The fastest way to capture your screen

The quickest method depends on your device. On Windows, press Print Screen (or PrtScn) to capture your entire screen, or Windows key + Shift + S to select just part of it. On Mac, press Command + Shift + 3 for the whole screen or Command + Shift + 4 to select a portion. On Chromebook, press Ctrl + Show Windows (the Show Windows key is usually where F5 would be) for the full screen, or Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows to capture part of it.

After you take the screenshot, it goes to your clipboard or directly to your Downloads folder, depending on your device and which method you used. You can then paste it into an email, document, or image editor, or find the saved file on your computer.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows users should press Print Screen for the full screen or Windows key + Shift + S to select a portion.
  • Mac users press Command + Shift + 3 for the entire screen or Command + Shift + 4 to choose a specific area.
  • Chromebook users press Ctrl + Show Windows for the full screen or Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows to select part of it.
  • Screenshots on Windows and Mac go to your clipboard first, so you must paste them into a program or save them manually.
  • Chromebook screenshots save automatically to your Downloads folder as PNG files.

Windows: Using Print Screen and the Snipping Tool

The Print Screen key is the simplest method on Windows. Press it once, and your entire screen is copied to the clipboard. You won't see any confirmation—the image is just sitting there ready to paste. Open any program that accepts images (Word, Paint, Gmail, Slack) and press Ctrl + V to paste it in.

If you want to capture only part of your screen, use Windows key + Shift + S. Your screen will dim slightly, and your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag to draw a box around the area you want to capture. When you release the mouse, that portion is copied to your clipboard. A small notification will appear in the bottom right corner—click it to open the image in the Snipping Tool, where you can annotate it with text or drawings before saving.

The Snipping Tool itself (search for it in the Windows Start menu) offers more control. Open it, click New, and then drag to select your capture area. You can save the result as a PNG, JPG, or GIF file directly to your computer. This method is slower than the keyboard shortcuts but useful if you plan to edit the screenshot right away.

Mac: Using keyboard shortcuts and the Screenshot app

On Mac, Command + Shift + 3 captures your entire screen and saves it directly to your desktop as a PNG file. You'll hear a camera shutter sound (unless you muted it), and the file appears when ready on your desktop with a name like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM."

To capture only part of your screen, press Command + Shift + 4. Your cursor becomes a crosshair. Click and drag to select the area you want, then release. The screenshot saves to your desktop the same way. If you change your mind while dragging, press Escape before releasing the mouse, and the capture is cancelled.

For more options, use the Screenshot app. Press Command + Shift + 5 to open it. You'll see buttons to capture the full screen, a selected window, or a portion of the screen. You can also set a timer (useful for capturing menus that disappear when you click) and choose whether to save to your desktop, clipboard, or a specific folder. After you take the screenshot, a thumbnail appears in the bottom right corner—click it to edit, crop, or mark up the image before saving.

Chromebook: Capturing and finding your screenshots

On Chromebook, press Ctrl + Show Windows to capture your entire screen. The Show Windows key is usually in the top row of your keyboard where the F5 key would be on a regular computer—it shows a rectangle with lines on it. Your screenshot saves automatically to your Downloads folder as a PNG file with a timestamp in the name.

To capture only part of your screen, press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows. Your screen will dim, and you'll see a crosshair cursor. Click and drag to select the area you want. When you release, that portion is saved to your Downloads folder.

Find your screenshots by opening the Files app (the folder icon in your taskbar) and clicking Downloads on the left side. Your screenshots appear there with names like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 14.30.45.png." You can right-click any screenshot to open it, share it, or move it to another folder. Chromebook does not copy screenshots to your clipboard the way Windows and Mac do, so you must find the file in Downloads if you want to attach it to an email or upload it somewhere.

What to do with your screenshot after you take it

On Windows and Mac, your screenshot is in your clipboard after you take it. You can paste it when ready into an email, document, or messaging app by pressing Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac). If you close a program or take another screenshot, the old one is replaced in your clipboard, so paste it right away if you need it.

To save a screenshot as a file on Windows, paste it into Paint (search for Paint in the Start menu), then go to File and click Save As. Choose a location and a file format (PNG is fine for most uses). On Mac, screenshots save to your desktop automatically, but you can move them to a folder or rename them later.

On Chromebook, your screenshots are already saved as files in your Downloads folder. You can share them by right-clicking and selecting Share, or upload them to Google Drive, email, or any other service. You can also open them in an image editor to crop or annotate them before sharing.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake on Windows and Mac is forgetting that your screenshot is only in the clipboard temporarily. If you take a screenshot and then copy something else (like text or a file), your screenshot is gone. Paste it into a document or save it as a file right away if you plan to use it later.

Another mistake is using Print Screen on Mac, which does not work the same way as it does on Windows. Mac does not have a Print Screen key that does anything useful—always use the Command + Shift shortcuts instead.

On Chromebook, some users expect their screenshots to appear on their desktop the way they do on Mac. Chromebook does not have a desktop folder—screenshots always go to Downloads. If you can't find a screenshot you just took, check your Downloads folder first.

If your screenshot includes sensitive information (passwords, personal details, financial information), delete it from your Downloads folder or clipboard as soon as you're done using it. Do not leave screenshots sitting on your desktop or in your email.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot of just one window instead of the whole screen?

On Mac, press Command + Shift + 4, then press the spacebar. Your cursor becomes a camera, and you can click any window to capture just that window. On Windows, use Windows key + Shift + S and drag around the window you want. Chromebook does not have a built-in one-window capture, but you can use the selection method to capture just the window area.

Where do my screenshots go after I take them?

On Mac, they save to your desktop by default. On Windows, they go to your clipboard first—you must paste them into a program or use the Snipping Tool to save them as a file. On Chromebook, they save automatically to your Downloads folder. You can change where Windows saves screenshots by opening the Snipping Tool and adjusting the settings.

Can I edit my screenshot right after I take it?

On Mac, a thumbnail appears in the bottom right corner after you take a screenshot—click it to open the editing tools. On Windows, use the Snipping Tool (search for it in the Start menu) or paste your screenshot into Paint to edit it. On Chromebook, right-click the screenshot in your Downloads folder and open it with an image editor.

What if I accidentally took a screenshot and want to delete it?

On Mac and Chromebook, find the file in your Downloads folder or on your desktop and delete it. On Windows, if you just took the screenshot and it is still in your clipboard, straightforward do not paste it anywhere. If you already pasted it, find the file where you saved it and delete it from there.

Can I take a screenshot of a video or streaming content?

You can take a screenshot of most videos and streaming content using the methods above. Some streaming services (like Netflix or Disney+) block screenshots for copyright reasons—if you try to capture them, the screenshot will be blank or black. This is intentional and cannot be worked around.