Snipping Tool Shortcut: Quick Access to Screenshots

Snapping a quick screenshot is a breeze when you use the snipping tool shortcut. This handy keyboard combo saves time by instantly launching the Snipping Tool (Windows) or its equivalent, letting you grab any part of your screen without fuss. In this guide, we’ll explore everything from basic shortcuts on Windows 10/11 to Mac’s screen capture keys, plus troubleshooting tips if the shortcut isn’t working.

Illustration: smartphone taking a picture of the screen – analogous to using a snipping tool shortcut to capture a screen area. The Snipping Tool is Windows’ built‑in screenshot utility, ideal for grabbing full screens or custom regions. Its interface supports free-form, rectangular, window, and full-screen captures. You can even record short videos of your screen or annotate captures.

By learning the right shortcuts, you can open Snipping Tool instantly and save screenshots in a flash. For example, pressing Windows key + Shift + S will immediately launch the screen snip overlay. In the overlay, you drag to select what you want and the snip is copied to the clipboard. You then simply paste it or open the Snipping Tool window to edit and save.

What Is the Snipping Tool?

The Snipping Tool is a built‑in Windows application for taking screenshots of all or part of your screen. It replaced older screen capture methods and offers multiple snip modes (freeform, rectangular, window, full-screen, plus a video snip). For instance, Rectangular Snip lets you drag out any rectangle, while Full Screen snips the entire desktop at once.

Once you capture a snip, it opens in the Snipping Tool window so you can annotate or save it. This tool is perfect for creating tutorials, capturing chat images, or storing parts of a website quickly.

Snipping Tool Shortcut Keys on Windows

Making the Snipping Tool pop up with a keypress is easy. On Windows 10 and 11, you have several built-in shortcuts:

• Windows + Shift + S – Opens the Snip & Sketch overlay for an immediate image snip. After pressing this, select your area; the screenshot is copied to your clipboard, and a notification appears. Click it to open the Snipping Tool where you can edit or save the image.
• Windows + Shift + R – On Windows 11 (and some newer Windows 10 versions), this opens Snipping Tool in video mode to capture a screen recording. It’s a quick way to start recording part of your screen without opening a separate app.
• Print Screen (PrtScn) – By default on Windows 11 (and if enabled in Settings on Windows 10/11), pressing the PrtScn key captures the entire screen and places it in your clipboard. (You may need to turn on “Use the Print Screen key to open screen snipping” in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.)

In addition to these system-wide shortcuts, you can pin the Snipping Tool app to your taskbar or Start menu for one-click access. Searching for “Snipping Tool” in the Windows search bar and clicking it is also an option, but the shortcut keys above are much faster.

Types of Snips You Can Make

Once the Snipping Tool is active (via shortcut or launch), you choose a snip type. The common options are:

• Freeform Snip: Draw any shape around the area you want (great for irregular shapes).
• Rectangular Snip: Click and drag to form a rectangle (the most common snip).
• Window Snip: Click on a window or dialog box to capture it.
• Full Screen Snip: Captures the entire display immediately.
• Video Snip: Records a video clip (Windows 11 feature).

Each mode changes how the tool works, but the keyboard shortcuts to start them remain the same (open the overlay and choose). After capturing, Snipping Tool automatically opens the screenshot in its editor for saving or annotation.

Snipping Tool Keyboard Shortcuts (Within the Tool)

Inside the Snipping Tool window itself, there are handy keyboard shortcuts to speed up your workflow:

• Alt + M: Change the snipping Mode (cycle freeform, rectangular, window, etc.).
• Alt + N: Start a new snip in the current mode. This is like clicking “New” again and can redo the last type of snip.
• Ctrl + S: Save the current snip to a file (brings up the Save dialog). You can also click the save icon with your mouse.
• Ctrl + C: Copy the current snip to the clipboard (useful if you want to paste it into another app).
• Alt + D: Add a delay (1–5 seconds) before a capture. This is helpful for capturing menus that need a moment to open.
• Shift + Arrow keys: When drawing a rectangular snip, adjust the selection one pixel at a time.

These shortcuts let you quickly capture and manage screenshots without leaving the keyboard. For instance, you can press Win+Shift+S, capture a rectangular snip, then hit Ctrl+S to save it – all without opening menus.

Image: a keyboard key with a question mark icon – symbolizing troubleshooting or confusion with a snipping tool shortcut. Sometimes the snipping tool shortcut may not work as expected. Common issues include conflicting hotkeys, outdated software, or a disabled setting. For example, if Win+Shift+S stops launching Snipping Tool, ensure that the Snipping Tool (or Snip & Sketch) is enabled in Windows settings (System > Notifications & actions).

Also, other screen-capture tools can hijack the Print Screen key – disabling or closing those programs often resolves the conflict. If needed, you can reset or reinstall the Snipping Tool via Windows’ Apps settings to fix corruption. Ensuring your Windows is up to date can also prevent shortcut bugs.

Customizing the Snipping Tool Shortcut

If the default shortcut isn’t to your liking, you can create a custom one. On Windows, right-click the Snipping Tool or Snipping Tool app shortcut (for example on the Start menu or desktop) and choose Properties. In the Shortcut key field, press the new key combination you want (e.g. Ctrl+Alt+S) and click OK.

After this, that combo will launch Snipping Tool. Alternatively, make a new desktop shortcut by right-clicking the desktop, selecting New > Shortcut, and entering  as the location. Name it and finish; then you can assign that icon any shortcut key you like. This “snipping tool shortcut setup” is useful for creating an even faster hotkey if Win+Shift+S doesn’t suit you.

Snipping Tool Shortcut on Mac

While Windows calls its tool “Snipping Tool,” Mac users rely on built-in screenshot shortcuts. There is no literal Snipping Tool on macOS, but you can capture screens just as quickly:

• Shift + Command + 3: Capture the entire screen and save it.
• Shift + Command + 4: Change the cursor to a crosshair, then drag to select an area (or tap space to capture a window). Release to take the screenshot.
• Shift + Command + 5: Open the Screenshot app (introduced in macOS Mojave) which offers on-screen controls for full screen, window, or portion snips, and even a timer.
• Control Key: Adding Control to any of the above combinations (e.g. Control+Shift+Command+3) will save the screenshot to the clipboard instead of a file, so you can paste it directly.

The Apple Support pages detail these shortcuts: for instance, pressing Shift+Command+4 turns your cursor into a crosshair for area selection. The new Shift+Command+5 opens a UI where you can choose screenshot options (save location, timer, video recording). Although the names differ, Mac’s shortcuts serve the same purpose as the Snipping Tool shortcut on Windows by giving you quick screen capture capabilities.

Snipping Tool Settings and Saving Snips

After you take a snip, Snipping Tool opens it in an editor window. By default, it asks you to save manually. Pressing Ctrl+S or clicking the save icon will store your screenshot to a folder of your choice. You can also pin the Snipping Tool app to your taskbar for easy click access. In the Snipping Tool’s Options menu, you can toggle features like whether to include a URL when snipping from a browser, or enable auto-copy to clipboard after capture. (If that auto-copy stops working, turning it off and on again in Snipping Tool settings can help.) Check Settings (gear icon) to verify that “Automatically copy text to clipboard” or related options are set as you prefer.

Troubleshooting Snipping Tool Shortcut Issues

Sometimes you might see “snipping tool shortcut not working” errors. Here are common fixes:

• Enable Snip & Sketch: In Windows 10/11, the Snipping Tool depends on the Snip & Sketch framework. If the Win+Shift+S shortcut fails, go to Settings > System > Notifications & actions and make sure Snip & Sketch (or Snipping Tool) is turned on.
• Check Keyboard Settings: In Ease of Access (Accessibility) > Keyboard, turn on “Use the Print Screen key to open screen snipping” (Windows 11) or assign Print Screen in older Windows. Then pressing PrtScn alone can launch the snip tool.
• Look for Conflicts: Disable any other screenshot or recording software. For example, utilities like Greenshot or Snagit might override keyboard shortcuts. As one troubleshooting guide notes, if another capture program is open, “you will encounter a Snipping Tool shortcut not working”. Closing conflicting apps can restore the default behavior.
• Reset the App: Under Settings > Apps & features, find Snipping Tool and choose Advanced options. Use the Repair or Reset buttons to fix corruption. After resetting, try the shortcut again.
• Windows Updates: Ensure Windows itself is updated. Microsoft occasionally patches Snipping Tool via Windows Update. Updating can resolve hidden bugs that stop the shortcut from working.
• Clipboard History (Win+V): Some users report that enabling Clipboard history (Win+V) in Settings helps the Win+Shift+S shortcut function properly. Turning this on can ensure Windows handles the snip in its clipboard.

If none of these work, you can always open Snipping Tool manually (via Start menu) and take screenshots, but ideally the shortcut restores quickly.

Engagement and Sharing

Once you master the snipping tool shortcuts, screen captures become second nature. Try using Win+Shift+S whenever you need a screenshot – it’s often faster than the old Print Screen+paste method. Experiment with the Snipping Tool features like annotation pens, text tools, and QR scanner (Windows 11 feature) to get even more out of your captures. If this guide helped you, let us know in the comments how you use your snipping tool shortcut, or share any tips we missed. And feel free to share this article on social media to help others streamline their screenshot workflow!

FAQs

• Q: How do I open the Snipping Tool using a shortcut? A: On Windows 10/11, press Windows + Shift + S to immediately launch the Snipping Tool overlay. You can also press the Print Screen (PrtScn) key if it’s enabled in your settings. After pressing the shortcut, select the area you want to capture.
• Q: Can I set a custom Snipping Tool shortcut key? A: Yes. You can create a desktop shortcut to  and then in its properties assign any shortcut key (e.g. Ctrl+Alt+S). Alternatively, pin Snipping Tool to the taskbar and use Win+Number to open it.
• Q: What is the Snipping Tool equivalent on Mac? A: Mac uses built-in screenshot keys. For example, Shift + Command + 4 lets you drag to capture part of the screen, and Shift + Command + 5 opens the Screenshot app with advanced options. These shortcuts serve the same role as the Snipping Tool shortcut on Windows.
• Q: My Win+Shift+S shortcut stopped working. What do I do? A: First check your Windows settings. Make sure Snip & Sketch (Snipping Tool) is enabled under Settings > System > Notifications & actions. Disable any other screenshot utilities that might be intercepting the key. If needed, reset the Snipping Tool via Settings > Apps. Updating Windows can also resolve issues.
• Q: How do I quickly save a screenshot in Snipping Tool? A: After capturing a snip, the Snipping Tool window appears. Press Ctrl + S to open the Save dialog. Or click the Save icon. By default the image format is PNG, but you can choose others.
• Q: Is there a shortcut to capture a screenshot to the clipboard? A: Yes. By default, Win+Shift+S copies the capture to the clipboard. You can also enable Clipboard History (press Win+V) to see multiple snaps. On macOS, adding Control (⌃) to any screenshot key (e.g. Control+Shift+Command+3) saves the shot to clipboard instead of a file.

Each of these tips and shortcuts will help you snip and save images much faster, boosting your productivity whether you’re on Windows or Mac. Happy snipping!