How to Take a Screenshot on Windows 11/10 (5 Methods)

How to open Snipping Tool

1. Step 1. Press Windows key + Shift + S on your keyboard. The screen will dim slightly and a small toolbar appears at the top.
2. Step 2. Choose your capture mode from the toolbar (see options below).
3. Step 3. Select the area you want to capture.
4. Step 4. The screenshot copies to your clipboard automatically. A notification pops up in the corner. Click it to open the full Snipping Tool window.

Rectangle

Click and drag to draw a rectangle around the area you want. The most common mode.

Freeform

Draw any shape you like with your mouse or stylus. Useful for capturing irregular content.

Window

Click on any open window to capture just that window, no background included.

Full screen

Captures everything on your screen instantly, no dragging needed.

What you can do in the Snipping Tool window

• Draw or highlight: Select the Pen or Highlighter tool to mark up the image.
• Add shapes or emojis: Click the Shapes button to drop in arrows, circles, or callouts.
• Crop: Click the crop button to trim down the capture.
• Copy text from the image: Click Text actions to read and copy any text visible in the screenshot. Works on Windows 11.
• Save: The file saves automatically. To save an extra copy, click Save As and choose a location and filename.
• Share: Click the three-dot menu at the top right, then choose Share to send via Mail, Teams, or any connected app.

Steps for a delayed screenshot

1. Step 1. Open Snipping Tool from Start or with Win+Shift+S, then click the app notification to open the full window.
2. Step 2. Click the Delay button and choose a delay of 1 to 5 seconds.
3. Step 3. Select your capture mode, then click New.
4. Step 4. During the countdown, open the menu or hover over the tooltip you want to capture.
5. Step 5. The screen turns gray when time runs out. Draw around the area you want.

PrtSc alone

Copies the entire screen to your clipboard. Nothing is saved as a file. Press Ctrl+V to paste it into Paint, Word, an email, or a chat message.

Best for: Pasting a quick screenshot into a document or chat.

Win + PrtSc

Captures the entire screen and saves it as a PNG file automatically. You will find it in Pictures > Screenshots. The screen briefly dims to confirm the capture.

Best for: When you want a saved file with no extra steps.

Alt + PrtSc

Captures only the currently active window (the one you clicked on last) and copies it to your clipboard. Nothing is saved as a file. Press Ctrl+V to paste.

Best for: Grabbing a single window without the rest of your desktop showing.

How to record your screen with Xbox Game Bar

1. Step 1. Click on the app window you want to record to make it active.
2. Step 2. Press Windows key + Alt + R to start recording. A small recording widget appears in the corner of your screen.
3. Step 3. Toggle your microphone on or off using the mic button in the widget if you want to include voice audio.
4. Step 4. Press Windows key + Alt + R again to stop, or click the Stop button in the widget.
5. Step 5. Your recording saves automatically to Videos > Captures as an MP4 file.

How to record a video clip with Snipping Tool

1. Step 1. Press Windows key + Shift + R, or open Snipping Tool and click the Record (video camera) button.
2. Step 2. Click New. The screen dims and your cursor changes to a plus sign.
3. Step 3. Click and drag to select the area of the screen you want to record.
4. Step 4. Click Start to begin recording.
5. Step 5. Click Stop when you are done. Your clip opens in Snipping Tool.
6. Step 6. Click Save to keep it, or click Edit in Clipchamp to add captions, trim, or adjust audio.

Perfect Screenshot

After you drag to select an area, the tool automatically adjusts the crop to tightly frame the on-screen content. Less manual cropping needed.

Color Picker

Click anywhere on your screen to capture the exact color at that point. The color code copies to your clipboard so you can use it in design tools, CSS, or anywhere else you need a precise color match.

Pin Snipping Tool to your taskbar

Search for Snipping Tool in Start, right-click it, and choose Pin to taskbar. One click launches it any time without hunting through menus.

Use Win+PrtSc when you need files fast

If you are taking many screenshots in a row, Win+PrtSc saves each one automatically with a numbered filename. You will find them all in Pictures > Screenshots without opening any app.

Copy text that you normally cannot select

Open Snipping Tool, take a screenshot, then click the Text actions button. It reads the text in the image and lets you copy all of it or just the parts you need. Works on images, error messages, PDFs, or anything on screen that you cannot normally highlight and copy.

Use Alt+PrtSc to grab a single window cleanly

If your desktop background is messy or you have other windows open, Alt+PrtSc captures just the active window with no background. Paste it directly into an email or document with Ctrl+V.

Redact sensitive information before sharing

Snipping Tool has a Quick Redact button in the Text actions menu. It automatically finds and blurs email addresses and phone numbers in your screenshot before you share it. You can also draw over anything manually with the black pen tool.