Screenshots on Windows 11

What is new in the Windows 11 Snipping Tool

• Screen recording is built into the app, so stills and video come from one place.
• Text Actions extract text from a capture and can redact email addresses and phone numbers.
• Captures auto-save to Pictures\Screenshots when the option is enabled in the app settings.
• The Print Screen key can be redirected to the snipping overlay in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.

Step by step on Windows 11

1. 1Press Windows + Shift + SThe Windows 11 screen dims and a small capture bar appears at the top of the display.
2. 2Choose a capture modeRectangular snip, free-form snip, window snip or full-screen snip. Window snip is the cleanest way to capture a single application.
3. 3Select the areaDrag across the region, or click the window you want. The capture is copied to the clipboard immediately.
4. 4Open the editorClick the notification in the corner to open Snipping Tool, where you can crop, annotate and undo.
5. 5Save the filePress Ctrl + S and choose PNG for interface screenshots or JPG when file size matters.

Windows 11 screenshot shortcuts

These shortcuts are part of Windows itself and work in File Explorer, Chrome and any desktop application.

Where Windows saves your screenshots

• Windows + Print Screen saves PNG files to This PC \ Pictures \ Screenshots.
• Windows + Alt + Print Screen saves to This PC \ Videos \ Captures via Xbox Game Bar.
• Windows + Shift + S copies to the clipboard first; the file only exists once you save it from the Snipping Tool editor.
• Print Screen and Alt + Print Screen copy to the clipboard only — paste into an editor or document with Ctrl + V.

You can move the Screenshots folder: right-click it, open Properties, then the Location tab, and choose a new path.

Troubleshooting when the screenshot does not work

• Nothing happens on Print Screen: on a Windows 11 PC the key may be shared with a function key. Try Fn + Print Screen or Fn + Windows + Print Screen.
• Windows + Shift + S does nothing: check Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, and make sure the Snipping Tool app is installed and updated from the Microsoft Store.
• The screen does not dim: another application may have taken the hotkey. Close capture tools running in the notification area and try again.
• Screenshots are black: this usually means hardware-protected content, such as a DRM video player. Capture the window with a different tool or disable hardware acceleration in that application.
• The file never appears: Windows + Print Screen writes to Pictures\Screenshots. If OneDrive is managing your Pictures folder, look inside OneDrive \ Pictures \ Screenshots.

Recommended Windows software

Frequently asked questions

Can the Windows 11 Snipping Tool record the screen?

Yes. Current Windows 11 builds include a video recording mode inside Snipping Tool.

How do I make Print Screen open the snip overlay on Windows 11?

Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, then enable the Print Screen button option.