How to take a screenshot on a laptop: Windows, Mac and Chromebook shortcuts

Summary. On a Windows 11 laptop, press Windows logo key + Shift + S (or PrtScn, which opens the same overlay by default) and drag over the area you want; Windows logo key + PrtScn saves the whole screen to Pictures > Screenshots. On a Mac, press Shift-Command-3 for the full screen, Shift-Command-4 for an area or Shift-Command-5 for the Screenshot tools, and a PNG file lands on the desktop. On a Chromebook, press the Screenshot key or Shift + Ctrl + Show windows; the image is copied to the clipboard and saved to Downloads. Many laptops put Print Screen on the function row: Dell says its laptops often need Fn + F10 or Fn + Insert, and Microsoft documents Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar where there is no PrtScn key. If capture is blocked on a work laptop, it is usually a device policy: Windows, macOS and ChromeOS all let administrators turn screenshots off.

About this article. For anyone who needs a screenshot on a laptop, and for IT teams that manage screen capture. Every shortcut, menu path and save location was checked on 11 November 2026 against Microsoft Support and Learn (Windows 11, whose newest release is 26H2 from 29 September 2026), Apple's Mac User Guide for macOS 27 Golden Gate, Google's Chromebook and Chrome Enterprise Help, and Dell and HP support content. Labels can differ slightly by build, model and keyboard. Researched with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.

Laptop screenshot shortcuts at a glance

The table draws on Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts and Snipping Tool pages, Apple's Mac User Guide for macOS 27 and Google's Chromebook Help.

How to take a screenshot on Windows 11

Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts and Snipping Tool pages describe these methods for Windows 11 without splitting by version.

Windows + Shift + S: the Snipping Tool shortcut

1. Press Windows logo key + Shift + S. The screen darkens and a small toolbar appears.

1. Pick a mode: rectangle, window, full screen or freeform.

1. Drag over the area, or click a window in window mode. Full screen captures at once.

1. The image is copied to the clipboard and a notification appears. Select it to open the capture in Snipping Tool to crop, draw, highlight or use Text actions to copy text from the image.

Microsoft says Snipping Tool saves each capture to your Screenshots folder automatically; change that under the See more menu, then Settings. To capture a menu that closes when you click away, open Snipping Tool, choose Delay (for example 5 seconds), pick a mode, select New and open the menu during the countdown.

On Copilot+ PCs, Snipping Tool adds Perfect screenshot, which tightens the crop automatically, and a colour picker. On any PC, Text actions can quick-redact email addresses and phone numbers before you share.

PrtScn: what the Print Screen key does now

On current Windows 11, PrtScn opens the same snipping overlay as Windows + Shift + S. For the old behaviour, where PrtScn copies the entire screen to the clipboard, go to Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn off Use the Print Screen button to open screen snipping. Microsoft's Snipping Tool page still describes the older behaviour, so what you get depends on that setting.

Windows + PrtScn: save the full screen as a file

Press Windows logo key + PrtScn. Windows saves a full-screen image to the Screenshots subfolder of Pictures.

Alt + PrtScn: active window only

Click the window you want, then press Alt + PrtScn. Windows copies only that window to the clipboard, ready to paste with Ctrl + V.

Windows + Alt + PrtScn: Game Bar capture

Turn on Xbox Game Bar first: press Windows + I, search for xbox and switch on Enable Xbox Game Bar. Then press Windows logo key + Alt + PrtScn in a game or app. Microsoft says the image is saved as a PNG in the Captures folder under Videos, next to clips recorded with Windows + Alt + R.

Windows + Shift + R: record the screen

Press Windows logo key + Shift + R, select an area, choose Start, then Stop. Microsoft says the recording opens in Snipping Tool and is saved automatically as an MP4 file in the Screen Recordings subfolder of Videos. For phones, see our guide on how to screen record on iPhone.

How to take a screenshot on a Mac (macOS 27)

These steps come from Apple's macOS 27 Golden Gate user guide and support article.

1. Full screen: press Shift-Command-3.

1. Part of the screen: press Shift-Command-4, drag the crosshair over the area and release. Press Esc to cancel.

1. One window or the menu bar: press Shift-Command-4, then the Space bar, and click the window. Hold Option as you click to leave out the window's shadow.

1. A menu: open the menu, press Shift-Command-4 and drag over the menu items.

1. Screenshot tools: press Shift-Command-5 to capture or record the screen, a window or a portion.

1. Touch Bar (MacBook Pro models that have one): press Shift-Command-6.

A thumbnail appears in the bottom-right corner for a few seconds; click it to mark up or share. The macOS 27 guide says screenshots are saved to the desktop as .png files whose names begin with Screenshot and include the date and time.

To copy instead of saving a file, hold Control as well: Control-Shift-Command-3 copies the whole screen to the clipboard. The Options menu in Screenshot sets the save location and a timer, and on supported Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later it chooses SDR (PNG) or HDR (HEIF). Change the shortcuts in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Screenshots.

New in macOS 27: with Siri AI (Beta) turned on, Apple lists Command-Shift-Space bar for asking Siri about the active window and Command-Shift-6 for asking about a portion of the screen. The guide still lists Shift-Command-6 for the Touch Bar, so Touch Bar owners with Siri AI on should check which action they get. Our macOS 27 Golden Gate IT guide covers the wider upgrade.

How to take a screenshot on a Chromebook

Google's Chromebook Help gives these steps.

1. Press the Screenshot key if your keyboard has one. Otherwise press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, or select the time at the bottom right and choose Screen capture. On an external keyboard without a Show windows key, press Ctrl + Shift + F5.

1. In the menu at the bottom, select Screenshot.

1. Choose full screen, partial or window, then click or drag.

Google says captures are copied to the clipboard automatically and saved to the Downloads folder. To change the folder, press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, select Settings, then Select folder. Screen recordings use the same menu and save as .webm or .gif.

Fn-key quirks on common laptop brands

Laptop keyboards often put Print Screen on another key. Manufacturers document these variations:

• Dell: on laptops, Print Screen usually sits on the function row and often needs Fn + F10 or another function key. Some models use Fn + Insert when there is no dedicated key, and capacitive or illuminated function rows may need the function layer switched on first. On Windows tablets, Dell documents Windows button + Volume Down.

• HP: if PrtSc does nothing on its own, HP says to try Fn + PrtSc, and to check whether Fn lock is on or off.

• No PrtScn key at all: Microsoft documents Fn + Windows logo key + Space Bar, with the images in Pictures > Screenshots.

For Lenovo, Asus, Acer and other brands, layouts vary by model, so check your user guide. Windows + Shift + S works on any Windows 11 keyboard because it does not need Print Screen.

Screenshot not working? Common fixes

• Nothing happens when you press PrtScn. Try Fn + PrtScn, check Fn lock, or use Windows + Shift + S.

• You can't find the file. Alt + PrtScn, PrtScn with the snipping setting off, and Control-modified Mac shortcuts copy to the clipboard only, so paste with Ctrl + V or Command-V. If old captures are filling your drive, our guide on how to delete temp files on a laptop covers safe clean-up.

• A window comes out blank or is refused. Some apps block capture; Apple names the Apple TV app as an example.

• Capture is blocked on a work laptop. That is usually policy. Ask your IT team rather than installing a workaround.

For IT teams: policies that block screen capture

Screenshots are a quiet data-leak path: a captured customer record becomes an image outside the controls that protect the original file. Administrators have these switches:

• Windows (Intune or any MDM): the device-scoped Policy CSP setting Experience/AllowScreenCapture allows capture at 1 (the default) and blocks it at 0; Microsoft lists it for Pro, Enterprise, Education and IoT Enterprise. The user-scoped Experience/AllowScreenRecorder applies to Windows 11 24H2 and later on Enterprise, Education and IoT Enterprise and removes screen recording from Snipping Tool; its Group Policy equivalent sits under User Configuration > Windows Components > Snipping Tool. Microsoft's entry for the first setting says little about what it blocks, so test both on a pilot group first.

• Microsoft Purview Endpoint DLP: can block or audit copying sensitive files to the clipboard or USB media, and printing them. Screen capture is not on its list of monitored activities, so treat it as a separate control.

• Mac: Apple's restriction for screenshots and screen recordings (macOS 10.14.4 and later, supervision not required) stops users saving a screenshot or recording of the screen.

• Chromebook: the Google Admin console has a Screenshot policy that Google says applies to captures taken by any means, including the keyboard shortcut and apps or extensions that use the Chrome capture API.

Blocking every capture also stops staff sending error screenshots to the help desk, so block it only for groups that handle regulated data and tell employees the block is deliberate. Our cybersecurity services team can help design data loss prevention controls for mixed fleets.

How eCorpIT can help

eCorpIT is a Gurugram-based technology organisation, founded in 2021, assessed at CMMI Level 5 and MSME certified, with senior-led engineering teams working across AWS, Microsoft and Google platforms. Our digital transformation services team helps organisations standardise Windows, Mac and Chromebook fleets, including the device policies that decide what staff can capture and share. Talk to us at /contact-us/.

Last updated: 11 November 2026.

References

1. Keyboard shortcuts in Windows — Microsoft Support

1. Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac (Mac User Guide, macOS 27 Golden Gate) — Apple Support

1. Take a screenshot or record your screen — Chromebook Help, Google

1. How to use the Print Screen key in Windows (article 000147539, last modified 2 May 2026) — Dell

1. Keyboard shortcut for print screen — Microsoft Support

1. Experience Policy CSP — Microsoft Learn

1. Device management restrictions for Mac computers — Apple Platform Deployment

1. Set Chrome policies for users or browsers — Chrome Enterprise and Education Help, Google

1. Windows 11 release information — Microsoft Learn

1. Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots — Microsoft Support

1. Copy the window or screen contents — Microsoft Support

1. Use a screen reader to record your screen with Xbox Game Bar — Microsoft Support

1. Take a screenshot on Mac, 14 September 2026 — Apple Support

1. How to take a screenshot on HP laptop, 23 July 2026 — HP Tech Takes

1. Learn about Endpoint data loss prevention — Microsoft Learn