Windows 11 Screenshot Shortcuts Cheat Sheet
Filterable master list of every keyboard combination for taking screenshots, recording video clips, extracting OCR text, and accessing clipboard history.
Interactive Filter
One-Click Copy Hotkeys
Shortcuts Reference Matrix
| Keyboard Combination | Action & Target | Destination | Category | Quick Copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Win+Shift+S |
Open Snipping Tool floating toolbar (Rectangular, Freeform, Window, Full) | Clipboard & Editor | Snipping Tool | |
PrtScn |
Launch Snipping Tool overlay or copy entire screen area | Clipboard / Overlay | Print Screen | |
Win+PrtScn |
Auto-save full screen image file directly without prompts | Pictures\Screenshots |
Auto-Save | |
Alt+PrtScn |
Capture active focused application window only | Clipboard | Active Window | |
Win+Shift+R |
Launch Snipping Tool video screen recording region selector | Editor & Videos Folder | Screen Video | |
Win+V |
Open Windows 11 Clipboard History manager (view up to 25 items) | Clipboard Overlay | Clipboard Manager | |
Win+Alt+R |
Start or Stop video screen recording via Xbox Game Bar | Videos\Captures (.mp4) |
Game Bar Video | |
Win+Alt+PrtScn |
Take full game or HDR screenshot via Xbox Game Bar | Videos\Captures (.png) |
Game Bar HDR | |
Win+Alt+G |
Retroactive record: Save the last 30 seconds of gameplay/screen video | Videos\Captures (.mp4) |
Retro Replay | |
Ctrl+A inside Snipping Editor |
Select all text characters detected in image (OCR Text Actions) | Editor Selection | OCR Text | |
Ctrl+E inside Snipping Editor |
Trigger Quick Redact auto-masking for personal emails and phone numbers | Editor Image | Redaction | |
Ctrl+S inside Snipping Editor |
Open file save dialog to save annotated PNG/JPG image or MP4 video | File Dialog | File Save |
Bonus: Windows 11 Clipboard History (Win + V)
Never Lose a Screenshot Again!
Press Win + V at any time to open Clipboard History. It stores up to 25 recently copied items—including screenshots, text snippets, and images. You can pin frequently used items so they remain available even after restarting your computer!