Sometimes you need to save what's on your screen. Maybe you see something you want to share with friends or family, or perhaps there's something you want to save for easy reference later. Thankfully, whether you're runningWindows 10orWindows 11, there are a few easy ways to take screenshots of all -- or part -- of your screen.
While Microsoftno longer sells Windows 10,the software giant still supports the operating system until October 2025. So you don't have to switch to Windows 11yet, and you can still use these screenshot tips for a couple more years.
Here's how to use built-in tools and other shortcuts for taking screenshots in Windows 10 and Windows 11, so you can decide which you like best.
Snip & Sketch
The Snip & Sketch tool is easier to access, share and annotate screenshots than the old Snipping Tool. It can now capture a screenshot of a window on your desktop, a surprising omission when the app was first introduced that kept us on Team Snipping Tool until recently.
The easiest way to call up Snip & Sketch is with the keyboard shortcutWindows key + Shift + S. You can also find the Snip & Sketch tool listed in the alphabetical list of apps accessed from the Start button as well as in the notification panel where it's listed as Screen snip. Or you can just search for it if you don't commit the keyboard shortcut to memory. (If you're a frequent screenshot taker, we recommend pinning the app to the taskbar.)
Either the keyboard shortcut or the notification button will dim your screen and open a tiny menu at the top of your screen that lets you choose which type of screenshot you want to take: rectangular, freeform, window or full-screen. Once you take your screenshot, it will be saved to your clipboard and show up momentarily as a notification in the lower-right corner of your screen. Click the notification to open the screenshot in the Snip & Sketch app to annotate, save or share it. (If you miss the notification, open the notification panel and you'll see it sitting there.)
If you open Snip & Sketch from the Start menu or by searching for it, it will open the Snip & Sketch window instead of the small panel at the top of the screen. From here, you need to click the New button in the upper left to initiate a screen capture and open the small panel. It's an extra step to proceed this way, but it also lets you delay a screenshot. Click the down-arrow button next to the New button to delay a snip for 3 or 10 seconds.
What to Know About Windows 11
- Windows 11 Review: Microsoft's Subtle Changes Make You Ask, Update or Wait?
- Every Difference You Should Care About Between Windows 10 and Windows 11
- The Best Windows 11 Features: Android Apps, Widgets and More
Snipping Tool
The Snipping Tool has been around since Windows Vista. Windows has warned for a couple years that the Snipping Tool is going away, but it's still kicking around in Windows 11. The Snipping Tool has been delisted from the list of apps in the Start menu, but you can still easily access it via the search bar.
Click theNewbutton to begin the screenshot process. The default snip type is rectangular, but you can also take free-form, full-screen and window snips.
Snipping Tool does not automatically save your screenshots -- you will need to manually save them in the tool before you exit -- and it does automatically copy your captures to the clipboard.
Print Screen
To capture your entire screen, tap the Print Screen (sometimes labeledPrtScn) key. Your screenshot won't be saved as a file, but it will be copied to the clipboard. You'll need to open an image editing tool (such as Microsoft Paint), paste the screenshot into the editor and save the file from there.
You can also set the PrtScn button to open the Snip & Sketch tool by going toSettings > Ease of Access > Keyboardand toggling on Use the PrtScn button to open screen snipping under Print Screen Shortcut.
Windows key + Print Screen
To capture your entire screen and automatically save the screenshot, tap the Windows key + Print Screen key. Your screen will briefly go dim to indicate you've just taken a screenshot, and the screenshot will be saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
Alt + Print Screen
To take a quick screenshot of the active window, use the keyboard shortcut Alt + PrtScn. This will snap your currently active window and copy the screenshot to the clipboard. You'll need to open the shot in an image editor to save it.
No Print Screen key?
If your computer doesn't have thePrtScnkey, no worries, Microsoft has another keyboard shortcut for you. You can pressFn+Windows logo key+Space Bar to take a screenshot. It will then be saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
Game bar
You can use the Game bar to snap a screenshot, whether you're in the middle of playing a game or not. First, you'll need to enable the Game bar from the settings page by making sure you've toggled onRecord game clips, screenshots and broadcasts using Game bar. Once enabled, hit theWindows key + G keyto call up the Game bar. From here, you can click the screenshot button in the Game bar or use the default keyboard shortcutWindows key + Alt + PrtScnto snap a full-screen screenshot. To set your own Game bar screenshot keyboard shortcut, toSettings > Gaming > Game bar.
Windows Logo + volume down
If you're rocking a Microsoft Surface device, you can use the physical (well, sort of physical) buttons to take a screenshot of your entire screen -- similar to how you would take a screenshot on any other phone or tablet. To do this, hold down the Windows Logo touch button at the bottom of your Surface screen and hit the physical volume-down button on the side of the tablet. The screen will dim briefly and the screenshot will be automatically saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
Want more Windows info? Check out CNET's Windows 11 reviewandevery difference between Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can also check out which Windows 11 settings you should consider changing.
Watch this: How to Record Your Screen in Windows 11
