recording (record a region of the screen)
Method 6 — Xbox Game Bar (Win + G)
Press Win + G to open the Game Bar overlay. Click the Camera icon or press Win + Alt + PrtScn to take a screenshot of your current game or app. Screenshots save to VideosCaptures. Game Bar also records video clips.
Quick Reference
Win + Shift + S— region snip, copies to clipboardPrtScn— full screen to clipboardWin + PrtScn— full screen, auto-saved to PicturesAlt + PrtScn— active window to clipboard- Snipping Tool — full-featured, with delay and annotations
Win + G— Game Bar for gaming screenshots and clips