Windows Screenshot Keyboard Shortcuts: The Complete Cheat Sheet

The main screenshot shortcut on Windows 10 and 11 is Win + Shift + S. Drag over any part of the screen, and it's copied to the clipboard. To save the whole screen as a file, press Win + PrtSc. For just the active window, press Alt + PrtSc.

Below is every screenshot keyboard shortcut worth knowing on a Windows PC, grouped by tool: Windows itself, Snipping Tool, Xbox Game Bar, laptops, browsers and Sleekshot. At the end, you'll see how to set your own screenshot key, which Windows doesn't make obvious. All shortcuts are current as of October 2026. If you'd rather have step-by-step instructions for each method, start with how to screenshot on Windows.

Windows screenshot shortcuts: the cheat sheet

These work on Windows 10 and 11 right away, with nothing to install.

Two things trip people up. First, on Windows 11 the PrtSc key opens Snipping Tool by default. Microsoft changed this in 2023, so it no longer quietly copies the screen. You can switch it back in Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Keyboard, as explained in changing what the Print Screen key does. Second, shortcuts that only copy to the clipboard (Alt + PrtSc, and PrtSc on Windows 10) don't create a file. The image is gone once you copy something else, unless clipboard history is on.

Snipping Tool keyboard shortcuts

Inside the Snipping Tool app, Microsoft lists these keys. They come in handy when you open the app for a screenshot with a delay or a precise selection.

In the Windows 11 app, you can delay the screenshot by 3, 5 or 10 seconds. That's the easiest way to screenshot a menu that closes when you press a key. More tips, including how to open Snipping Tool from the keyboard, are in our Snipping Tool shortcut guide.

Xbox Game Bar shortcuts

Xbox Game Bar comes with Windows 10 and 11 and has its own shortcuts for games and full-screen apps.

Game Bar only works with the app in front, not on the desktop or in File Explorer. Screenshots and clips go to Videos\Captures. For all the video keys, see screen recording shortcuts on Windows.

Laptop and Surface screenshot shortcuts

Laptop keyboards often put PrtSc on a shared key, so the same shortcuts need Fn. If the PrtSc label is a different color or smaller, add Fn.

If none of these work, Win + Shift + S doesn't need a PrtSc key at all. Details for each brand are in how to screenshot on a laptop.

Browser screenshot shortcuts

Browsers have their own screenshot tools, and they can screenshot a whole web page, which the Windows shortcuts can't.

That's also why people sometimes think Ctrl + Shift + S is a Windows screenshot shortcut. It isn't. Outside a browser, many apps use it for "Save as".

Sleekshot shortcuts

Sleekshot is a free screenshot and screen recording app for Windows, and you can do everything in it from the keyboard. One key dims the screen and starts a screenshot, and single keys switch tools while you add arrows and text. The default key is PrtSc, and you can change it to any key or combination.

While you add arrows and text, single keys pick a tool, so you never have to reach for the toolbar.

The limits: there's no shortcut for scrolling screenshots or a delay, because Sleekshot doesn't have those features. Undo goes back one step, and there's no redo. The full list is on the keyboard shortcuts page.

How to set your own screenshot key

Windows won't let you change Win + Shift + S. The only built-in choice is whether PrtSc opens Snipping Tool. If you want a different key, like a spare F-key, use one of these options.

Option 1: a screenshot app where you can pick the key (the simplest). In Sleekshot, right-click the tray icon and open Settings → Screenshots. Click Change hotkey next to Choose any key or combination to make a screenshot, and press the key you want. The key doesn't work while the settings window is open, so close it to test.

If you choose PrtSc on Windows 11, first take it back from Snipping Tool. Sleekshot's Bind PrtSc to Sleekshot button does that in one click. Or turn off Use the Print screen key to open screen capture in Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Keyboard yourself.

Option 2: Microsoft PowerToys Keyboard Manager. PowerToys is a free add-on from Microsoft. In Keyboard Manager, you can remap a single key to Win + Shift + S, so one press opens the Snipping Tool bar. Pick a key you never use, because the remap works everywhere.

Option 3: Game Bar. You can change Game Bar's own shortcuts, including the screenshot key, in Game Bar settings (Win + G → the gear → Shortcuts).

On a Mac instead? The keys are completely different. See Mac screenshot shortcuts.