How to Take a Screenshot on Any Computer: Windows, Mac and Chromebook

The fastest shortcuts: on Windows, press Windows key + Shift + S and drag over the area you want; on a Mac, press Command + Shift + 4 (or Command + Shift + 5 for all options); on a Chromebook, press Ctrl + Shift + Show windows (the key with a rectangle and two lines) or the dedicated Screenshot key if your keyboard has one. For a full scrolling webpage, use your browser’s built-in capture tool.

Quick reference

Windows 11 and Windows 10

Windows key + Shift + S (best for most people)

1. Press Win + Shift + S. The screen dims and a small toolbar appears at the top.
2. Choose a mode: Rectangle, Window, Full screen or Freeform.
3. Drag or click to capture. The image is copied to the clipboard, so you can paste it straight into an email, chat or document with Ctrl + V.
4. To edit or save it, click the notification that appears in the corner. It opens in Snipping Tool, where you can annotate, crop and save. On Windows 11, Snipping Tool also saves copies automatically to Pictures > Screenshots by default.

The Print Screen key

• Print Screen on its own: on current Windows 11 versions it usually opens the same snipping toolbar. If it copies the whole screen instead, you can change it at Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard with the switch for using the Print Screen key to open screen capture (the label varies slightly between versions).
• Win + Print Screen: captures the full screen and saves a PNG file to Pictures > Screenshots. The screen briefly dims to confirm.
• Alt + Print Screen: copies just the active window to the clipboard.

On laptops, Print Screen may be labeled PrtSc and share a key with another function, so you might need to hold Fn as well.

Snipping Tool app

Open Start, type Snipping Tool and open it. Here you can set a delay timer (handy for capturing open menus), switch to screen recording on Windows 11, and edit captures. Microsoft’s Snipping Tool help page lists all its features.

Mac

• Command + Shift + 3: captures the entire screen.
• Command + Shift + 4: turns the pointer into crosshairs; drag to select an area. Hold Space while dragging to move the selection, or press Esc to cancel.
• Command + Shift + 4, then Space: the pointer becomes a camera; click any window to capture it with a soft shadow. Hold Option while clicking to leave out the shadow.
• Command + Shift + 5: opens a toolbar with every screenshot and screen-recording option, plus Options for a timer and save location.

Screenshots are saved to the Desktop as PNG files by default. To copy to the clipboard instead of saving a file, add Control to any shortcut, for example Command + Control + Shift + 4. A thumbnail appears in the corner for a few seconds; click it to mark up or share right away. Apple’s guide is at support.apple.com.

Chromebook

• Ctrl + Show windows: captures the whole screen.
• Ctrl + Shift + Show windows: opens the Screen capture menu, where you can choose Full screen, Partial or Window, and switch between screenshot and screen recording.
• Many newer Chromebooks have a dedicated Screenshot key in the top row, which opens the same menu.
• You can also open Quick Settings (click the clock) and select Screen capture.
• On a Chromebook in tablet mode, press the power and volume down buttons together.

Screenshots go to the Downloads folder in the Files app and are also copied to the clipboard. You can change the save folder from the settings gear in the Screen capture toolbar. New to ChromeOS? Our Chromebook explainer covers the basics.

Scrolling and full-page screenshots

None of the operating systems’ main shortcuts capture a long, scrolling page in one image. Browsers fill the gap:

• Microsoft Edge: press Ctrl + Shift + S (or right-click and choose Screenshot), then select Capture full page. Menu names may vary by version.
• Firefox: right-click on the page, choose Take Screenshot, then Save full page.
• Chrome: there’s no simple menu option. Open Developer Tools (Ctrl + Shift + I or Command + Option + I), press Ctrl + Shift + P (Command + Shift + P on Mac), type screenshot and choose Capture full size screenshot.
• Safari on Mac: choose File > Export as PDF to save the whole page as a PDF.

Outside the browser, third-party screenshot apps offer scrolling capture. Download those only from the developer’s official site or your system’s app store.

Screenshot tips

• Check before sharing. Screenshots can include notifications, open tabs, email addresses or account numbers. Crop or blur them out.
• Use the timer to capture menus or hover effects that vanish when you press keys.
• Need video instead? See our guide to screen recording on Windows, Mac and phones.
• Files piling up? Sort the Screenshots, Desktop or Downloads folder by date and clear old captures occasionally.

Bottom line

Learn one shortcut per system: Win + Shift + S on Windows, Command + Shift + 4 (or 5) on Mac, and Ctrl + Shift + Show windows on Chromebook. Use your browser’s capture tool for full webpages, and always check a screenshot for personal details before you share it.

FAQ

Where do screenshots go on Windows 11?

Win + Print Screen saves to Pictures > Screenshots. Win + Shift + S copies to the clipboard, and Snipping Tool on Windows 11 also saves copies to that folder by default.

Why doesn’t Print Screen do anything?

On many laptops you need to hold Fn with it. If it copies silently, paste with Ctrl + V to check, or turn on the Print Screen setting under Accessibility > Keyboard.

How do I change where Mac screenshots save?

Press Command + Shift + 5, click Options and choose a different folder under Save to.

How do I screenshot just part of a window?

Use the area mode on any system: Win + Shift + S then Rectangle on Windows, Command + Shift + 4 on Mac, or Partial in the Chromebook Screen capture menu.