How to Take a Screenshot on Windows 11

Capture your screen on Windows 11 using Print Screen, Snipping Tool, or Game Bar. Learn three methods to screenshot.

1. Capture the entire screen with Print Screen. Press the Print Screen key (located in the top-right area of your keyboard, often labeled PrtSc or PrtScn). Your entire screen is now copied to the clipboard. Open an image editor like Paint or Photos, paste the screenshot using Ctrl+V, and save it as a file.
2. Capture only the active window. Press Alt+Print Screen to capture only the window that is currently in focus. This copies the window to the clipboard. Open Paint or another image editor, paste the screenshot, and save the file.
3. Use Windows Key + Print Screen to auto-save. Press Windows key+Print Screen simultaneously. The screen will dim briefly, indicating the screenshot was captured. The file is automatically saved in the Pictures folder under Screenshots (Pictures > Screenshots). Open File Explorer, navigate to that folder, and find your screenshot with a timestamp filename.
4. Capture a specific region with Snipping Tool. Press Windows key+Shift+S to open Snipping Tool's quick capture interface. Your screen will dim and your cursor becomes a crosshair. Click and drag to select the area you want to capture. The screenshot is copied to the clipboard and a notification appears in the taskbar. Click the notification to edit, annotate, or save the screenshot.
5. Open Snipping Tool for advanced options. Click the Start menu and search for Snipping Tool. Select the app from the results to open the full Snipping Tool window. Click New to start a capture, or use the Mode dropdown to choose rectangular, freeform, window, or full-screen capture. After capturing, use the built-in toolbar to annotate, crop, or save the screenshot.
6. Use Xbox Game Bar for gaming or video capture. Press Windows key+G to open Xbox Game Bar. Click the camera icon in the top toolbar to take a screenshot, or use the record button to capture video. Screenshots are automatically saved to Videos > Captures. You can also access the Game Bar settings to customize where captures are stored.
7. Locate and manage your saved screenshots. Open File Explorer and navigate to your Pictures folder. Screenshots taken with Windows key+Print Screen are saved in Pictures > Screenshots. Screenshots from Game Bar are in Videos > Captures. Rename, move, or delete files as needed. You can create custom folders to organize screenshots by project or date.